Happy Holidays

Not sure how much I'll be around this week, but wanted to pass along a (belated for one) Happy Holidays to you and yours from us here at OTJW. It's been a great year here, one which saw me embark on this whole writing journey, and I want to thank those of you that have already hopped on for the ride. Here's hoping 2012 is a good one. I've been playing a lot of Star Wars (The Old Republic) lately and I posted this picture on my other site, but thought it was still appropriate here. Some fireworks from the end of Return of the Jedi (my favorite of the movies, and I <3 fireworks):

Don't celebrate too hard and, like, topple statues of emperors or anything.

 (Edit: Fixed the image. Apparently the old one was removed.)

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#ROW80 - Final 2011 Round Wrap-up

Ironically, today is also my last day at the Day Job for the year. There's going to be a big, drunken celebration tonight, let me tell ya. It'll probably just be me, my wife and video games. Crazy, I know. But our Christmas shopping is done, we both have tomorrow off, we don't have to travel until the evening, and my latest project is in editors' hands. It really is vacation time for me. Which, as a writer, means thinking about your next project, maybe a little light outlining, and, my personal favorite, blurb writing. Gah, I hate writing blurbs.

Anyway, today wraps up the second round of ROW80 that I've participated in, and the fourth round in this inaugural year. It's been a great ride, and I've met some other great people (and great writers!) through the challenge. I don't have as much time as I'd like to be social, click around, comment, etc, but I still feel like I get a lot out of ROW. I may not be the most worldly writer, but I have to believe that for the time spent, you get more back through ROW in terms of connections, advice, and inspiration (not to mention support of "the lifestyle") than any other challenge. It's just a great group of folks, really doing it right.

So yeah, I'll be here next year, ROWing along. Let's take a quick look at what ROW has helped me accomplish both in this round and this year:

• Lessons Learned - Once a week, for 160 days, I've posted a lesson I've learned. Some are writer oriented, some personal, but the big takeaway here is that I'm constantly improving, one week at a time. Slow and steady wins the race.
• WIP Progress - I published my first book, started a second project, and finished it this year. ROW chronicled the words as they ticked off. More on this in a bit, but this goal has always been the meat of my involvement in the challenge. The aim is to make writing a daily thing. I would call it a job, but I hate that word. I'm certainly approaching it that way, with daily objectives, and a long term plan, but it's something I enjoy doing. Thus, it doesn't feel like a "real job"  most to the time, though I have started to tell people that it is "like a second job." Self-publishing is a legit endeavor, and people are starting to recognize it, at least in my life.
• Blogging - Really, this is my social media of choice. I try to do Facebook and Twitter as I can, but I'm a blogger at heart. I've consistently posted on two blogs this year (including this one), keep a monthly online journal, and started a third blog for the football program I volunteer for. That's a lot of writing. It's not always as formal as my projects, but I maintain that anything that forces you to squeeze big ideas into written language is going to you improve as a writer.
• Those were my three big goals that I tracked each week. Some ancillary things that happened: I got my book reviewed by two book bloggers. Hardly a tour, I know, but a big step for me as I wasn't sure what to expect. I anticipate contacting a lot more book bloggers (salt of the earth, these folks!), but I want to get a few more books out first.
• I formed a partnership program with a fellow author. This wasn't really through ROW, but I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to do it without the weekly support here.
• I participated in a giveaway. Two if you count one of my book blogger reviews. But huge thanks to Nadja for her 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. It was fun and exciting to be a part of.
• Oh yeah, I formed my own small business. Sometimes I think we indies overlook that. To start out, we have to get tax IDs (and I'm a bit anxious about filing this year) and a whole bunch of other junk that legit businesses have to do. We even got my first book officially recognized by the Federal Copyright Office. I never anticipated being a small business owner, but, well, I guess I am now. We're totally small potatoes, but its definitely something I think is cool.

So yeah, it was a pretty good year. Sometimes it's hard for me to be patient; I wish I were doing all this as my Day Job now. Still, this was my first year going down this indie road, and it's been a productive one. ROW80 played no small part in all of this. Setting goals, working toward them weekly... well the achievements start to rack up without you even realizing it. I see great things in the future for this group of writers, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

I forgot last week, but generally I end with word counts. I stick them at the end because I don't use them to measure my progress, as you can see from above. However, after focusing on your real goals, it can be exciting to see how that translates into actual words written. Most challenges are fueled by word counts (not ROW), but I suppose I hope by showing the underlying count, that I'm proving how well this challenge actually works. Anyway, I'll end, as usual, with the counts:

• Since last check in (two weeks): 8,657
• Round 4: 61,097
• Grand Total (two rounds):  130,472

It all adds up.

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Another Cheater Post

Tomorrow is the last day of #ROW80 Round 4. Thus, the check-in is delayed for a day, leaving me this Wednesday open. I'm going to cheat again though, and link a post I wrote elsewhere. This time, it was on the blog I run for the football team that I volunteer for. I think it's worth a read, as I'm giving a bit of a holiday history lesson to our players. It is also one of my favorite Christmas stories: the 1914 Christmas Truces. A poignant conjunction of sports, holiday spirit, and war. Check it out here.

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On KDP Select

One of the more interesting announcements recently in the world of both writing and reading was the whole KDP Select program. I caught it via The Passive Guy. The gist here is that Amazon is setting aside a chunk of money to pay to authors who take part in their premium lending program. It strikes me as sort of a private library. That is, people who pay to be Amazon Prime members have access to free books through Amazon that they can "check out" and read. Amazon then tallies the number of downloads and divvies up the cash accordingly.

Sounds great, right? Free books for readers, money for authors. All our bases are covered. But what's the catch? There's always a catch, am I right?

In this case, Amazon is requiring exclusive rights to the book for 90 days (or more). Yep, that means in order to participate in this program, one would need to take down the book from any other competing sites (Barnes and Noble, Apple's iBookstore, Smashwords, you name it). So great for Kindle owners and those that use the MOBI format... EPUBers are out of luck.

I could see where this could be a nice program, but it just doesn't seem worth it from where I'm sitting. Let's be honest, my book isn't going to be compete with the Pattersons of the world in terms of lending power. My slice of the pie would be very small indeed. The exposure would be nice, certainly, but I have to believe there are going to be enough takers (a lot of people are already exclusive with Amazon) that the slices are going to be pretty small to begin with, and I'm just not that popular.

There's also the little side note that I like other retailers. I have a Nook myself. I feel like part of my job as a self-publisher is to make sure my readers have access to my book on any platform they choose to read it on. This exclusivity thing flies in the face of all that. Makes sense for Amazon, but for me? I just don't see it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for lending. I say so in the front of my books. Sharing is encouraged. I've talked about how I have no problem giving away free copies as well. I simply ask that you consider supporting the authors you like so that we can devote more time to the endeavor. I wish the devices that were out there today made it easier to lend books, but I understand why that scares publishers. It's the same fear they have with "piracy." Personally, I'm just happy folks are reading my book. If I've done my job well enough, asking for $5 shouldn't be that much. I don't care whether you read the book for free first and then buy a copy out of appreciation later or something. The only concern I have is using retailers that facilitate a relatively simply transaction and allow me to track my sales.

If I were designing a Reader's Best Friend E-reading Device, I think it'd be neat if you could "friend" other readers. Like how we do on Facebook or Google+. You could have a friend's list on your e-reader (think of chatting possibilities!) and have reading groups. Books could be passed between friends (just like we all used to do with physical copies). Copies don't scare me, but perhaps to make it fair for authors, it could move the digital copy from one device to the next (via wifi, of course) so that, in reality, only one person is reading the book at a time. That would put it on par with a paperback, right?

Until we have such a device, though, I'll try to use what is out there in the best, most reader-friendly ways I can. E-readers are still young. They have some changes to go through, I think, before they become staples in the literary world. I'm willing to be patient, but what I'm not willing to do is get "exclusive" with one retailer unless I'm assured that my readers aren't hurt. I don't think I can confidently claim that about the current iteration of the KDP Select program. If you would like to "borrow" my book, shoot me an email. No need to pay for Amazon Prime. (Unless you want the free shipping and that other junk, of course. :-p)

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Cheating Monday Post

I'm going to cheat today and link my own post on my other blog. I wrote it with gaming in mind, but anyone who has ever been to a car dealership can probably relate and find a smile in the anecdote. It was pretty much the Worst Quest Ever, making it great Monday post fodder.

I'll be back for reals tomorrow. Hopefully my calves will loosen up. Did a bunch of moving for my mother over the weekend... stairs are my new arch enemy. I feel motivated to write a story where stairs somehow factor in as a villain are and subsequently destroyed in Michael Bay-ian fashion. You know, with giant explosions and debris.

