Monthly Archives: November 2016

Music or No Music?

My son asked me recently what I listen to when I write. It depends on the mood. And where I am.

If I’m alone, and downstairs in my writing cellar with my Mac, I don’t usually listen to anything. However, if my son is also in the cellar (where the only TV in the house is located), I overhear what he’s watching. If he stays downstairs too long, I end up going to my Windows computer. There, I have most of my music.

Typically, if I’m going to listen to music, I will either listen to the same song on a loop (the most recent one is “The Honeythief” by Hipsway) or a playlist (mostly consisting of AC/DC). Those things get me in the mood for writing, especially for action scenes. More easy listening–lavish description, internal monologues–I switch on to Sirius XM’s “The Bridge” channel. Most of the songs I have downloaded are not slow and easy listening.

Grimaulkin has been through an edit, and is going off to my beta reader this week. War Mage is going to wait until a new editor takes a peek at it.

I have nothing to write. I feel so empty, like there is something I must write, but I have no idea what.

I will be at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet on December 3 from 9-5 at the Rhode Island Author Expo.

NaNo – #amediting

I gave up on NaNo. I’ve instead turned my attention to Grimaulkin, with the intent of getting it ready to go by December 15. Hopefully then it’ll get read by February and be ready to launch in November.

In the meantime, it seems War Mage has taken a turn for the back burner. I am tempted to rewrite the entire thing from scratch. Well, I’ll keep the first chapter. I haven’t noticed that there is no plot. But I noticed that if I sit on something for a long enough time, that I can rewrite it from a different point of view and it’ll come out better. Grimaulkin, I had written from the first time he summoned a demon and did it chronologically. This time, I wrote it after he gets out of magic prison. Maybe I should write War Mage in medias res, after he’s been introduced to the dragons? Maybe he’s the first one exposed to the dragons? And StarForce comes in to try and take over?

I’ll brain storm more.

I’ve also noticed, the more I edit, the more stilted it sounds. I’ve been reading a few writing books, and most of them say to outline or plan out your story. I found it a lot more fun and enjoyable to just sit down and write. “Write hot” as one person in a writing book said.

I tried to read Chapter After Chapter, but found it to be one of those essay booklets like Bird by Bird or even Artist’s Way. Some “artist” in a beautiful, idyllic setting, writing about the craft. Oh, please. I tossed it. I also tossed “Plot Perfect” because I found out I’m not a plotter. Let it happen, write without guidance, and then, at the end, put it away. Go back to it with fresh eyes, now that you know the end, and cut everything that doesn’t have anything to do with that ending. Easy, right?

Meh.

Survived the Con

Yes, I survived. But not as I had hoped.

I hoped to sell a lot of items for the Press. Building Baby Brother and Best Intentions. Unfortunately, nothing sold except 4 copies of my book, Homecoming. I have a feeling if War Mage was available, then things would have been more brisk.

If I do this again, I need more books of my own to sell. Next year, I hope to have 3 books: Homecoming, War Mage, and Grimaulkin.

I gave up on NaNoWriMo this year. The story just isn’t in me. I’m itching to edit Grimaulkin instead. My plan is to get Grim in the publisher’s hands by February of next year, and hopefully have it ready to go by November again.

Maybe I’ll do the Con again. I’ll have to come up with the table fee, which is insane.So far what I’ve put out in table fees is way more than what I’ve made.

Military speculative fiction is a very tight niche. I might have written War Mage for a too-tight audience. Grimaulkin is more general. Mercedes Lackey did okay with her gay mage; I don’t see how I can’t do well with Grim

Comicon, WNRI

Heidy Ho, neighbor! (As my character, Grimaulkin says.)

I finished Grimaulkin. Very proud of myself. 62,000 words. I need to edit it next month and hopefully get it ready to go for next year around this time.

I’m trying NaNoWriMo anyway, though I don’t think I’ll succeed. I’m doing a Casey story, set in the time of Queen Anne. It’s based on the four Mohawk Kings (3 were actually Mohawk, and one was Mohican) who visited London in the early 1700’s. Casey is their interpreter, and a woman of the court falls in love with him. It’s sort of a romance which, as everyone knows, is not my bag. Right now, the beginning is slow because I’m establishing the time period. I suppose I have to switch to the female’s POV at some point, and I’m not looking forward to that.

On November 8, I’ll be on WNRI.com at 9:30 am for the Rhode Island Author’s Hour. I hope I get some softball questions. He’ll ask if I’ve been in the military, I’m sure. “No, but my husband was a big fan of the Army and I acquired a lot of my interest through osmosis.” We’ll see if I can remember that.

And last, but not least, I’m doing RI Comicon! I’m in booth 15G in the Dunkin Donuts Center (aka “the Dungeon”) under the name of Paper Angel Press.  There should be a lot of traffic for people who are going to see the celebrities. I’m diagonally across from the “Kids Con”, so will hopefully get parents who are into understanding the whole Building Baby Brother concept. I’m also going to be reading cards (if Comicon can have a medium with two sold-out shows, why can’t I read cards?) and really pedling the books. I have 30 copies of Homecoming, 5 each of Building Baby Brother and Best Intentions. I’m offering a bundle, at the convention only, of each one of the books, plus “Custer’s First Stand” and a card reading for $25. Yes, I’m giving up my royalties for that, but I’m trying to get the books sold.

No War Mage, it didn’t make it. I’m going to get a different editor for that book, I think.

I may not post next week due to being at Comicon. But I’ll live tweet every sale from there! My handle is @warwriter.