Hi everybody! We made it through the weekend, and even though I could use a minimum of 3 more hours of sleep I somehow did too. Now that I don't work every Saturday my mental schedule gets flipped on its head whenever I do, so today will be used for a psuedo-recovery from all of that.
I'm still (slowly) working on getting all the cards scanned and uploaded. I'm hoping to be a bit better about it this week and get at least a couple one every day. If you haven't gotten a chance to look at them yet, here is my DA page, and they're all up in the gallery with prints available for purchase. Like I told people in other places, I'm not the one setting the prices for them, that's DA, and while I get a cut of them, I know they're a bit expensive. The ones that are the photos are closer to what I was charging at the craft fair, for those that are interested.
For those that haven't already figured it out, I have also been playing Magic: the Gathering for quite some time, and while I'll never say I'm good, I will say that I've gotten considerably better than I was. There was a pre-release this weekend, which is one reason why I don't feel like I actually got a day off during the last couple days. I've been using the tournaments and such as a way to work on my lack of social skills, and figured it would be easier to do that around people who are in a similar boat with something in common to use as a conversation tool. Pretty much everyone that was there was cool, and it was neat seeing some of the newer and younger players getting involved. I'm always a fan of getting other people hooked.
My editing is still going, no matter how slow I'm convinced it is. I know I'm making decent progress, especially after needed to take a break to get all those cards finished, but I will really feel like I'm getting something done when I get past the halfway point. I have a bit to go, but rest assured the pages are very pink. I know I'll need to do everything again once I put the edits into the file, but at least progress will have been made. I keep telling myself this is the process that takes the longest, but it doesn't mean I want to do it.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I'll return on Wednesday barring some terrible disaster coming up. Hopefully I'll be able to say that a miracle happened and I've made all the progress necessary. Ok, that's unrealistic, I will have made some progress. If there are any topics you wish me to touch base on, please let me know right and I'll do whatever I can to make it happen. For now though, have a great start to the week!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
04/26/2013 Fantastic Friday!
Hi everyone! We all made it through the week in some way, shape, or form. I still have to work tomorrow, and I remembered at almost midnight that I have a pre-release thing on Sunday, so mine's not completely finished yet. At least the weekend sounds like it should be entertaining. Right now though, let's get to work on the reason why you're here.
I bring you 'Flower Beds' by James Hampton today. In the future water is scarce, so the things people are legally allowed to do with it are limited. Things like watering your garden are seen as wasteful, and when Officer Lucas finds a repeat offender once again watering his flowers, he readily takes action against the old man. However, what he discovers may not be good for his world view.
Mr. Milton looks and acts like anyone's grandfather, and that's probably because he is one. He loves his family just like any other person would, but he sees the flaws in the system, the part that makes him hurt and angry. There's another part of him that just doesn't care anymore, and when Officer Lucas confronts him he decides it's time to make a difference and ends up forcing the officer into his home where he can try and show him the problems with the world, even if it means risking his own life to do it.
Generally I don't like making political statements, and I can see quite a few of them in this story, however this is rather well written so I wanted to do the review anyway. It's nicely written and like many intellectual pieces, which means it makes you think about what the world must be like for this man, and you hurt for him. He sees the problems and knows there are very few chances he's going to be anyone that will make it go away.
'Flower Beds' is available for free on Smashwords, and it's also relatively short, so if you want something to read on your break or lunch feel free to pick it up. I'm sure the author would appreciate it very much,
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I know this was a really weird week, so I appreciate everyone's patience going along with it. I'll be back on Monday, likely a little tired, but with a full report of the weekends events. I hope I have good news of how I did on Sunday too! See you all then!
I bring you 'Flower Beds' by James Hampton today. In the future water is scarce, so the things people are legally allowed to do with it are limited. Things like watering your garden are seen as wasteful, and when Officer Lucas finds a repeat offender once again watering his flowers, he readily takes action against the old man. However, what he discovers may not be good for his world view.Mr. Milton looks and acts like anyone's grandfather, and that's probably because he is one. He loves his family just like any other person would, but he sees the flaws in the system, the part that makes him hurt and angry. There's another part of him that just doesn't care anymore, and when Officer Lucas confronts him he decides it's time to make a difference and ends up forcing the officer into his home where he can try and show him the problems with the world, even if it means risking his own life to do it.
Generally I don't like making political statements, and I can see quite a few of them in this story, however this is rather well written so I wanted to do the review anyway. It's nicely written and like many intellectual pieces, which means it makes you think about what the world must be like for this man, and you hurt for him. He sees the problems and knows there are very few chances he's going to be anyone that will make it go away.
'Flower Beds' is available for free on Smashwords, and it's also relatively short, so if you want something to read on your break or lunch feel free to pick it up. I'm sure the author would appreciate it very much,
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I know this was a really weird week, so I appreciate everyone's patience going along with it. I'll be back on Monday, likely a little tired, but with a full report of the weekends events. I hope I have good news of how I did on Sunday too! See you all then!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
04/24/2013 Writing Wednesday!
Hello everyone! I hope the week is treating you all very well. For me, while Monday was very nice, yesterday was a kick in the teeth that involved some mild food poisoning. It's happened before, but this time the dizziness was so bad combined with the nausea that I was forced to remain in bed for a majority of the day. I felt really bad for missing work, especially with me having today off too, but I understand that sometimes it's just necessary to let your body recover. I feel pretty much 100% today though, so I'm going to call this a win.
As you all know my trips into editing are always one of wishing it was completed yesterday. Which is why I decided it wouldn't be my topic for today. I actually decided to take a few steps back and look at main character development. When you first come up with the concept of your character, most of the time you have what they look like and their job, and depending on what genre you're working with, maybe some powers or abilities or skills and such. You might even have a name, but sometimes that comes closer to the end, because let's face it; naming is hard! While having a concept is fantastic, one of the things you need to think about is the fact that just having a concept doesn't make them a full person; in order to achieve this you also need aspects and flaws as well as motivations for them to do what they're doing.