Have a great Monday.

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#ROW80 - Price Experiment

Sales were pretty "blah" again last month.  Yesterday I wrote about being patient, and I'm terrible at taking my own advice.  Like I said in that post, I believe my monthly average of sales is just fine, and probably will be for another six months (even if I sell nothing).  The real next step, then, is to simply get another book out.  There have been a lot of experiments out there, but one general rule of thumb has held: the best promotion for a new writer is to get more books up.  Unless you hit it really lucky, one book is not going to carry you.  I think a good goal is to aim for five or six before you really contemplate any effects on your day job.

Speaking of goals, let's take a quick look at mine before I detail my experiment...

• Lesson Learned - Average sales of ~12 books per month for the first 5 months of a career, doing minimal promotion, and having only one book up... is really not bad at all (though it feels like it some days).  It can be hard to be patient at times, since obviously I wish I had the sales to support leaving a day job behind, but the thing that separates "real" writers from fad chasers is going to be what you do in the long haul.  It's pretty simple for writers: writers write. Five years from now, I'll still be writing. I enjoy sharing stories too much to quit.  Maybe I'll always have a day job, but I'll also always be writing in one way or another. It's not a matter of "if" I'll succeed.  In sharing my first story, I already have.  It's just a matter of when the rest of the cosmic balance wants to acknowledge that.
• WIP Editing - I knocked off 8/10 chapters this week. I only have two left to finish by the end of the week, so I'm in good shape.  Everything runs slow (including me) around the holidays, so I've already decided to give myself a bit of a pass.  The book will likely be launched shortly after the first of the year. Not a bad time to be launching.  I'm missing Christmas, but it'll take people a few weeks to figure out where the power button their new Kindles are anyway, right? :-)
• Blogging - Since I'm in editing mode (and thus not writing new fiction), it's more important than ever to keep up with the blogging goal.  After all, this is my only writing practice each day now.  I was 4/3 on the gaming blog, and this will make 4/3 here.  I also have a personal post ready to go (I just need to throw it up)... so this has been the bright spot.  Most of my writing has been a bit "writer-centric," but I'm not sure I can help it while wearing my editing hat.  I'll get back to fiction and character close-ups once I can don the creative cap again, though I may start with the close-ups sooner.

Okay, so I'm good on the goals.  Short on some, ahead on others, but generally still progressing to where I want to be.  Patience, Matt, Patience.

Which brings us back to the pricing experiment.  I recently read an article regarding pricing on JA Konrath's blog.  The gist of it was that there may perhaps be a bit of a stigma at both the 99 cent price mark, and the $2.99 price mark.  Basically, some jokers with poor quality have ruined it for the rest of us.  Readers, when they get burned, generally don't put their hand back on the stove, it seems.  Can't blame them for that (though different tolerances for heat abound).

Point being, some people have reported seeing sales increases by raising prices.  Yes, raising.  Seems counter-intuitive, but to a psychology hobbyist, it makes sense.  I completely understand the "Starbucks theory" as laid out in the article.  As such, it seemed a good idea for me to raise the price on my book from $2.99 to $4.99.

Sounds crazy, and maybe it is, but I had this rationalization in mind: I've spent $5 (or more) on a couple of candy bars in order to support things before.  And I can promise you, those candy bars brought me a whole lot less entertainment and enjoyment than a novel.  Perhaps I'm biased, because I love books (plus they're better for me than candy bars), but I don't think $5 is a ridiculous price.  The writing may be from a learning author, but the formatting and copy-editing is on par with any professional book out there right now, even the >$10 ones (some of which I've found a plethora of errors in).  In other words, this is still a steal, as I see it, and I certainly didn't want to give the impression of a low quality book.  You can say what you want about the writing, but I'm supremely confident about the formatting.  These tools are right up my engineering alley.

Also, a big part of my marketing plan is to offer a lot of ways to get the book for free.  I'm all for giveaways and partnerships.  I'm not concerned at all about piracy.  I see the "pay" feature more as a way of a reader being able to say "yes, I want this guy to keep writing, and here's my $5 vote."  If you're unsure, or didn't think it was worth $5... well I believe Amazon lets you return books for a full refund.  Also, all you really need to do is send me an email and I'll basically give you a book for free to try.  I detail several ways under that Special Offers page linked up there, and one of them is simply: free e-book for an honest review on Amazon/Goodreads/Whatever.  Anyone can take advantage of that.  And it doesn't even have to be particularly insightful (though I'm enormously thankful for those that take the time).

So I don't see the increase as a hurdle or an attempt to gouge anyone (and I hope no one sees it that way, either).  Instead, I see it as a vote of confidence by me in the quality of the offering.  And trust me, that confidence is hard won.  Confidence isn't something that comes naturally to a writer.  

At the end of the day, this is just an experiment.  I'll let you guys know how it goes.  If there are complaints, if sales dry up further (I'm not sure how they can), I can always move it back.  It's yet another perk of Indie Publishing (this flexibility of pricing).  Why not exercise it?  Especially when I plan to offer deals and freebies for just about any reason.

Heck, I'll even throw a new offer up at the bottom of that page of mine.  Merry Christmas: Free e-book if you simply convince me that you love to read.  Could be a picture or an anecdote, whatever.  I think reading is awesome, and want to support that.  I don't want a price tag turn potential readers away, whether it be too much or too little.

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DWS: "Go Have Fun"

Here's a little bit of inspiration from career author Dean Wesley Smith:

And it drives me nuts when a writer who has sold a hundred copies of a novel in a month on Kindle alone thinks that’s bad. Stop comparing yourself to other writers and just do the long-term math on your own sales. Those other writers who sold more aren’t writing, but promoting anyway, and will be gone shortly. You can beat them by simply keeping writing and producing more product and becoming a better storyteller.

And then...

So stop being in such a hurry and focus on writing great stories. If you do that and just keep going, the money will come. And when it does, it will surprise you because all you have been caring about is the writing. Also, not thinking about sales all the time, not checking your numbers all the time, and focusing on only telling stories is a ton more fun. Go have fun.

Like I've said from the start, my goal in this endeavor is to learn and improve as a writer and storyteller.  It's hard sometimes to not be in a hurry, especially when sales drop off to around one (1) book per month.  But there were also better months, and I've really sold 61 books over 5 months.  That's around 12 books per month.  If I'm going by Dean's napkin math (and hes' a pretty smart guy), well then I'm ahead of the game.  I may be no blockbuster, but five years from now, if I keep writing and learning... I should be in good shape.  And that's the point here.  You don't have to be a blockbuster to succeed as a writer.

Every month it's like rolling the dice. Maybe this will be the big one, maybe the book will take off. But even if you don't win the literary lottery, you've still got a book out there, and that's something.  I can't wait to add my second book to the portfolio.  Then a third, and a fourth.  They all buoy each other up, and eventually I'll be able to float.  It's just the waiting that's the hardest part (thanks Tom Petty).

You have to ask yourself: is it worth it?  Writing, creating, self-publishing... it's a lot of work.  But I don't think many of us look at it as work.  It's something I'd be doing anyway (at least he writing part). So, if a 5 year plan sweetens the plot, then so much the better.

I keep numbers because it's smart business.  We need to keep our expenses in line with our expenditures.  Otherwise, I do my best to ignore them.  Some months it's harder than others, some days it's harder than others (like, when you have the inevitable everything-I-touch-is-crap day), but if you believe in the craft and yourself, then you're in this for the long haul.  Dean's right: focusing on telling stories is way more fun than worrying about money.  I mean, I have a day job for that.

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Armchair Publishing: A Small Rant

In the spirit of curmudgeonly-ness (from last week and 'cuz it's Monday)... if anyone wants to know the main reason why I chose to go Indie, read this article from The Passive Guy. In particular, the following quotations are what make the decision simple.

"Just so we’re clear, if the Twilight query had gone to an experienced agent at Writers House instead of a newbie, the experienced agent would have turned it down cold. Stephenie was very lucky a publishing “expert” didn’t review her new product idea."

And then...

"In any field other than publishing, a well-run business that missed a JK or Stephenie idea would have tracked down the people who failed to see the potential in the idea, fired them and completely re-worked the query processing system so an error of that magnitude would never happen again."

I've experienced this first hand in my day job.  Sometimes people aren't fired, but the process is re-processed constantly. It actually is somewhat of a joke among engineers because we routinely try to find any way to shirk the cumbersome process (at great risk of getting slapped with a poor performance review, which equals no raise... as if they need an excuse). Point being: the traditional publishing business model is really ineffective.

