Tools for Writers

I've updated the Tools tab, adding entries to Tips and Ideas, and a new section: Marketing Tips.  This section will continue to be updated, typically when I have a number of items to add.

Also, I'm looking at adding another section or possibly a link to a list.  This will be for Public Domain characters.  For anyone that doesn't know, Public Domain means they are no longer copyright protected, so you can use them all you want.  Typically this applies to older characters, such as Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, etc.

If anyone has ideas for additional content, or suggestions in general, don't hesitate to provide feedback.

Were Comes the Wolf

Ok, so I'm about 30k words in, and I'm just now realizing this story has been a drama instead of action/adventure, like I usually strive for.  So now that presents me with a few questions...

Without the action, is this story still entertaining?

Do I need to try and rewrite and create more action?

Or, do I abandon this story completely?

I intend for a number of action sequences to come up, but is that too little, too late?  Typically my stories have been 40-50k words.  Based on what I have planned, this one may be as much as 60k.  That means I have half a story and it's mostly a drama, so I can have an action packed second half, but will it be enough?  Questions, questions, and a lack of answers.  Perhaps this is one I should have mapped out, and I would have seen this issue sooner.  Hindsight and all that.

Writing is hard. Criticizing is easy.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Teddy Roosevelt

Very much like this quote.  Take constructive criticism as opportunities to improve.  Take all criticism as challenges to prove them wrong.  Remember that everyone has different tastes.  One persons trash is another person's treasure.  Write on.  There's something for everyone, and maybe your next venture will be the masterpiece you strive for.

Crimson Sea

Just got back my edits for this, so corrections coming right up.  Since I already have the cover ready, the publish date for this book shouldn't be too long from now.  I believe this will make eight books completed (to include publishing).

This is a vampire/werewolf tale, along the genre of Magestorm and Sinners and Saviors, but it takes place in the time of pirates.  It's a standalone book, which I left open for a follow up, but presently have no intentions to do a second.  However, if an idea comes to me, I reserve the right to change my mind. :)

The "Locked-In" Story

So I have this story...

I wrote it probably 3 years ago now, maybe longer.  I had an idea, and wrote a 3-part story for it.  Now, it's not a super-long story.  I have a minimum of 40k words before I'll consider publishing a book.  This one is about half that.  So it doesn't meet my own requirements.

The story is condensed, without a ton of extra detail.  So, I can rewrite it to be more detailed, but that's not going to put it anywhere close to my requirement.

I can possibly include some extra details, maybe expand on a character or two, to make things fluid from part 1 to part 3.  Again, this will add to my word count, but I'm betting it will still be well short.

So, I've tried to rewrite the story, using my first draft as merely an outline.  This is where the real problem comes in.  This story is locked in my head as is.  Any time I try and do this, I get nowhere, because the story is what it is.  So, I intend to try and do the cleanup I mentioned, but then what?  Publish it as a cheaper novella?  Toss it aside and keep attempting future rewrites that may never come?  I'm just not sure where to go from here.  And so, the story continues to sit...waiting...

Continuing saga of werewolves and a paramedic

The story is progressing, and I'd consider the first phase complete.  The introduction of the main characters and the secondary characters, and the set up for the overall story has begun.  That's not to say there aren't additional things to go back and add, and I still need to finish a conversation in one chapter, but that's it for the first part.

Still trying to piece together the exact details of the overall story, which leaves holes for now, but I have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen.  Pressing on...

To map or not to map?

I find myself at a dilema often times with my books.  Do I need a road map of the story, or wing it?  I find positives and negatives with both options.

Having a road map can come in very helpful when ensuring your story is going exactly where you want it.  It can especially help when you want to put in foreshadowing of future events or you need the story to be a puzzle that comes together at just the right time.

Additionally, having a road map can keep you going in the right direction.  It also provides a way of keeping you motivated.  When you have a list of chapters, you can check them off as you go.  It's a great way to show you're progressing.

On the flip side, I sometimes feel limited by the road map idea.  The creative juices can be stifled when you force yourself in a specific direction.  There's also the possibility of turning your story into something greater, perhaps a novella has the potential to be a novel, or even a series of novels, but you set your sights on completing your road map, and when that's done, you're done.