Now, my time in table-top gaming has made it so that making a character means that, if needed, I can make a version of them in whatever game I'm in. Character creation always starts of the basic concept, then if it's a point-buy system (where rather than roll dice and hope your starting attributes don't suck, you have a starting pool of points to spread between them), you put those points where they seem appropriate for the person. This give you an idea of what they're actually capable of. For example, someone can say they're a champion swashbuckler, but the skill level they would end up having in that actual skill might not be that great, however they do have a fantastic ability to deceive people. At that point you know that the character is likely going to be charismatic, but at some point will be in way over their head, which will hopefully be at least entertaining when that happens.
Once you know what they're able to do physically, it's time to look at what they're actually good at. Do they have a job, or a future job, or something that might be considered an occupation in any sense? This is where deciding what they can do with the traits you've given them will come in handy. Let's say they're super smart, not very strong, and living in a world where aliens exist. Your character is part of a secret government organization that's working to protect the world from this threat, but let's say that the person that you had in mind isn't so much of a fighter. One thing that you might be able to do is make them a computer specialist, and because that organization only recruits the best of the best, they are ridiculously good at it. The downside to this is that their non-combatant part of them is strong enough that they are actually a pacifist; something that is considered a huge drawback in what would be considered a war. So you make sure they have all of the tech skills to justify their recruitment, but never forget that this person will never carry a gun, isn't really able to fight back if cornered, and in some cases not even able to watch violence of any kind. This person will need to be clever, quick on their feet and also in the brain, so you can work that into their skills as well.
We're getting a bit closer to having a real person...well ok, not real, but you get the point. Something to remember is that people are not going to be good at 100% of everything. Just like the example above there are going to be things that will be considered a drawback or flaw to the person. This will make them seem more believable to the reader and also help you as an author work more dramatic situations. Even Superman, who's pretty much all powerful and good at everything is going to panic a little when he finds out the person he's about to throw down with is actually a wizard. You thought I was going to use Kryptonite as my example didn't you? HA! MAGIC! My point is there needs to be something the character is going to have some kind of quandary about. They need to, and this can even be as simple as some kind of addiction, for example the techy in the previous paragraph was addicted to caffeine and also had insomnia, which the two played off of each other rather nicely. This could even be a secret that they keep so close to them because if anyone ever found out their life would be in ruins. Anything that makes it seem like the character has a reason for acting the way they do.
Finally, and I'm so sorry this is so long, you need to figure out their motivation. What does this person strive to do? It could be as simple of wanting to experience everything the world has to offer. In one of the games I'm currently in that's something I'm actually playing with. The girl was basically raised by the secret government organization, and her view regarding things in the world is a little biased and skewed. Now that she's surrounded by people who have come from "normal" society she's starting to learn little by little the things she's missed out on and is dealing with discovering what that's done to her while also becoming determined to integrate a bit more, all the while never turning her back on the organization that protected her. The way you figure out the little pieces of the character's motivations is simply by figuring out how they'd react to certain situations. For instance, the girl I was just talking about asked every person in her cell what school was like for them, because she was essentially home-schooled, and in that moment she realized she'd never been around people her own age, from childhood until recently. Even something like that can be a crushing blow to a character, especially if they were sheltered. Work with it, because it is seriously a lot of fun.
Thanks everyone so much for stopping by today. I apologize for the longer post, but you know how I get sometimes when I don't need to worry so much about time limits. I'll be back on Friday with the regularly scheduled review. I hope the week treats you all well though! Have fun!
As you all know my trips into editing are always one of wishing it was completed yesterday. Which is why I decided it wouldn't be my topic for today. I actually decided to take a few steps back and look at main character development. When you first come up with the concept of your character, most of the time you have what they look like and their job, and depending on what genre you're working with, maybe some powers or abilities or skills and such. You might even have a name, but sometimes that comes closer to the end, because let's face it; naming is hard! While having a concept is fantastic, one of the things you need to think about is the fact that just having a concept doesn't make them a full person; in order to achieve this you also need aspects and flaws as well as motivations for them to do what they're doing.
Now, my time in table-top gaming has made it so that making a character means that, if needed, I can make a version of them in whatever game I'm in. Character creation always starts of the basic concept, then if it's a point-buy system (where rather than roll dice and hope your starting attributes don't suck, you have a starting pool of points to spread between them), you put those points where they seem appropriate for the person. This give you an idea of what they're actually capable of. For example, someone can say they're a champion swashbuckler, but the skill level they would end up having in that actual skill might not be that great, however they do have a fantastic ability to deceive people. At that point you know that the character is likely going to be charismatic, but at some point will be in way over their head, which will hopefully be at least entertaining when that happens.
Once you know what they're able to do physically, it's time to look at what they're actually good at. Do they have a job, or a future job, or something that might be considered an occupation in any sense? This is where deciding what they can do with the traits you've given them will come in handy. Let's say they're super smart, not very strong, and living in a world where aliens exist. Your character is part of a secret government organization that's working to protect the world from this threat, but let's say that the person that you had in mind isn't so much of a fighter. One thing that you might be able to do is make them a computer specialist, and because that organization only recruits the best of the best, they are ridiculously good at it. The downside to this is that their non-combatant part of them is strong enough that they are actually a pacifist; something that is considered a huge drawback in what would be considered a war. So you make sure they have all of the tech skills to justify their recruitment, but never forget that this person will never carry a gun, isn't really able to fight back if cornered, and in some cases not even able to watch violence of any kind. This person will need to be clever, quick on their feet and also in the brain, so you can work that into their skills as well.
We're getting a bit closer to having a real person...well ok, not real, but you get the point. Something to remember is that people are not going to be good at 100% of everything. Just like the example above there are going to be things that will be considered a drawback or flaw to the person. This will make them seem more believable to the reader and also help you as an author work more dramatic situations. Even Superman, who's pretty much all powerful and good at everything is going to panic a little when he finds out the person he's about to throw down with is actually a wizard. You thought I was going to use Kryptonite as my example didn't you? HA! MAGIC! My point is there needs to be something the character is going to have some kind of quandary about. They need to, and this can even be as simple as some kind of addiction, for example the techy in the previous paragraph was addicted to caffeine and also had insomnia, which the two played off of each other rather nicely. This could even be a secret that they keep so close to them because if anyone ever found out their life would be in ruins. Anything that makes it seem like the character has a reason for acting the way they do.