I don't like to just lobby criticism without offering a possible solution (armchair quarterbacking being what it is), so here's my idea. Ebooks and Indie publishing provide a great avenue for pre-published publishing. That is, if you're a new writer, you can get started sharing and learning right away, without waiting for the ancient process to grind you up in its gears and spit you out.

Traditional publishers need to get out of the query cycle and start being more proactive. Make editors into "talent scouts." I have to believe their experience counts for something. Chase after the small-scale successes. Get rid of the slush and take to the Indie piles. How many ballplayers do baseball scouts look at before they find the next All-star? It still wouldn't be perfect, but I have to believe it'd be better.  Meanwhile, we can be out there honing our game instead of honing our query-ability.

Waiting on writers to come to you is such a passive way of doing business.  I would think everyone would benefit (readers, writers, editors) from being more active.  But, I'm not a seasoned pro or anything, so what do I know?

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Art vs Functionality

I'm not going to pretend that I'm superbly qualified to give writing advice; I'm not. I'm still learning. I fully admit that. But there is one issue I've come across recently that I thought may be worth sharing. It may be a bit unique to my engineering point of view.

Engineers design things. (Derp, I know). In my case, I work in the automotive industry for a day job. I'm not a designer, per see, but rather a tester.  My job is to design tests that break the design. (It sounds more impressive than it really is.  Or maybe doesn't sound impressive at all, I don't know). The point here is simply that it's my job to look critically at designs.

There exists a fundamental disconnect between designs and users. We try really hard to bridge that gap, but it's always there.  The problem is that designers inherently have a deep understanding of whatever they're creating, and the user doesn't.  What may seem simple and elegant to a designer can be completely frustrating to an end user. Were the designer sitting in the passenger seat, he'd be all like: "No, you dolt. Simply push the secret button... here, let me do it. See how that blends in there and looks sharp?" And the user would blink and say: "Well, that was harder than it needed to be."

If you've ever wondered about the pull out drink trays that put a GIANT DRIVE-THRU SODA right smack in front of the temperature control dials... you've seen this phenomenon in action.  That one got through because the designer said: "Awesome, I can make this slide in just so, and save tons of space (thereby saving $$, which got the okay of the higher-ups) and sliding things are cool.  Everyone loves secret compartments.  It looks so slick when closed, and functional when open. What a winner!"

I've come across a similar thing in my writing.  I'll construct this perfect, descriptive sentence. It flows. It works. It's showing and not just telling. It makes me feel like I'm not FailAuthor. And then the betas get a hold of it.

"What is this monstrosity?" they cry. "I'm totally lost here."

Fie! How did this happen? B-but, the sentence is so... beautiful. How can you not marvel at the sheer elegance of it?

"It doesn't work."

Those are the words I dread to hear as a storyteller. As an artist, I could give two flying figs. It's my art. I get it, that's what matters. But as a storyteller, words are your cup holders. They're what you're designing, first and foremost, to perform a function. And when they don't work, even if they're pretty, you're guilty of letting the art get in the way of the function.  Sometimes, we forget that we need to be designers first and artists second. We get so lost in the art of what we're doing, that we fail the functionality check.

As a daytime test engineer, I'm especially sensitive to the testing of my beta readers. That's exactly how I look at it, too. I've painstakingly designed a product over the course of a year or so, and now I'm asking someone else to try and break it. I want them to go through and rip open the plot holes, sending me the story back on blue screen.  In the end, that's what's best for the story and the end user (the reader).  And sadly, sometimes art has to suffer for the sake of functionality.

Perhaps, as I learn and improve my ability, I'll be able to merge art and functionality more fluidly. I would say that's the hallmark of a master. In the meantime, I think it's best to err on the side of functionality. Because every time I slap my medium million ounce beverage (my stars, can you image what a large must look like?) in that annoying cup holder, and THEN try to reach for the temp controls... I want to punch a designer in the face. As an author, I really don't want to be punched by a reader. Honestly, if it ever comes to that, I should probably hang up the pen.

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#ROW80 - Taking it Easier

Another week, another busy schedule. I wrote Monday about how I was feeling a bit down. I've regained some of myself since then. The bottom is always the worst, and then it's simply a matter of trudging back uphill.  And trudging I am.

In light of the circumstance, I decided to ease up on my editing goal.  I was originally not even giving myself a day off, working 7 days a week and shooting for 2 chapters per day.  There are times when pushing hard is good, but other times when it doesn't make sense.  Suffering for the sake of suffering has always seemed silly to me.  I'm not going to get any feedback from my editors for a few weeks still (if then, what with the holidays... which I anticipated going into this), so why rush my own read through?  I can back off and still easily get it done.  So that goal has been modified.  I'll give myself two days off, so 10 chapters per week instead of 14.  Spreading out the "off" time is allowable, too.

Let's look at the goals, then:

• Lesson Learned - Sometimes you need to go easy on yourself.  It's tempting as an indie author to push, push, push.  Especially, right now, in this season. In this publishing environment.  There's sort of a "to the victor go the spoils" mentality, and you have to work hard to win.  When you're in charge of your own business, I think its easier to fall into the trap of long hours and a steady diet of stress.  Stepping back, chilling out a bit, can be a smart business decision.
• WIP Editing - I took the weekend off, and still ended up one short of the modified goal at 9/10 chapters.  Still, I'm easily on target to finish my read through before I'm slated to begin getting editor feedback.  So I'm not too worried here.
• Blogging - Considering this is my sole writing outlet right now, it's good that I'm keeping up.  4/3 on the gaming blog. 4/3 here.  Plus I got a personal post up and have another one read to go, so I'm covered through the rest of the year there.

I've not written a whole lot of fiction while editing.  You may have noticed that the weekly story here has sort of stopped.  My muse is taking a bit of a rest, so I'm not going to force it.  Plus, it's not like I'm not busy with editing or anything.  For whatever reason, I just think it's really hard to write new stuff while in editing mode. I'm not sure why that is.  It's not that I can't focus on more than one project, because even when I'm knee deep in a WIP, I have a million other ideas rattling around.  Put on my editor hat, though, and they all evaporate.  It becomes more about tweaking existing creations than dreaming new ones.  It's a different sort of creativity, though no less important.

I'm still writing, however, and that's the important thing.  The topics may end up being more reflective and less imaginative, but it makes sense when you consider I'm stuck in a brain mode of "using what I have" instead of "making it all up."  Also, maybe it's just me, but I feel like the holidays sap a lot of creative energy. They can inspire extra, but they require some for the simple tasks like "how am I going to make this crazy schedule work" and "what am I going to get Mom."  Sure, I could always go with the default "gift card to somewhere," but I always feel like that's a cop-out.  Though, I do love me some gift cards.  Post Christmas shopping sprees are all right.

Let's check out the words:

• Project Fiction: 0 (Editing Mode)
• Since last check in: 5,138
• Grand Total for Round 4: 52,440

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Author Partnership: Isaac McBeth

I mentioned that I was partnering with Isaac McBeth last week when I checked in. I wanted to make an official post to that effect. I've made a home for the cliff-note details and links over in the Special Offers section, but wanted to pass along a little about the book and Isaac.

First, the deal.  Very simple.  Buy my book, get his free.  Buy his book, get my ebook free.  Easy as pie, right?  How to take advantage, you might ask... well, Isaac's got a nifty form on his site.  For me, I'll just simply take an email and we'll work things out.  We've already had one taker (like the day his book went live), and I've passed along a Smashwords code for the free download.  We figure that if you're going to support one young fantasy author, why not get a free book from another to boot.  Seems win-win to us.

As I mention in the Special Offers section, my best friend (best man at my wedding) is a friend of Isaac's and put us in touch when he realized we were both writing books.  Ironically, our mutual friend is on record (with us at least) as having a strong dislike of books.  As he once said to me: he's never met a book that wouldn't be better as a movie.  Isaac and I obviously don't exactly share that sentiment, though I doubt either of us would object to a movie being made from one of our books.  In any case, to get our friend to care about books is no small feat, so we're happy to have done it and be able to offer this deal.

Here's a picture of the cover and the blurb from the book, in case you're interested in knowing more...

Alexander Wisbal and the Hall of Heroes is the first of several books by author Isaac McBeth focusing on the adventures of a young University of Richmond law student named Alexander Wisbal.

Unbeknownst to Alexander, an extremely talented individual, it is his destiny to become the leader of a one-world government. It is this very destiny that has caused Alexander to catch the eye of a dark warrior named Alistair. Once a prominent general of Alexander the Great, Alistair's only desire is to bring about the fall of humanity and leave the world in ruin. Knowing Alexander will one day assume the role of world leader, Alistair believes his goal of humanity's destruction can be accomplished by transforming Alexander's heart into one of hatred and malice so that Alexander will desire the same.

Humanity's only hope now lies with the Hall of Heroes--a special union of great figures from history that continue to work for the best of mankind from a special plane of existence called Sententia. Alexander is brought to the Hall where he is informed of Alistair's plans. In the months that follow, he will learn combat skills from some of the greatest warriors in history, travel throughout the dangerous lands of the Iudicium, and battle against Gero--the master of the dead.

Underlying the story filled with magic, mystery, and adventure is a question that all readers can relate to...is there such a thing as destiny? If we are aware of our destiny, can we avoid it or will every choice we make simply bring us closer to it? In Alexander Wisbal and the Hall of Heroes, history's greatest warriors will put destiny to the test in hopes that the world may be saved through fellowship, strength in battle, and sacrifice.

For more information about Isaac and his books, check out his website here.

Pleasant adventuring!

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Where'd the Sun go?

Despite my rousing pep talk last week, I'm feel rather "blah" right now. This weekend was especially rough. You see, I believe I have what is called SAD. I've never gotten any sort of official diagnosis - and if I do indeed have the disorder, it is quite mild - but the point is that, come winter time, I get quite curmudgeonly for apparently no reason at all. Such is how I feel today.

The good news is that, from experience, I know it'll pass.  Usually runs its course in a week or two.

Until then, motivation is a highly sought after commodity, and everything I do sucks way more than usual.  I've read a lot about Depression and its relation to artists because the topic fascinates me.  In past times, people often weren't considered real artists unless they were super-depressed.  I'd like to think that we have a bit more enlightened view these days, but there still seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about Depression.

Of interest to writers (and perhaps readers), I read a study where the studied writing samples from Depressives.  They had people write things both during "good" days and "bad" days.  Then, they asked both the writer to rate their own work, and others to rate it.  There were several things the found.  First, Depression seems to have no effect on writing quality (output is another thing). Most people could not tell when writing was done on "good" days or "bad" days.  Also, inevitably, the writer would think otherwise.  Obviously, everything done on a "bad" day was awful.  Though, objectively, it really wasn't.

I like to give myself a bit of a break when I'm in one of these black moods.  So I took the weekend off.  Yep, didn't get anything done.  It was nice, but I feel really guilty about it.  I should have been editing.  Realistically, though, I'm not going to get anything back from my editors before Christmas... so why am I rushing?  I could take weekends off and still get my first pass done. Thus, you may see me back off the editing goal a bit on my Wednesday check-in.  I've been pushing myself hard and the stress is getting to me... and the holidays are already stressful.

Be good to your muse and she'll be good to you, they say.  Whoever they are.  I guess I'll listen.

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Nothing says "Christmas" quite like...

Fellow ROW author Nadja Notariani is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas Reading Gift List.  I've got a button over there on the left.  I've mentioned it a few times, and that I'm taking part in it. One of the things that was asked of participants is to post a favorite holiday tradition sometime this week so that Najda can link back to it during the promotion. So this is my entry...

Let me start off first with some background.  I have a big family.  Think stereotypical Greek, except we're of German descent.  We're big.  We're loud.  We eat a lot and drink a little.  And, at just around 3 hours away from home, I'm likely in the top 5 for the Furthest Away Award (comes with a guilt-polished plaque).

Big family gatherings are something I grew up on.  Until I went away to college (1.5 hours away), I never really realized how strange that was.  Most people probably had a favorite Uncle or Aunt that you saw once or twice a year.  Maybe Grandma or Grandpa were around, but generally you could all fit in one room.  In the spring, we rent a pavilion.  Any time someone's in the hospital or something, we work out shifts, because if we all showed up at the same time, the nurses would have a fit.  For Christmas, we have to crowd into someone's house, and every room suddenly becomes a family room.

And we're talking just immediate family.  This isn't a reunion.  My family generally meets monthly to celebrate birthdays.  (Which I often miss.  Keeping up my FAA ranking, you know.)  So simply meeting isn't really a Christmas tradition, though Christmas for me will always be firmly couched in Family.

We do all the normal stuff like put up a tree, bake cookies, throw out some lights, exchange gifts.  But why would any of that be a favorite?  They're fun and part of the season, sure, but they don't speak to my identity.  If I'm going to share something, I want it to be tied to who I am.  What really embodies how I feel about Christmas time.

As I mused about the holidays in general, it came to me suddenly: Family Picture Time.

At each of these massive Christmas gatherings, we have an event that I'll lovingly call family picture time.  I don't even think it's officially "on the schedule," but everyone knows it's coming.  I think sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking: "maybe it won't happen this year."  But it always does.  At some point, after the food and presents usually, when everyone is full of merriment, it is decreed to be picture time.

You have to understand, the task of trying to get everyone in our huge family together in some sort of coordinated pose, and to SIT STILL and SHUT UP for a minute or two is nothing short of Herculean. The chaos that ensues when the rallying cry of "picture time" goes out is something that cannot be described in words.  It is equal parts feeding frenzy and stampede in the gorge.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

As a kid, it put a temporary hold on playtime, that most important of all Christmas traditions.  It validated the fact that your mother made you wear that stupid Christmas sweater when you were totally fine in briefs and a  giant T-shirt.  There was nothing worse than sitting still and looking nice, and this was like the Superbowl of the Nice Still Sitting League.

And don't get me wrong. As I age, it's not that I enjoy picture time in and of itself any more. You trade the unbridled annoyance of a child for the more patient annoyance of an adult, but annoyance is still the key functioning feeling. Perhaps I still harbor a deep-seated resentment for that one time when I was coerced to stop playing with my brand new Lego set and forced to perch on my Aunt's lap for the briefest of moments before letting the cold Christmas whirlwind whisk me away again. Or maybe pictures just really aren't all that exciting.  There are real bowl games on TV, after all.

Whatever the case, I can't honestly say that I'm looking forward to the bustle of picture time. But the idea of picture time? Yes, that's where the warm fuzzies are.  The fact that I'm fortunate enough to have a family so large, yet still able to be together and packed beneath one roof for the holidays.  We've lost some and gained some along the way, but we're all there.  Everyone, even if you can't see someone, they'll show up in the photo evidence (new or ancient).  They were there are some point.  That's what makes picture time both a trying experience and a treasured tradition.

When it comes right down to it, isn't that how most of us feel about the holidays anyway?  A mixture of seemingly opposed emotions that blend together in an indiscernible brew?  Aren't the most poignant memories bittersweet in one way or another?  A lost love.  A phase of life left behind.  Grandma's "thump" to keep you in line.  And, yes, family picture time.

Say: "Merry Christmas!"

*Click*

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Another Review!

I mentioned yesterday (and I wanted to highlight/respond to it today), I had a review.  I've touched on my philosophy on reviews before, namely that I look at them as learning opportunities, and will probably respond to them on here.  I feel like it's an appropriate venue, and my intent is not to make excuses or contradict the review in any way, but to delve deeper into what I'm doing as a writer.

In addition, I wanted to point to the interview that went up immediately following the review, as well.  I'll probably reproduce that on here in a week or so, just to have around, though if you want the pictures, you're going to have to go there.  There's one of our rabbit, and one of my wife and I masquerading as Lannister twins.

So back to the review.  Hannah told me that she didn't particularly like the cover.  I've gotten some good feedback, and bad feedback about the cover.  It's definitely something we're going to improve on in future novels.  We're doing it all ourselves, so it's another part of the learning process.  I know my wife is particularly excited about the next one (which she's in the middle of creating).  Not that I think TBD's cover is blatantly bad or anything, it obviously works for some folks, it's just our first hack at things.  In particular, I love the spine of the printed version, but you don't that on the ebook.

Openings are still a struggle for me (as I believe they are for a lot of writers).  Hannah points that out in her review.  To me, it just seems hard to lay a foundation and make it really clean and interesting.  That's a place I need to study up on.  Once I get flowing, I think my voice really comes out and the stories really start to move.  I'm not entirely displeased with this, as I'd rather start slow and end strong than the other way around.  Still, masters of the craft can carry the whole book.  That's where I want to be.

My early intentions in both this book and my epic fantasy book were not to try and re-invent tropes, or bust the genre, but to take familiar things, and try to give them an interesting tweak here and there.  It's good to see that Hannah appreciated a lot of those decisions.  Though I wasn't really writing for a genre, it's good to know that fans will find some of the ideas familiar without being boringly similar.