Finally, and I'm so sorry this is so long, you need to figure out their motivation. What does this person strive to do? It could be as simple of wanting to experience everything the world has to offer. In one of the games I'm currently in that's something I'm actually playing with. The girl was basically raised by the secret government organization, and her view regarding things in the world is a little biased and skewed. Now that she's surrounded by people who have come from "normal" society she's starting to learn little by little the things she's missed out on and is dealing with discovering what that's done to her while also becoming determined to integrate a bit more, all the while never turning her back on the organization that protected her. The way you figure out the little pieces of the character's motivations is simply by figuring out how they'd react to certain situations. For instance, the girl I was just talking about asked every person in her cell what school was like for them, because she was essentially home-schooled, and in that moment she realized she'd never been around people her own age, from childhood until recently. Even something like that can be a crushing blow to a character, especially if they were sheltered. Work with it, because it is seriously a lot of fun.
Thanks everyone so much for stopping by today. I apologize for the longer post, but you know how I get sometimes when I don't need to worry so much about time limits. I'll be back on Friday with the regularly scheduled review. I hope the week treats you all well though! Have fun!
Friday, April 19, 2013
04/19/2013 Fanastic Friday!
Good morning everyone! It's Friday! Which means we all made it through the week. I'm really happy you could all stop by and I hope everyone has a really awesome weekend planned. As a quick reminder I will not be around on Monday, it is my anniversary and have taken the day off to treat as a holiday. Yay!
For now I'd like to talk to you about 'Rapunzel's Legacy' by Shannon Tripp. Aside from having an adorable hand-drawn cover, the story follows Marcus, a young prince who learns, in a rather unfortunate way, that his uncle is trying to kill him. The part that doesn't help anything is that when he wakes up in a tower a knight is there insisting that Marcus is his new bride, no matter how many times he insists the knight has made a very awkward mistake.
The only relief he gets is when a dragon comes to save him and fills him in on his uncle's nefarious plans. Determined to return home and reclaim his rightful throne, Marcus is faced with solving more problems than he'd planned for. Sure, according to his uncle he should be dead, but winding up in the tower isn't the only 'mistake' his uncle made. Now Marcus and his dragon must find their way home before it's too late to fix anything.
'Rapunzel's Legacy' is a fun little story that is full of humor and action, which makes it quite entertaining. I also like how you hear Marcus' internal monologue at some of the ridiculousness of his situation. I've always liked hearing what the characters are thinking, especially when they know the position their in is 100% out of the ordinary, and it's something that I've been working on somewhat implementing in my own stories. This story however, is available on Smashwords for $2.99, so please go check it out and help the author out.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I'll be back to say hello again on Wednesday and I'll also post more links to my DA page, since I am hoping to have a substantial number of those cards up and ready. The high-quality versions look nice, and they will also be available for print as well. For now though, have a great weekend!
For now I'd like to talk to you about 'Rapunzel's Legacy' by Shannon Tripp. Aside from having an adorable hand-drawn cover, the story follows Marcus, a young prince who learns, in a rather unfortunate way, that his uncle is trying to kill him. The part that doesn't help anything is that when he wakes up in a tower a knight is there insisting that Marcus is his new bride, no matter how many times he insists the knight has made a very awkward mistake. The only relief he gets is when a dragon comes to save him and fills him in on his uncle's nefarious plans. Determined to return home and reclaim his rightful throne, Marcus is faced with solving more problems than he'd planned for. Sure, according to his uncle he should be dead, but winding up in the tower isn't the only 'mistake' his uncle made. Now Marcus and his dragon must find their way home before it's too late to fix anything.
'Rapunzel's Legacy' is a fun little story that is full of humor and action, which makes it quite entertaining. I also like how you hear Marcus' internal monologue at some of the ridiculousness of his situation. I've always liked hearing what the characters are thinking, especially when they know the position their in is 100% out of the ordinary, and it's something that I've been working on somewhat implementing in my own stories. This story however, is available on Smashwords for $2.99, so please go check it out and help the author out.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today, I really do appreciate it. I'll be back to say hello again on Wednesday and I'll also post more links to my DA page, since I am hoping to have a substantial number of those cards up and ready. The high-quality versions look nice, and they will also be available for print as well. For now though, have a great weekend!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
04/17/2013 Writing Wednesday!
Hello everyone! I hope this week is seeing you well. I find myself to be rather tired, but somewhat more awake than yesterday, so I'm going to count this as a win so far. I have been working on getting high-quality scans of the cards done and this is not a process I am mentally equipped for. Mostly because I mostly work with the physical, not in digital art, so there's a lot of the 'I have no idea what I'm doing' moments. So let's not talk about that right now!
I am still editing, and as all know what my feelings on that process are. The important part, and it is incredibly difficult for some people, is to keep on going, so today's topic is going to be on perseverance. Writing is a long process, even the shortest story can take months or even years to actually complete. The time necessary is sometimes the most difficult part for a would-be author, and not just because making that must time in an already busy life is going to be a challenge. I've talked before about taking things once step at a time because frankly looking up at that wall and trying to figure out how to climb it is daunting. This is very similar to it, but it focuses more on what to do when you're actually moving forward.
Remember it's slow. No matter how fast you type, think, or read, you need to remember that the process of getting a story finished/published is not going to go as quickly as you want. It takes time, patience, and a lot of effort and love. There will be points when you look at your project and think to yourself that you should have been done a long time ago. For some just that thought will be enough to put it all away into a dark corner they no longer have to look at. If you are tempted to do this you need to tell yourself that it is a start of a dangerous cycle. Remember the whole problem you're having is how much time it's taking to get done, and not working on it at all is going to make that all the more worse. At that point when you pick it up again, the same thoughts will run through your mind and the same thing will happen. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.