I got dinged for clunky writing, especially with Michael's voice.  Obviously, that's something I really want to listen to and improve on.  Likely a lot of it stems from being an extremely raw author, and someone who is doing this in a very grassroots manner.  I sometimes think my writing is clunky, too, but I promise I'm trying my best (not that I think anyone doubts that).  Especially after reading some George RR Martin.  Ugh, I'm like a monkey with mittens on!  Still, the goal is to get there eventually.  It would be unreasonable to think I could get there now.  The key to take from the criticism is that I made my protagonist seem a little older than intended.  In the next book, I could probably use to loosen him up a bit.  Besides, he should be a bit less stressed now that he's come to terms with what he is, right?

I got props for emotional scenes.  That sparks a huge smile.  Don't take this the wrong way, but anytime you can make a reader cry, you're doing it right.  Tugging at emotions is a great thing.  Mission accomplished there, at least in this case.

The review from Brazen Broads was (I believe) from a reader more accustomed to romance.  Hannah (I think) is more accustomed to fantasy.  The critiques and props between the two agreed for the most part, except for one character: Kiara.  I find it interesting that Hannah liked her where the Broads didn't as much.  Not saying that one is right and the other is wrong.  Different strokes for different folks, and all that.  Plus, the Broads didn't exactly dislike her, so much as point out that I may have made her too mysterious.  A fair charge.

Those are just a few thoughts.  Overall, another great review.  Eventually, I may get to the point where I can't keep up with reviews, but for now they're few enough and far between that I like to discuss them. They help reinforce that I'm not entirely without some ability (some days you need that).  More important, they give me concrete things to focus on and improve on.  This is a learning process, after all.

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#ROW80 - Pre-Holiday Pep Talk

The holidays were already a busy time for me, as they are for most folks. This is really my first holiday season as an author, though, and it adds a new dimension to the chaos.  Honestly, and I'm sure other authors will back me up, this is the busiest season of the year.  There are so many giveaways and chances for exposure, and, if you're like me, you're probably trying to squeeze out your latest project, too.  It's a prime time to be a reader, I tell you.  There's so much to pay attention to.

But before I get into that too deeply, let's take a look at the goals:

• Lesson Learned - I'm dreaming of a write Christmas.  Get it?  It's better if you sing it, trust me.  The lesson?  Christmas time is a time of writerly dreams.  A good Christmas season can totally make your year.  It's a great time for interviews and giveaways.  It all generates good Christmas cheer, which can get you readers in the long run.  It's a gift that goes both ways.  You readers get free books, free chances to know you better, or a free introduction... and you get more readers.  So best of luck, my fellow writers, at making the most of this Christmas season.  Try to look at it as an opportunity (and not just stressful... I know it's hard).
• WIP Editing - 12/14 chapters.  For the editing goal, I'm not really giving myself my customary 1 day per week off.  Two chapters a day, 7 days, means 14 chapters.  Considering the holiday weekend, I'm thrilled about 12.  I only did one chapter two of those days (so it was sort of two half days), but that's still pretty good.  I'm chugging along and I should have my first past done well before I start getting feedback from betas/editors, which is the real goal.
• Blogging - 3/3 at the gaming blog.  This makes 3/3 here.  I even drafted my monthly personal post this morning, so that'll go up tonight.  I'm not writing as much fiction (I've paused the story here), but I find it tough to write fiction when I'm in "editor" mode.  The important thing is to keep writing, even if it's not fiction, and I nailed that.

A good week, all things considered.  Typtophan ain't got $#!+ on me.  It may have been a bit of a struggle (especially with the video gaming I mentioned yesterday), but I'm keeping up with things.

I have several neat events coming up this week, as well.  Tomorrow, I plan to post my Christmas memory for fellow ROWer Nadja Notariani's 12 Days of Christmas Reading List.  There'll be a giveaway of a whole host of books through her site, so check it out.  Also, I have a review and interview slated to go up really soon on Once Upon A Time, a book blog run by a gaming friend.  She'll be doing a giveaway involving my book as well.  That's two chances for a free copy!  (Or, you could take advantage of any of my  Special Offers, which can almost be boiled down to: email me and I'll probably give you a free ebook.)  

Finally, I've got a partnership going with another author, Isaac McBeth.  He's a friend of a friend (best man at my wedding hooked us up), and we've had the pleasure of chatting via email and on the phone a few times.  Great guy, and he has a book (epic fantasy, so right up my alley, though I've not had a chance to read it yet) coming out just in time for Christmas, and wanted to offer my book free with his (and visa versa)!  Sounded like a great idea to me, so we're getting that set up as well.  Look for more info to follow.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm in a bit of a Christmas giving kind of mood.  I love giving away free ebooks!  I guess you could say that I'm simply confident you'll enjoy what I've written enough to come back and support me.  Plus, I would hate to have money be the hurdle keeping you from good stories.  I mean, we authors want to make a living at this, and supporting us really is in your best interest (I could write so much more if I could ditch the day job), but I don't want to bankrupt anyone, either.  There are plenty of ways to support an author that aren't monetary (spread the word!), so really, don't let stories just be about the $$ this  Christmas.  Sharing is caring, they say.

And to my ROW friends out there reading this, I'm more than happy to partner with any of you as well (just shoot me an email).  In fact, my brain child (had I the time and talent to make it a reality) would be a bookstore that worked sort of like Google+, where we could add each other to partner "circles" that simply allow people to "buy one get one free" with any of our books.  Just imagine the choices!  Plus, we're all in this boat together.  I don't look at any of you as competitors, but rather as co-ROWers (both metaphorically and, uh, acronymically?): if we all pull as hard as we can, the whole boat can take us to some pretty cool places.  And there's room for plenty of success stories on this ship.

So, I guess that's my little pre-holiday pep talk.  We'll close with the ever-popular glance at the word counts:

• Project Fiction: 0 (Editing Mode)
• Since last check in: 4,147
• Grand Total for Round 4: 47,302

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Gaming and Writing

Some of you may have seen on my personal Facebook or various other outlets that I got into a beta test for an upcoming online video game: Star Wars - The Old Republic.  If you've peeked at my bio, you may have read that I consider myself an avid video gamer.  I'm mentioned the gaming blog that I run a few times here, but generally I've not addressed it directly.

Don't get me wrong, I love to talk about video games. I just try to keep things in their own spheres.  (Though I'm more than happy to chat about whatever in comments, Twitter, of Facebook... doesn't even have to be my books or writing in general.  In fact, I added the links to my other blogs in the bio just for the curious.)

In practice, though, things rarely remain rigidly segmented.  One activity often bleeds into another.  Gaming and writing are no exceptions.

I listen religiously to the Writing Excuses podcast.  I'm a big fan.  They offer great writing advice, and I appreciate the brevity.  15 minutes is easy to squeeze into a day, whereas some of the other, longer podcasts I'm aware of end up going unheard because I can't complete them in one sitting (it's a personal thing).  Several of the hosts on Writings Excuses are self-described former gamers.  That is, they used to play a lot of video games but gave them up in order to pursue writing.

All due respect to those stellar writers, but I don't think one need completely give up gaming in order to write.  Now, I suspect that they've not really gone "cold turkey," either, but rather the point is to moderate playing like anything else so that it doesn't eat up all of your writing time.  I tend to be pretty good in that regard.  I follow the mantra instilled in me by my mother: "No games until your homework is done!"  In this case, my homework is writing.

In fact, I also believe in the "all work and no play" saying as well.  I think playing video games can directly feed creative endeavors.  Depending on the games you play, they are often a creative venture.  Generally games revolve around somehow solving a problem or achieving a goal in a creative or fantastical manner.  And, something else, all games generally have some sort of story.  Sometimes it's a thin veneer, other times it's deeper and more developed, but usually there's some kind of story involved.

Personally, I go for games with a lot of story.  I stick mostly with RPGs (Role-Playing Games).  I even dabble in tabletop D&D (Dungeons and Dragons, which is really like live, audience-participation story-telling if you ask me).  I have to believe that I've learned a lot about plot and character through these activities.  One of the best ways to write a character is to put yourself in their shoes, to role-play, and video games provide a convenient mechanism for this.

So, yes, I'm a gamer and proud of it.  I absolutely do not plan to give up on gaming.  It recharges me and gives me ideas.  It teaches me how to be a better writer without me even realizing it.  Sometimes, observing familiar tools being used in a different environment can really drive a lesson home.  Story development and game development really have a lot in common.  They both hope to deliver an emotional, entertaining experience to the end user.  So why not play video games as a writer?  So long as you take care to properly divide your time, that is.

Also, I'm really excited about the new Star Wars game.  They had me at Lightsabers...

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Real Quick

Hope everyone had a fun turkey day that celebrates it. I'm equal parts still full and tired. How long before the tryptophan gets out of our system?  I think mine might be pitching a tent and planning to stay until Christmas.

I mentioned on my Facebook page, but I wanted to reiterate here: got my first proofs of Fates' Motif in.  I showed them off at the family Thanksgiving gathering, and have my mom helping me get them in the hands of my editors.  I'm hoping to have the edits back by Christmas and then go through the revision gauntlet once again.  I've taken that whole week off, so I'm hoping I can squeeze it all in before New Years Eve.  More than likely, we're looking at a release date somewhere around my birthday (January 17th).  I'm going to try hard to beat that, though.

We've got some good ideas for the cover, so I'll share that as soon as my wife gets a good first hack done.  Also, I've got a review and interview going up this week over at the Once Upon A Time blog.  I'll throw up some links and an announcement when it goes live.  Hannah is a friend that I met through my WoW blogging, actually, so I'm excited to see what she has to say.  I'll let her scoop it, but I think I'll re-post the interview over here maybe next week or something.  I like to have those sorts of things in my archive for folks in the future.

Well, I need to jet outta here.  First Mondays back from a holiday are always hectic, are they not?

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#ROW80 - Switching Gears

Having finished my first draft of my WIP last week, I'm finding it a bit difficult to switch gears into editing mode.  Now, I'm really trying to rush things to get this book out.  Generally, I'd give myself some time off, reflect, recharge, that sort of thing.  Also, there are these whole holiday things coming up.  No rest for the indie, however.  Not if you want to try and get a good book out by the end of the year.

When in the midst of a writing project, I operate a bit like a factory.  I clock in, write some words, clock out.  There's no question each day what I'm doing.  It's easy, I'm applying butt to chair and writing.  After the first draft, though, there's a whole world of options that open up.  Editing is the obvious one, but you can start seriously looking at covers, marketing strategies, and, dare I say it, the next project.  (Always looking forward, this one is.  So sayeth my inner Yoda voice).  Point is, it can be easy to let indecision paralyze you (or at least me).

With all that's going on, it was tough to stay on schedule.  I suppose that's exactly the reason we set these goals, right?  So that at least we know there IS a schedule.  Well, let's have a look at how I did.

• Lesson Learned - My personal editing limit is somewhere around 1.5 hours.  After that I need at least a 10 minute break to stand up, switch the mind off, and come back fresh.  I've found that if I don't give myself these breaks, I start rushing through things just to get it done, and you don't want to do that with editing.  You want to make sure you're tasting each word on your tongue, not licking the page in the hopes that you catch the sour spots.
• WIP Editing - This goal switched to spending at least an hour editing per day.  I've modified it with a length goal (I prefer length to time, to reward myself if I'm more efficient).  I'm shooting for two chapters edited each day.  I have 34 chapters to edit.  Two a day will put me at just over two weeks for my second read through.  That should be about the time I start getting feedback back from betas and editors.  Then I can jump right in to notes.  After finishing I took the weekend off to heal from illness and reassess my goals.  I started back in on this on Monday, and have stuck to it so far.
• Blogging - 3/3 on the other blog.  One short here.  I meant to write a fiction post, but I'm sort of stuck on that story right now.  When I'm in writing mode, it's easier to, well, write.  In editing mode, the idea flow just seems turned off.  I'm focused on different things.  I wonder if that's normal.  So I may take a break from that for a bit, just because I like the story and don't want to botch it.  I've also started writing yet another blog.  This one is for the high school football team I volunteer for.  It's in its infancy and I'm more of a compiling editor there, but it's yet another helping of stuffing on my plate.  I owe a personal post too for this month.

All in all, in pretty good shape I think.  The word count is going to go down a bit as I switch to editing mode, especially with regards to fiction, but this is to be expected.  Also, I'll still be posting, and I'm of the mind that every word is practice.  The more you squeeze ideas into strings of words, the easier it gets.  With that being said, here's the word count:

• Project Fiction: 0 (Editing Mode)
• Since last check in: 2,788
• Grand Total for Round 4: 43,155

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On Steaminess

I was going to try to write some fiction late last week, but then I got pretty ill. I say pretty ill, because it was the sort of ill that snuck up on me and saw me vomiting while driving. A new life experience. Not one I'm in a hurry to repeat. (Okay, so I claim it was sneaky, but I probably could tell I was going to throw up and probably should have pulled over, but I was so close to home. I just wanted MY toilet. You know?)

In any case, I bedded down and pailed up (love carrying a bucket with you around the house... just in case).  I'm feeling mostly better today, though still a little weak from not eating anything for two-ish days (yay weight loss).  Also, I didn't get anything done, which of course leaves me stressed.  The good news is that, since I'd just finished, it was "okay" to fit a "break" in there.  The boss (me) is a bit peeved at the employee (also me) in this little business (mine), but otherwise, we're good.

This is a terrible intro for a post titled "On Steaminess."  What's hotter than puke, right?  Yahoo.

What I really wanted to respond to today was a wonderful little review I got from fellow author/ROWer Lauralynn Elliot.  (It was on Goodreads, and I think that link will work, but I can't check it at work.  Blocked.) Now, I'm not sure what exactly the rules of etiquette are for reviews and author replies and such.  Obviously, for super-professional reviews in super-important publications you probably should super-keep-your-mouth-shut.  At least, that's the traditional prevailing wisdom.

In these technological times, however, I can't help but question the mantra a bit.  Reviews on Goodreads are more informal, a little more conversational than something in, say, Publisher's Weekly.  As such, I feel like it may be a little more "okay" to want to reply.  Still, I don't want to do more than "like" it on Goodreads.  The last thing you want is to have some newbie author replying to all his reviews.  If you say "thanks," then it kind of sounds like you asked for the review.  If you reply some other way, you run the risk of sounding like you're arguing with the review or something.  It's a touchy situation, you see?

So I decided I'll reply, in general, on here.  This is my space.  If you're here, you're hopefully interested in what I have to say, and it leaves any reviews intact wherever they originate from.  Untouched, and unsullied by authorial presence, if you will.  In particular, I wanted to respond to the following completely fair and spot-on criticism:

The only thing lacking to me was the "heat" between the main characters

Reason being, I've heard this from several sources.  Lauralynn is just the latest.  And I'll be the first to caution romance readers... there's no sex in my book.  In fact, compared to what little I know of the romance genre, I probably gave the relationship aspect very short shrift. (I wasn't writing for a particular genre, though if I were, it was more action/adventure/fantasy than romance.  Part of why this novel likely would never had made it in traditional publishing.)  I was shooting for "sweet" and not "hot."  A big reason: I wasn't sure I knew how to write "hot."  Also, as I've said on here before, I wrote the novel with a very specific audience in mind: my wife and my little sister.  I'd hope my wife could handle any steaminess, but my 13 year old sister?  I steered clear of super-heat for obvious reasons.

Still, I'm not sure I may have done her and all future readers a disservice.  My sister has three older brothers.  She's not sheltered.  Point being, I probably could have added more steaminess, and been completely "safe."  It's something to keep in mind for future installments in the series.  I may just have to ratchet it up.  (Especially with Matthias... as I've been told he may be bit of a favorite).

Now, can you see how this might have come off like I'm hedging or making excuses?  I want to be clear... that's not the intention here.  If something is missing from my story, it's because of a deliberate decision not to include it, which may very well have been a mistake.  Also, it may perhaps be due to a lack of talent/experience with steaminess.  I'm not sure.  But it presents a great challenge for the next book.  And that's the point I wanted to relate.

I figured it was good to share this all here (and not directly with any one review).  That's sort of what this blog is for: a glimpse behind the curtain.  The underlying theme here at OTJW is one of learning.  I always want to be learning, improving, and challenging myself.  This is exactly why reviews and feedback (even if not in PW) are super-helpful.  It gives me things to work and focus on in the next books.  It's also a big reason I'm going back and forth between my two series; it gives time for feedback to percolate in.

If, perhaps, there's one question I could level at my readers here, it would be this.  How much do genre-induced preconceptions effect your expectations of steaminess in a novel?  Would you say a "cool" romance novel with adventure is a "hot" adventure novel with romance?  Obviously each reader is different, and heaven knows I'll be the first to toss out genre labels (a good book is a good book), but I think expectations are a key part of a reader enjoying (or not) your book.  If you sit down to a movie expecting Michael Bay and instead get M. Night Shyamalan... well, you might explode angrily.  Or, in a twist, not.