Whenever I work on my editing, the easiest way for me to do it (aside from letting someone else do it for me, but for some reason no one wants to do it) is to have a copy printed and put into a binder. That way I don't have to worry about losing my place, since the last page I was on is where the bright pink ink stops, and there no concern about leaving the file open and my laptop deciding it needed to update RIGHT NOW. The problem that comes with this method is the visual of just how far you've gotten and how much more you have to go. It will seem like it's never going to be finished, but you have to keep going. I know it's hard, and irritating, and editing is extremely difficult because you have to rip apart something that you worked so hard on, but this is all part of the process. Make yourself a goal to give yourself some kind of treat when you finish, don't make it a race or anything, but just say something like 'when I finish this, I'm going to get ice cream' or whatever makes it so you can actually finish.
Goal setting is a great motivator to make it seem like things aren't so ridiculous. Set benchmarks and stick to them, because frankly this is a process you're doing for the love of it, and making it feel like a chore is only punishing yourself. The thing you should be is doing is praising yourself for being awesome. You're writing a book, not everyone can do that, so there's no reason to make yourself feel like junk while doing it. Keep it up no matter how hard it seem or how never-ending everything looks; it'll get done, but only if you keep at it.
Thanks everyone for coming by again today. I'll be back on Friday so I hope all of you have a really fun rest of your week. Once I have everything ready I'll send a link to whatever album I put together for those cards for whoever might be interested. For now though, I'll wish you all a good day!
I am still editing, and as all know what my feelings on that process are. The important part, and it is incredibly difficult for some people, is to keep on going, so today's topic is going to be on perseverance. Writing is a long process, even the shortest story can take months or even years to actually complete. The time necessary is sometimes the most difficult part for a would-be author, and not just because making that must time in an already busy life is going to be a challenge. I've talked before about taking things once step at a time because frankly looking up at that wall and trying to figure out how to climb it is daunting. This is very similar to it, but it focuses more on what to do when you're actually moving forward.
Remember it's slow. No matter how fast you type, think, or read, you need to remember that the process of getting a story finished/published is not going to go as quickly as you want. It takes time, patience, and a lot of effort and love. There will be points when you look at your project and think to yourself that you should have been done a long time ago. For some just that thought will be enough to put it all away into a dark corner they no longer have to look at. If you are tempted to do this you need to tell yourself that it is a start of a dangerous cycle. Remember the whole problem you're having is how much time it's taking to get done, and not working on it at all is going to make that all the more worse. At that point when you pick it up again, the same thoughts will run through your mind and the same thing will happen. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.
Whenever I work on my editing, the easiest way for me to do it (aside from letting someone else do it for me, but for some reason no one wants to do it) is to have a copy printed and put into a binder. That way I don't have to worry about losing my place, since the last page I was on is where the bright pink ink stops, and there no concern about leaving the file open and my laptop deciding it needed to update RIGHT NOW. The problem that comes with this method is the visual of just how far you've gotten and how much more you have to go. It will seem like it's never going to be finished, but you have to keep going. I know it's hard, and irritating, and editing is extremely difficult because you have to rip apart something that you worked so hard on, but this is all part of the process. Make yourself a goal to give yourself some kind of treat when you finish, don't make it a race or anything, but just say something like 'when I finish this, I'm going to get ice cream' or whatever makes it so you can actually finish.
Goal setting is a great motivator to make it seem like things aren't so ridiculous. Set benchmarks and stick to them, because frankly this is a process you're doing for the love of it, and making it feel like a chore is only punishing yourself. The thing you should be is doing is praising yourself for being awesome. You're writing a book, not everyone can do that, so there's no reason to make yourself feel like junk while doing it. Keep it up no matter how hard it seem or how never-ending everything looks; it'll get done, but only if you keep at it.
Thanks everyone for coming by again today. I'll be back on Friday so I hope all of you have a really fun rest of your week. Once I have everything ready I'll send a link to whatever album I put together for those cards for whoever might be interested. For now though, I'll wish you all a good day!
Monday, April 15, 2013
04/15/2013 Magnificent Monday!
Hi everyone! I hope the rest of last week was nice to all of you. I appreciate your patience with me not being around on Friday, if I had done that post I wouldn't have had enough time to run out the door for the show. The fair went very well, a lot better than I anticipated and I appreciate everyone who stopped by and those who purchased anything I made. My plan now is to make high quality scans of the cards and put them up on Deviant Art with prints available for those who are interested. Hopefully that will go well too!
It was really exciting and scary to do the fair. It was really different from what I'm used to, since normally I talked to people on the internet and I don't have to worry about whether or not they are feigning interest or anything like that. I'm glad I did it though, not just for having made a little bit of money, but because I have been working on getting better bit by bit socially and while I'm nowhere near a social butterfly I have seen the benefits of going somewhere I don't know someone to cling onto. Still scary though.
Now it'll be back to editing, which while it's not my favorite part of the process, I also played up the series so I need to get back in gear. The strangest part is that I had forgotten to put page numbers on it before I got the story printed out and now every time I look at that corner I just get frustrated over having overlooked something so simple. I really hope that doesn't last the whole time because it's going to get old really quick.
Also, as a thank-you for everyone who dealt with me and all my coloring, here is the coupon code that was used at the fair. It's good until May 12th and with it you can get 'The Light Rises' for $1! Please pass it along and/or use it yourself. I would really appreciate it! Just go to Smashwords and type YZ64V as the code to get the 75% off.
Again, I hope the weekend treated all of you well. I look forward to getting back into more of a normal routine. For now though I must be off, so I hope the start of the week is nice for all of you and I'll be back on Wednesday!
It was really exciting and scary to do the fair. It was really different from what I'm used to, since normally I talked to people on the internet and I don't have to worry about whether or not they are feigning interest or anything like that. I'm glad I did it though, not just for having made a little bit of money, but because I have been working on getting better bit by bit socially and while I'm nowhere near a social butterfly I have seen the benefits of going somewhere I don't know someone to cling onto. Still scary though.
Now it'll be back to editing, which while it's not my favorite part of the process, I also played up the series so I need to get back in gear. The strangest part is that I had forgotten to put page numbers on it before I got the story printed out and now every time I look at that corner I just get frustrated over having overlooked something so simple. I really hope that doesn't last the whole time because it's going to get old really quick.
Also, as a thank-you for everyone who dealt with me and all my coloring, here is the coupon code that was used at the fair. It's good until May 12th and with it you can get 'The Light Rises' for $1! Please pass it along and/or use it yourself. I would really appreciate it! Just go to Smashwords and type YZ64V as the code to get the 75% off.
Again, I hope the weekend treated all of you well. I look forward to getting back into more of a normal routine. For now though I must be off, so I hope the start of the week is nice for all of you and I'll be back on Wednesday!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
04/10/2013 Writing Wednesday!
Hi everyone and welcome back! My prediction was correct, and I will be finished coloring my cards today. I'm really excited to be able to say that, this was all a long time coming and to see the fruit of my efforts is really neat. Plus I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the copy of the Moon I'm going to keep for myself. It'll likely end up somewhere at work, but we'll see!
Today I was going to talk about all sorts of things, but Robert Brockway at Cracked summed it up pretty nicely. Please go read that, it's all wonderful advise for all writers, not just new ones. So I decided instead to let him have his well-deserved spotlight and talk about what it means to give writing advice as a whole.
Now anyone can give advice, and people do it all the time. Sometimes it's welcomed, other times not so much, and sometimes people will ask your advice regarding something you have absolutely no idea about. You'd be surprised how many times I've been asked legal advice, and also how much 'I have no idea what you're talking about or how to guide you' doesn't actually make that go away. Let's just say it's super awkward and it never gets better.
The point I'm trying to make is that it's not just experts that will try to help you out. I have never said I was an expert, and if I ever said or made it seem like I was, I'm sorry. However, the people who are giving the advice tend to be ones with some kind of experience in that field. Whether it be an instructor who's been teaching for 35 years to the person who has written one book and has seen the other side of the coin when it comes to writing. The important part is that when you pay attention to what they are telling you it resonates with you in a way that you can use it for your benefit.
You can take advice from anyone, though sometimes you want to make sure there's some level of knowing what they're talking about before actually implementing it. For instance, you likely wouldn't take a fiction writer's advice on the best way to go skydiving unless they write a ton of action/adventure/science fiction pieces that involved a lot of sky diving or something very similar to it. If that's the case, they likely have done it themselves and obviously really liked it. Just like how you wouldn't take my advice when it comes to handling stuff legally (seriously, just go to your lawyer, that is what they are there for), but I would like to think I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to certain types pf mythology and supernatural elements.
The point I'm trying to make is that just because someone is giving you advice about writing doesn't mean they're instantly an expert, but it also doesn't mean that they need to be ignored. The things we are doing are hard, and sometimes looking at how someone else handled something is the only way to get through it. New writers who run into writer's block for the first time know that it feel like a wall in front of them that not even dynamite can break through, but it also happens to experienced writers. Others may need to do some research and need advice on where to turn, it can happen with anything. The important thing you take from it is to do what works for you, because not all pieces of advice are going to, but that doesn't mean that none will.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Remember I won't be around on Friday due to getting things ready for the fair at a time that no one should be awake. Yes it's only a little bit earlier than my normal time, but it's EARLIER and that's terrible. I'll be back on Monday though with a full report, so I hope you all have a great rest of your week and weekend until then!
Today I was going to talk about all sorts of things, but Robert Brockway at Cracked summed it up pretty nicely. Please go read that, it's all wonderful advise for all writers, not just new ones. So I decided instead to let him have his well-deserved spotlight and talk about what it means to give writing advice as a whole.
Now anyone can give advice, and people do it all the time. Sometimes it's welcomed, other times not so much, and sometimes people will ask your advice regarding something you have absolutely no idea about. You'd be surprised how many times I've been asked legal advice, and also how much 'I have no idea what you're talking about or how to guide you' doesn't actually make that go away. Let's just say it's super awkward and it never gets better.
The point I'm trying to make is that it's not just experts that will try to help you out. I have never said I was an expert, and if I ever said or made it seem like I was, I'm sorry. However, the people who are giving the advice tend to be ones with some kind of experience in that field. Whether it be an instructor who's been teaching for 35 years to the person who has written one book and has seen the other side of the coin when it comes to writing. The important part is that when you pay attention to what they are telling you it resonates with you in a way that you can use it for your benefit.
You can take advice from anyone, though sometimes you want to make sure there's some level of knowing what they're talking about before actually implementing it. For instance, you likely wouldn't take a fiction writer's advice on the best way to go skydiving unless they write a ton of action/adventure/science fiction pieces that involved a lot of sky diving or something very similar to it. If that's the case, they likely have done it themselves and obviously really liked it. Just like how you wouldn't take my advice when it comes to handling stuff legally (seriously, just go to your lawyer, that is what they are there for), but I would like to think I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to certain types pf mythology and supernatural elements.
The point I'm trying to make is that just because someone is giving you advice about writing doesn't mean they're instantly an expert, but it also doesn't mean that they need to be ignored. The things we are doing are hard, and sometimes looking at how someone else handled something is the only way to get through it. New writers who run into writer's block for the first time know that it feel like a wall in front of them that not even dynamite can break through, but it also happens to experienced writers. Others may need to do some research and need advice on where to turn, it can happen with anything. The important thing you take from it is to do what works for you, because not all pieces of advice are going to, but that doesn't mean that none will.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Remember I won't be around on Friday due to getting things ready for the fair at a time that no one should be awake. Yes it's only a little bit earlier than my normal time, but it's EARLIER and that's terrible. I'll be back on Monday though with a full report, so I hope you all have a great rest of your week and weekend until then!
Monday, April 8, 2013
04/08/2013 Magnificent Monday!