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#ROW80 - Confetti Check-in

Few phrases are a joy-filled in an author's life as "rough draft complete!" Sure, the editing fairy is looming on the horizon with her black wings and red pen-wand, but for that moment - the briefest to be sure - we have earned a happy respite.  As much as I like to downplay the gift, stringing together ~150 thousand more or less coherent words on any one topic is most definitely an accomplishment.  One that it would be fair to say not everyone will reach in their lifetime.  Non-writers look at you with something between abject horror and rapt fascination.  Other writers know, though.  You know.

I've now reached that minor pinnacle in a writer's life that is another manuscript (first draft) completed.  What's more, this is the second time for me.  At least for novel-sized work.  So, it's officially a trend.  *Confetti.*

Let's look at the goals:

• Lesson Learned - I touched on it late last week, but Amazon now offers Kindle subscription services for all blogs.  They set the monthly price based on a content, but I figure it's a nice option to offer, if only for convenience.  And, hey, it's another revenue stream (even if a small one).
• WIP - Draft complete!  I think I wrote like 11 pages in the last week.  The ending always comes in a rush for me.  It becomes "wow only three scenes, left... then two... then... done!"  I've even gotten some initial feedback and gone back for a bit of cleanup.  We plan to order proofs tonight or tomorrow so I can personally deliver them to betas (and show them off) over Thanksgiving.  I'll get my editors going, and I'll start my own editing this week.  The goal here morphs to editing for an hour a day.
• Blogging - Squeezed out 3/3 here.  Got 3/3 at the other blog, too.  Don't know how I squeezed those out, though several posts were a bit on the short side.  They still count!  I have a personal post still to do this month...

Truly a great week.  I've been super-busy and super-productive.  Not only in the writing world, but also in my volunteer position as a football coach.  I've taken on the task of being our team's "social networking" guy.  I suggested it'd be a great idea for us to have a facebook page, a twitter, a blog... places where we can share team news and announcements and stuff.  A lot of college programs have this, but not all high schools do.  It's something special for the kids.  (In case you're curious, the team is here on facebook, though I'm just getting started in the other realms).

Applying the things I've learned through blogging and running my own writing business to a completely different realm (high school sports) was a lot easier than you might think.  These days, social networking is social network... it's more about how you tag things and what content you put up.  The actual mechanisms for getting the word out and sharing information are really the same.  So, for me, it was a no-brainer to do all this.  Still, it's kept me busy.

I'm actually looking forward to digging into edits.  At first I was worried about my ending (as evidenced by my post Monday), but with the response I got and some minor changes... I'm really psyched about it now.  The book turned out well.  I'm simply anxious to get it out and then get to work on the next project.  

Have I mentioned before how much I love this indie writer lifestyle?  Yeah, you have to pick up a whole bunch of technical and business knowledge, but you don't have to deal with months/years of rejections and queries.  The actual work of writing and editing is pretty much the same (depending on your editor/agent/contract of course)... but the ability to do the best you can, and then move on to the next project is priceless.  I imagine it's how established authors feel in the traditional system.  Indie writing just allows you to get there right away and focus on your craft earlier instead of learning to navigate an archaic system.  

That's my soap box, though.  You can certainly get a benefit out of the traditional route.  I just think it's a lot harder to do at this point in time.  That should change, but for now... it's a great time to be an indie!

Anyway, here are the word counts:

• Project Fiction: 3,992
• Since last check in: 7,811
• Grand Total for Round 4: 40,367

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QotD: To Be Continued?

From time to time, you'll see me use the Question of the Day tag. Basically, this is a simple solution for a quick post where I try to generate a reader response.  I have only a small readership here, but you guys have been generally talkative (and for that I'm thankful).  I do these because the topics are things I'm genuinely curious about.  I'll lay out my opinion, but it's something I hardly am decided on, as you'll see.

Today, I want to know how y'all feel about "to be continued" endings.  The best example I can currently give is just about every epic fantasy series out there.  Martin's Song of Fire and Ice is the first one that comes to mind. He generally wraps up some of the story arcs, but a lot of them remain unresolved.  The endings tend to just sort of happen.  A lot of times, he leaves us on a cliffhanger.  (The HBO series is the same way, in typical HBO fashion.  True Blood does the same thing as well.)

I'm of two minds about this.  In the stories I write, I feel like I want to have more resolution and less hanging.  To some extent, as a reader, I think I appreciate that.  I'm really frustrated to get to the end and have it, well, not ended.  But it's sort of a good kind of frustration, is it not?

In The Binder's Daughter (my first novel), I made sure that, though it was part of a series, it contained a pretty rounded story.  I think it ties up nicely at the end.  There's not really a "to be continued" even though I most definitely have plans for another book.  The urban fantasy genre lends itself well to self-contained stories in a greater arc, I think.  The second book, then, is just the next logical step deeper down the rabbit hole, if you will.

Epic fantasy, on the other hand, is a bit longer.  When I pick up a series in this genre, I expect the story arc to be, you know, epic.  Long, involved, certainly not contained in one book.  Lord of the Rings is another well known example.  The Hobbit is contained (as a prequel, we should hope so), but the other books are definitely "to be continued" (with the exception of Return of the King, of course).  How well do you think Martin and Tolkien wrapped things up from book to book?  Sure, there was a major arc that ended before our heroes took the next step, but there was also a whole lot of unresolved plot points.

I just finished up Fates' Motif, my second novel (first in my other series).  My first two books are in different sub-genres (as intended).  Writing the ending for each was a totally different experience.  In the latest one, I feel like it's basically a huge "to be continued."  I resolve the major conflict, but there are a lot of untied-up plot points.  When compared to Martin and Tolkien, I think it's on par (with the cliffhanging, not so much the writing, as they're the masters and I'm but a student).  Is this a dangerous ploy for a young writer?

As readers, what do you look for?  If you're picking up something billed as epic fantasy, the first in a series, do you expect a cliffhanger.  What about urban fantasy?  Or thrillers?  Do the expectations change even though they all have serial novels?  I would say definitely.  I might be upset with a cliffhanger in a thriller, but with fantasy I expect it.  But still... I wonder what you think.

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Quick Commercial Break

I wasn't planning to write anything the rest of this week (owing to being busy finishing up the ole WIP), but I gotta do a quick promo post.  Recently, Amazon opened up their Kindle monthly subscription platform to all blogs.  (Previously I guess it had been limited).  We here at OTJW decided to go ahead and jump on that bandwagon. 

If you have a Kindle, you can now subscribe to this blog for the low monthly fee of $0.99.  (There isn't a free option, and Amazon sets the price, not me).  We don't expect a whole lot of people to pay for the convenience, but wanted to let you know that the option is there.  The blog author only gets 30% of the sub (I think), so it's not really even a great support mechanism.  I mean, I'd much rather you just buy my book, get something extra out of it (you know, the book), and give away multiples.  Then keep reading here for free.

However, the convenience may be worth it to some, and an extra revenue stream is nothing to sniff at in my position.  I'll certainly appreciate anyone who is willing to shell out a buck a month to read this stuff.  It is sort of a vote of confidence. 

Alas, it's only available for Kindles.

Just wanted to let y'all know.  'Cuz the more you know... *jingle*  Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

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#ROW80 - Bring On The Turkey

Well, I've kept at it. So far this round has had a rough start. And, as the Starks say: winter is coming. In this hemisphere, that means the holidays, travel, and other interruptions to a normal schedule.  Fortunately, laptops exist.  I actually generally get a lot done when we travel.  There aren't a whole lot of distractions in the car.  I'm pretty much either reading, writing, or driving.  So I guess you could say I'm looking forward to the holidays, then, because my normal schedule has already been shot to hell.

Let's look at the goals, first:

• Lesson Learned - Ranting is helpful.  In several ways.  I got some great comments, and (I think) provided some good commiseration.  Also, it got it off my chest, and pulled a few fanfriends out of the woodwork.  (Any writer that doesn't smile when someone says simply: "I enjoyed your book," is an alien without a mouth.  Even if they've not been able to write a review or do anything "proper," the simple comment helps.)  It may even have netted me a pity-buy.  I'll be quite honest, I'm not "too cool" to take pity-buys at this point.  Obscurity is my biggest foe, and while I'm not really on my knees begging yet, I'm not above that.  I just want people to give my story a chance.  I have no problem handing out free copies either, all you need to do is contact me.  Money helps, but I don't want it to be the hurdle. 
• WIP - I think I was 8/6.  I wrote the final, climactic scene in my WIP on Saturday.  I polished off the chapter on Sunday and Monday.  I need to write an epilogue/tie-up chapter, and then I'm done with draft one.  It'll go to betas and editors.  Depending on their schedules, I may be able to have it out by Christmas yet...
• Blogging - This took a hit.  When you're dialed in on the ending of a longish story, it tends to push other writing from your mind, I've found.  Also, the day job perked up and demanded my attention, so I begrudgingly gave it.  Blogging is the first to suffer, sadly.  This will likely be my only post here this week, making me 2/3, and I'm one short on the other blog as well.  Not terrible, but I'll be behind the eight-ball for next week too.