Greetings everyone and welcome back. I hope your weekends were all super awesome. Mine was too short, but it will all be made up by the fact I technically I have Friday off. I say technically because I have to go into work earlier than I normally do, but I don't have to do the job they pay me for, I just have to try and get people to buy my stuff. Almost done with the 'coloring forever' portion of my life, which is really exciting. Then it will be a matter of making everything look even and doing some fancy writing on the backs, then ta-da! Done for real!
I am really surprised that my hand hasn't fallen off during this experience. The most problem I've had (which now will change to agonizing pain because that's how fate likes to be a jerk to me) is my fingers get cramped up from holding the pen too long. I have 16 total cards left to go, and I'm fairly certain I can get that done by no later than Wednesday. I really appreciate everyone's patience with me while I do this; it's a way to continually motivate myself while facing the crippling idea of everyone walking by my table and/or ignoring me.
A part of me is wondering what I'll do after I'm done with the cards, since they have taken up a ridiculous amount of time in my life. Aside from jumping back into editing full-force, I'm also considering doing some jewelry making, so that the next time around I have a bit more of a variety to sell. If I do it again, but I'm trying to stay optimistic, so that's what I'm going to tell myself is going to happen.
Remember, this line of work is all about perseverance; no matter how hard it gets we need to keep going forward. I'm not to the point where I can do writing/whatever you call the rest of this as my full-time job, and I really doubt I ever will be (unless something magical happens and things seriously take off) but that isn't going to stop me. Just like this blog; it's tough sometimes, but if I stop now that means I've given up. For now I'll just enjoy the ride and see what happens next.
I'll see everyone back here on Wednesday. Hopefully I will have word of being completely victorious in my estimated completion of stuff, or at least be able to say I will finish while at work that day with a fairly large amount of confidence. I'll see you all then though, so I hope you all have a great start to your week!
I am really surprised that my hand hasn't fallen off during this experience. The most problem I've had (which now will change to agonizing pain because that's how fate likes to be a jerk to me) is my fingers get cramped up from holding the pen too long. I have 16 total cards left to go, and I'm fairly certain I can get that done by no later than Wednesday. I really appreciate everyone's patience with me while I do this; it's a way to continually motivate myself while facing the crippling idea of everyone walking by my table and/or ignoring me.
A part of me is wondering what I'll do after I'm done with the cards, since they have taken up a ridiculous amount of time in my life. Aside from jumping back into editing full-force, I'm also considering doing some jewelry making, so that the next time around I have a bit more of a variety to sell. If I do it again, but I'm trying to stay optimistic, so that's what I'm going to tell myself is going to happen.
Remember, this line of work is all about perseverance; no matter how hard it gets we need to keep going forward. I'm not to the point where I can do writing/whatever you call the rest of this as my full-time job, and I really doubt I ever will be (unless something magical happens and things seriously take off) but that isn't going to stop me. Just like this blog; it's tough sometimes, but if I stop now that means I've given up. For now I'll just enjoy the ride and see what happens next.
I'll see everyone back here on Wednesday. Hopefully I will have word of being completely victorious in my estimated completion of stuff, or at least be able to say I will finish while at work that day with a fairly large amount of confidence. I'll see you all then though, so I hope you all have a great start to your week!
Friday, April 5, 2013
04/05/2013 Fantastic Friday!
Hello everyone! It's Friday, which means we successfully made it through another week. I am still busy, which by now I'm sure you're all sick of hearing about, but am still making good progress. For now though I'll get to work on the reason why you're actually here.
Today I bring you 'An Apocryphal Ghost' by Mario Carassco Teja. It was originally written in Spanish and has been translated by Ingred Ebergenyi Salinas. It tells the story of four ghosts, all in different ages of afterlife, having a conversation in the living room of an older man's house. Some of the conversation is rather entertaining, though I do suspect some of the humor may have been lost in translation. That doesn't mean the story isn't meaningful or enjoyable by any means though.
The characters are unnamed, and part of that I believe may be intentional, since it shows the loss of self once you have passed on. The ghosts all range in the appearance of age with the one who looks the youngest actually being the oldest. The conversation they have is about why some of them, and other ghosts insist on behaving in such a way, and things seem to be going quite well until two of them get a little rough and it is discovered the man living in the house can interact with them. After that point things get a bit more serious when the ghosts learn his young granddaughter is ill and there are questions about how she got that way.
'An Apocryphal Ghost' is available for free at Smashwords, and I do think everyone should give it a read. The translation is very good, and some of the stylistic choices I believe are in part due to the translation. I would appreciate it if you would all give it a chance and a read.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I am expecting a rather tiring weekend, but I will do whatever I can do live through it! I hope you all have a fun couple days though and I'll see you all back here on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Today I bring you 'An Apocryphal Ghost' by Mario Carassco Teja. It was originally written in Spanish and has been translated by Ingred Ebergenyi Salinas. It tells the story of four ghosts, all in different ages of afterlife, having a conversation in the living room of an older man's house. Some of the conversation is rather entertaining, though I do suspect some of the humor may have been lost in translation. That doesn't mean the story isn't meaningful or enjoyable by any means though.The characters are unnamed, and part of that I believe may be intentional, since it shows the loss of self once you have passed on. The ghosts all range in the appearance of age with the one who looks the youngest actually being the oldest. The conversation they have is about why some of them, and other ghosts insist on behaving in such a way, and things seem to be going quite well until two of them get a little rough and it is discovered the man living in the house can interact with them. After that point things get a bit more serious when the ghosts learn his young granddaughter is ill and there are questions about how she got that way.
'An Apocryphal Ghost' is available for free at Smashwords, and I do think everyone should give it a read. The translation is very good, and some of the stylistic choices I believe are in part due to the translation. I would appreciate it if you would all give it a chance and a read.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I am expecting a rather tiring weekend, but I will do whatever I can do live through it! I hope you all have a fun couple days though and I'll see you all back here on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
04/03/2013 Writing Wednesday!
Greetings everyone! I hope the week has seen you well so far. As I'm sure you're all aware, I am still coloring almost non-stop. I have decided that is who I am now, for better or worse. It's nice knowing that I have breached the 'half-way' point though, so now everything is going to be going down that home stretch to finishing. I'm nervous and excited about this whole thing and look forward to seeing what happens with it.
Now that I'm a colorer (yes, I know that isn't a word, but insanity makes everything better) I have not forgotten my roots are a writer. As I've mentioned before the whole point of this is to get people introduced/interested in my series. I am still working on everything else as much as I can, I am just sad there aren't nearly enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. This break is not one that I have taken on purpose, though if I were somehow managing to color constantly and write I would be in the process of removing my hands and trying to figure out how to work with little wrist-stubs instead. This is all part of a bigger picture, which is something that writers need to take a step back and look at once in a while, and yes it can potentially be massive and overwhelming, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
Let's say you decide you want to write a book, and you have the drive/motivation to actually make that happen. Something that you need to ask yourself is; what are you writing for? Are you writing to give yourself a sense of accomplishment? To get your name out there for bigger/better things? To make people happy? All of the above? That is something that is going to determine what your next steps are going to be. If you're writing to feel like you completed something, then once your story is done, congrats! You did it! If you are looking at trying to get your name out there, then also congrats you have a truck-load of work waiting for you. When it comes down to getting everything else figured out, it seems like a daunting task, but some think that because of the internet that it will all be made a bit easier. It is easier in the sense that there are hundreds of options at your fingertips, it's more difficult in that you need to figure out which of those options are going to best suit your needs. Now if you're going through a professional firm such as an agent or a publishing company they will do most of that work for you, and what will be left to you is the social media aspect. If you're doing things yourself, this is where advertising is going to come into play and once again you are going to be crippled by choice.
Once you are decided on how you're going to work your voice out, there are a couple other steps you need to come to terms with. One that is so very important and somewhat sneaks up on you is that not everyone is going to care/like you. For all the 'Likes' or '+1's you get for whatever you do that is great, but also understand that doesn't account for everyone you're trying to reach. In most cases the people that are liking your posts are friends and family (which are wonderful people!) however it's going to be the point where you need to reach beyond them you are potentially going to hit a wall. Now if you are great at PR and a natural socialite with all of the charisma to back you up, first I suspect you are either a robot or a superhero, and second STOP MAKING IT LOOK SO EASY. Reaching out to people you don't know is ridiculously hard because, well, you don't know them or know where they're at to reach them. The other thing is they might not notice or even care about what you're doing, or sometimes they will outright hate it. These are the points where self-esteem is going to get gut-punched, and it sucks so much. Yes it will be hard, and yes you will look to those that have supported you in the past to help pick you up, but the important thing to remember is that you don't know the people that are being negative. You will never know them, because obviously they don't care, which means you are not trying to please them. Chances are they aren't in your target demographic anyway, and there's even a chance they are the dreaded Troll. Don't focus on them, focus on the people that you don't know that have given you support because they will be the ones to spread the word.
The other thing I mentioned was looking beyond your writing. For me it's the ridiculous notion that my series will be made into movies and that Allison Brie will be Amelia Helstrom-Petri in them (seriously, she's played both a gunslinger and had a tiny role as someone with a British accent in Community, also looks pretty much like I pictured her. COME ON!). My realistic one is actually just being able to finish the series and seeing what happens at that point. Now once that happens I will be focused on selling the whole thing, and will likely do some super big pushes to get it all noticed. After that if there's some kind of movie deal or a big publishing company wants to give me roses every day for 10 years, that will make me stupidly happy, however that is so far from today that it's hard to think in those terms. That's the point I'm trying to make; writing takes a stupid amount of time just for one book, to decide that you are going to write a 10-book series, get a movie deal and make all of the world's money is a little ridiculous. Think big, but don't think crazy. Some things are important that you need to take them in stride, and I'm not saying don't make those long-term plans, but focus on the bigger ones when they are a little more in reach. Sometimes it's really scary for someone to put all the pieces together and see where the future leads them, and writing shouldn't be like that. It should be something you enjoy no matter what and if it scares you or causes you to be mentally/emotionally crippled in some sense it's not doing that at all. Remember why you're doing it in the first place and hold onto that feeling, or the feeling you had when you hit 'Publish' for the first time and saw the cover of a book (digital or not) with your name on it. That is what will drive you.
Thanks everyone for stopping by again. I'm sorry it was so long, but apparently the more awake I am the more I can collect my thoughts. I really hope all of this made sense too. For now I will leave you to it, and as always I encourage discussions and such as well. I'll be back on Friday for my normal review, hopefully I won't be too far crazy by then. Have a good rest of the week!
Now that I'm a colorer (yes, I know that isn't a word, but insanity makes everything better) I have not forgotten my roots are a writer. As I've mentioned before the whole point of this is to get people introduced/interested in my series. I am still working on everything else as much as I can, I am just sad there aren't nearly enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. This break is not one that I have taken on purpose, though if I were somehow managing to color constantly and write I would be in the process of removing my hands and trying to figure out how to work with little wrist-stubs instead. This is all part of a bigger picture, which is something that writers need to take a step back and look at once in a while, and yes it can potentially be massive and overwhelming, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
Let's say you decide you want to write a book, and you have the drive/motivation to actually make that happen. Something that you need to ask yourself is; what are you writing for? Are you writing to give yourself a sense of accomplishment? To get your name out there for bigger/better things? To make people happy? All of the above? That is something that is going to determine what your next steps are going to be. If you're writing to feel like you completed something, then once your story is done, congrats! You did it! If you are looking at trying to get your name out there, then also congrats you have a truck-load of work waiting for you. When it comes down to getting everything else figured out, it seems like a daunting task, but some think that because of the internet that it will all be made a bit easier. It is easier in the sense that there are hundreds of options at your fingertips, it's more difficult in that you need to figure out which of those options are going to best suit your needs. Now if you're going through a professional firm such as an agent or a publishing company they will do most of that work for you, and what will be left to you is the social media aspect. If you're doing things yourself, this is where advertising is going to come into play and once again you are going to be crippled by choice.