The good news is that the main project, the novel, is almost done.  That's obviously a huge goal of this round, and really the highest priority in my writing world.  Blogging is suffering a bit as my schedule gets tossed around, but I supposed that's to be expected.  My new side goal here is to get a second draft proof hardcopy that I can bring with me to Thanksgiving.  Never hurts to have a new book to pass around the family.  (Second draft would be my first read through and edits, plus some beta comments... pre-editor stuff).

After I finish writing the last few scenes, my WIP goal changes to spending an hour per day editing.  I may actually increase that to something more ambitious like 5 chapters a day.  Then, it'd take me about a week to finish the first pass edits.  We'll see, but that would get me done by next Friday and give me a shot to hit TG.  I think I need to hit Thursday in order to have the hardcopy in time, though.

Anyway, that's enough blabber for today.  I'll close with the word count glimpse:

• Project Fiction: 2,808
• Since last check in: 4,797
• Grand Total for Round 4: 32,556

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On The Heels Of Failure

Inspiration often comes right on the heels of failure. Or so I've found.  It was good to get that business off my chest yesterday, and I got some great comments from some very supportive folks.  I think the potential for support and commiseration definitely outweighed the whining.  Plus, I hope it was at least a little funny.

Even so, I didn't want to let that stand for long as my latest post.  Wallowing in failure never did anyone any good.  It's what you do in the face of adversity that makes you who you are.  (I know, I sound like I went to the inspiration poster store last night or something, right?)

Side Note: I'm a believer in God.  It's okay if you're not.  Judging is not up to me, and I wouldn't want that job in any case.  As one of my favorite Priests once told me: "Matt, there are many ways to get from here to Chicago, I65 to 90/94 is just the most well known.  That doesn't always make it the best, and it's not always about who arrives first in any case.  Who are we to say that the scenic route isn't just as good of a choice?"

He was talking, of course, about getting into heaven.  That's sort of the ultimate goal.  I mean, even if you don't believe, it'd be nice to go to this magical utopia where there's no pain and everyone's happy, right?  I know it can sound nutty, but the concept is a nice one at the very least.  And the point is that there a likely a whole bunch of ways to get in.  More than we even realize.

Sorry, that's a bit of an aside.  What I wanted to get at is that I believe God provides answers and support all of the time.  He puts people and opportunities in your life to pick you up when you're down and hopefully lead you in the right direction.  What you may like to call coincidence, I prefer to look at as providence.  It makes life more fun for me.

To that end, one of my muses came through.  Nathan Bransford keeps a solid blog going.  Right on the heels of my little rant, a guest post went up over there talking about success and motivation.  In particular, I love this quotation:

Presently, I am reminded that one of my own personal motivations for writing is, on one level, a desire to uniquely do for others what has been done for me by other authors. And on an even more fundamental level, it is to connect—not only with my readers, but also with that mysterious source within where the stories themselves seem to come from. To experience the magic firsthand!

Great timing, Mr. Shawn Thomas!  This is exactly what I needed to hear.  The dream is to be able to make a living doing what we do.  The motivation, though, is something else entirely.  Motivation by money is an empty highway to the town of discontent, I think.  It's great that, now more than another time in history, there's a window for writers to make a real living, but that's not why we do this.

Shawn's motivations very closely mirror my own.  I want to share the magic.  That's really the best part about this whole gig.

Low sales can deal a blow to your confidence, surely.  But I've already shared just a little bit of magic with a very small number of readers.  I've already accomplished far more in my writing career than I dared dream five years ago.  It's good not to lose sight of the underlying motivation.  I think this is what they call re-centering yourself.

So thanks again to the commenters and Nathan's guest poster, Shawn... you guys helped me return to me, which is the road I've always wanted to take anyway.

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#ROW80 - Hi, My Name is FailAuthor

I'm in a bad mood today. This whole writing this can be rough on the self-confidence sometimes.  I've made a habit of trying to relay my sales data since I started.  I look at it as sort of a monthly report card for my "public" company.  (That isn't to say there's stock or anything, just that I'm out there for people to see).  A lot of it stems from wanting to commiserate with others, I guess.  We're all sort of in this boat together, and y'all may be able to learn from what I'm doing right/wrong (today is one of those days when it feels I'm all "wrong"). I know I'm certainly learning from you.

With that firmly ensconced in my mind, here's the skinny: I sold one book the entire month of October.  One.  Uno.  Eins.  (And I've exhausted my languages).  I feel like that's just awful.  Ironically (or not, I don't know), that one sale came through Smashwords through the iBookstore.  Didn't really expect to sell much there, but, woot, it's keeping me afloat.

I sold zero through Amazon.  Zero.  It's freaking Amazon.  I think they sell copies of Ode To Horse Manure each month.  (Seriously, I hope that's not a book).  Talk about a hit to the confidence.  What sort of shit am I shoveling?

This is where rational thought should intrude and assert itself.  I'm basically not promoting.  I'm trying hard to write more, because one book is really a pitiful offering.  No one reads/follows an author with one book.  Even if it was hitting huge, then I'd be the literary equivalent of Right Said Fred.  (I'm too sexy for my second book?)  That's not the kind of success I'm looking for.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.  [Insert other unhelpful platitudes here.]

I probably need to do things like tweak the cover and work on my description.  That bugs me though.  Then it feels like I'm trying to "pull one over" on people.  I don't want to be a Tupperware salesman.  I want my books to sell magically.  (Where did that rational thought go?)  Plus, doing these things takes away from my meager writing time.  This whole doing a 9-5 day job AND trying to successfully navigate the Wild West of indie publishing is freaking hard.  There's so much you could be doing, and so little time to do it.

I know, I know.  I'm just whining.  Better writers than me have struggled and surmounted far larger odds.  Many of you handle a whole bunch of stuff gracefully day in and day out.  I just wanted to bitch today.  Likely, we all have those days where we sit down with ourselves and think: "What we were thinking... we suck, Selves.  There are so many of them, and they're so much better than us.  And you know next to nobody in this big mixed up world.  Go back to your farm and milk cows.  The big city is no place for you."

Now, I know there will be people out there reading this and thinking: "Well no shit.  What did you think it would be easy?  Put on your big boy businessman pants.  Writing is about $$, not about <3."  It's true, this is a business.  There really aren't shortcuts, and it does take some luck no matter what you do.  Perseverance is the name of the game.  You have to be like Rocky and take a whole bunch of punches to tire the other guy out and then, maybe, you get yours.

I'm okay with that.  I knew what I was getting into when embarking on this whole journey.  I just wanted to rant.  Writing is cathartic.  It's who I am, it's what I'll keep doing even if no one pays me a dime to do it and everyone everywhere says I suck and pulps every hard drive that ever stored my ebook in order to print more copies of the hugely successful, aforementioned diatribe on equine dung.  (I realize you can't pulp hard drives to make print books.  That would be the ultimate slap in the eface, though, wouldn't it?)

Bah.  Okay.  That's it.  Sorry for the rant, but it's going to happen sometimes.  Like I said, I'm in a bad mood.  Hopefully you got a chuckle out of my misery.  That's okay, yuck it up.  I laugh at myself too.  If you can't laugh at yourself... and all that.  Laugh, get it out, move on., work harder, keep your eye on the goals:

• Lesson Learned - Ode to Horse Manure is a cowboy poem.  Manly Poetry Man is a hilarious idea.  Kudos.  Also, a bag of manure exceeds my Amazon sales rank.  I knew it.  (Now, the comparison is unfair, I'm sure, because the manure market is less niche... or something.  Also, fortunately, B&N doesn't sell manure.)
• WIP Pages - 7/6.  Can I finish this book already?  So. Many. Words.  I'm sure at least half of them are unnecessary.  (I'm FailAuthor today, remember?  Everything I touch is doomed to fail... want a courtesy read?)  
• Blogging - 4/3 there and 3/3 here.  If consistency were book sales, I wouldn't be in this predicament.  Not sure what the conversion factor would be, though.  Oh, I knocked out the monthly personal post as well.  Great bit about how making a sandwich can be hard when you're depressed.

Some words happened:

• Project Fiction: 2,611
• Since last check in: 6,478
• Grand Total for Round 4: 27,756

That is all.

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