Once you are decided on how you're going to work your voice out, there are a couple other steps you need to come to terms with. One that is so very important and somewhat sneaks up on you is that not everyone is going to care/like you. For all the 'Likes' or '+1's you get for whatever you do that is great, but also understand that doesn't account for everyone you're trying to reach. In most cases the people that are liking your posts are friends and family (which are wonderful people!) however it's going to be the point where you need to reach beyond them you are potentially going to hit a wall. Now if you are great at PR and a natural socialite with all of the charisma to back you up, first I suspect you are either a robot or a superhero, and second STOP MAKING IT LOOK SO EASY. Reaching out to people you don't know is ridiculously hard because, well, you don't know them or know where they're at to reach them. The other thing is they might not notice or even care about what you're doing, or sometimes they will outright hate it. These are the points where self-esteem is going to get gut-punched, and it sucks so much. Yes it will be hard, and yes you will look to those that have supported you in the past to help pick you up, but the important thing to remember is that you don't know the people that are being negative. You will never know them, because obviously they don't care, which means you are not trying to please them. Chances are they aren't in your target demographic anyway, and there's even a chance they are the dreaded Troll. Don't focus on them, focus on the people that you don't know that have given you support because they will be the ones to spread the word.
The other thing I mentioned was looking beyond your writing. For me it's the ridiculous notion that my series will be made into movies and that Allison Brie will be Amelia Helstrom-Petri in them (seriously, she's played both a gunslinger and had a tiny role as someone with a British accent in Community, also looks pretty much like I pictured her. COME ON!). My realistic one is actually just being able to finish the series and seeing what happens at that point. Now once that happens I will be focused on selling the whole thing, and will likely do some super big pushes to get it all noticed. After that if there's some kind of movie deal or a big publishing company wants to give me roses every day for 10 years, that will make me stupidly happy, however that is so far from today that it's hard to think in those terms. That's the point I'm trying to make; writing takes a stupid amount of time just for one book, to decide that you are going to write a 10-book series, get a movie deal and make all of the world's money is a little ridiculous. Think big, but don't think crazy. Some things are important that you need to take them in stride, and I'm not saying don't make those long-term plans, but focus on the bigger ones when they are a little more in reach. Sometimes it's really scary for someone to put all the pieces together and see where the future leads them, and writing shouldn't be like that. It should be something you enjoy no matter what and if it scares you or causes you to be mentally/emotionally crippled in some sense it's not doing that at all. Remember why you're doing it in the first place and hold onto that feeling, or the feeling you had when you hit 'Publish' for the first time and saw the cover of a book (digital or not) with your name on it. That is what will drive you.
Thanks everyone for stopping by again. I'm sorry it was so long, but apparently the more awake I am the more I can collect my thoughts. I really hope all of this made sense too. For now I will leave you to it, and as always I encourage discussions and such as well. I'll be back on Friday for my normal review, hopefully I won't be too far crazy by then. Have a good rest of the week!
Monday, April 1, 2013
04/01/2013 Magnificent Monday!
Hi everyone. Don't worry, while today may be April 1st, I am not one to pull pranks and such, so I'm not going to do some big announcement to string you along. Unless being super tired is an announcement...if that's the case then it's the truth and I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep forever.
I keep telling people that coloring is who I am now, and it certainly feels like it. It's really nice to see that I'm almost to the half way point, but that doesn't mean that it's here yet. More it's on the horizon. Which for being at the week and 2 days mark, is actually pretty good, and makes me feel like I can actually finish this before the deadline. Though I am really happy that I switched to 4 copies in stead of 5.
April is upon us, which means that Spring is official. I'm excited to not have to freeze to death everywhere I go due to the weather, but wait until late April/early May and I will be wanting it back. That's how it normally goes, and I'm not exactly looking forward to that part of it. I am however, looking forward to my Anniversary, so just as a heads up, Monday the 22nd will not have a post that day because I will be giving myself a holiday. I will try to have a post on the morning of the 12th, but we'll have to see how much I need to get done since that is the day of the craft fair and I might be 100% crazy by then.
We've also gotten a couple more followers here, both of are authors that have been recently reviewed. Thank you all so much for keeping an eye on this blog. With each comment, new follower, and new threshold we reach on the views it reminds me why I keep doing this. I know from experience how hard it is to get people to notice you're work, and all I want to do is help as much as I can. I'm happy that so many have recognized this place and hopefully are telling others too.
For now, once again, I appreciate everyone stopping by today. I hope you all have a fun day and a good start to your week. I will be back on Wednesday unless the pencils have killed/turned me into one of them. Right now my plan, after getting the post done that day, is to color while going back to season 1 of 30 Rock and see how far I get. Anyway, have a great day!
I keep telling people that coloring is who I am now, and it certainly feels like it. It's really nice to see that I'm almost to the half way point, but that doesn't mean that it's here yet. More it's on the horizon. Which for being at the week and 2 days mark, is actually pretty good, and makes me feel like I can actually finish this before the deadline. Though I am really happy that I switched to 4 copies in stead of 5.
April is upon us, which means that Spring is official. I'm excited to not have to freeze to death everywhere I go due to the weather, but wait until late April/early May and I will be wanting it back. That's how it normally goes, and I'm not exactly looking forward to that part of it. I am however, looking forward to my Anniversary, so just as a heads up, Monday the 22nd will not have a post that day because I will be giving myself a holiday. I will try to have a post on the morning of the 12th, but we'll have to see how much I need to get done since that is the day of the craft fair and I might be 100% crazy by then.
We've also gotten a couple more followers here, both of are authors that have been recently reviewed. Thank you all so much for keeping an eye on this blog. With each comment, new follower, and new threshold we reach on the views it reminds me why I keep doing this. I know from experience how hard it is to get people to notice you're work, and all I want to do is help as much as I can. I'm happy that so many have recognized this place and hopefully are telling others too.
For now, once again, I appreciate everyone stopping by today. I hope you all have a fun day and a good start to your week. I will be back on Wednesday unless the pencils have killed/turned me into one of them. Right now my plan, after getting the post done that day, is to color while going back to season 1 of 30 Rock and see how far I get. Anyway, have a great day!
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