I can only suggest trying each way to see which works best for you.  Keep in mind you can start without a road map and build one as you go.  Perhaps you write for a while, and when you need to find focus, or if you complete the story but want to fine tune it, build your road map and perfect your idea.  No matter which way you decide to go, as any writer will tell you, the only important thing is to ALWAYS KEEP WRITING!

Write on, my friends, write on.  And if anyone has any input or feedback, please chime in.

The Werewolf Story progresses

I've run freely with this story for about as long as I can.  Thirteen chapters in, nearly 20k words, and still a number of ideas for future chapters, but the book is lacking in overall purpose I'm afraid.

There are a couple of ideas I've tossed around for the overall arc, but neither has the "bite" I need.  A stronger story is necessary, and so now a road map may be necessary as well.  Regardless, it's time for more action to go with the passion.

Herculean

Herculean is intended to be a modern sort of Hercules tale, about a hitman who faces versions of the labours to escape his life and be with the woman he loves.

I started working on this earlier this year, but again, it was one that I wasn't feeling it flow.  I went ahead and plotted out all the chapters so I wouldn't forget what I was thinking, but I'm not sure about it.  I may need to break it down into section and try to plot it out from there.

When I plotted the chapters, I saw it sort of like a television show, with each chapter or two being an episode.  That may be the problem, or I may just need a fresh look at it.  With other projects screaming louder, this one is probably on the backburner for a bit.

A werewolf tale

Rachel is a paramedic, pretty and friendly, who has a basic, boring life.  That is, until she gets snatched and forced to treat a man with serious, unusual injuries.  Her life may hang in the balance, so she must be careful and hope he pulls through.

David is a handsome man, and he owes a debt to the woman who saves him.  Beyond that, he finds a connection with her, and welcomes her into their community.  He may have found love with an outsider,  but will his affections be returned?

Kyra is trapped.  Her husband is falling for another woman.  To complicate things further, she may be falling for the same woman as her husband.

The community holds secrets, including one that may challenge Rachel to the extreme.  Surviving within this community is more than a matter of following the rules, it must rely on accepting the unbelievable.  And where the hell did all the wolves come from?

Update - Current Projects

I reached the 15k minimum I was hoping for.  Yeah me!  Not ideal, but I was able to get on a little bit of a roll and make progress.  10k of that is the new untitled werewolf story.  That one is over 17k total with what I had previously written.

The other 5k is from Always.  I still haven't really gotten on a roll with that one.  I think I need to plot it out and see where it goes.  Then I'll either get excited and start going, or I'll be unsatisfied and drop it for now (again).  I've only been trying to figure this one out for about 5 years now.

Meanwhile, I continue trying to get my ducks in a row for a couple other projects.  One involves time travel, and the other involves a girl whose touch causes excessive aging.

Progress

I've started to make some headway with my untitled Werewolf story, so I'm hoping to jump start my word count, and hit 15k+ before month's end.  My other story, Always, has slowed to a halt now.  But this is exactly why I usually write more than one at a time.

Camp NaNoWriMo

So, yeah, I won't be reaching my goal.  Not even close.  Ah, well, nobody's perfect.  Regular NaNoWriMo is in October or November, I think.  I plan to have a story plotted out and ready to go for that one, instead of just diving in like I did this time.

For anyone still pushing to meet their goal, I wish you luck, and if there's anything I can do to help you with your goal, let me know!

Keeping Focus

It's a real struggle when you have several stories viing for your attention, but none are really ready to take hold so you can run away with it.  My Camp NaNoWriMo goal isn't looking too good.  I targeted 40,000 words, and halfway through the month, I'm only at about 8,000.

If I fail to even reach 20k, I'll be pretty disappointed in myself.  No excuse to miss that target.  I just need to get on a roll.  Maybe, hopefully, I'll get there.

Tools

I've added several more tool links.  More still to come, and this will be ever evolving.  Hopefully they are helpful for anyone that visits this blog!

Web Site tools

Still working on the web site tools.  Got a few pages done yesterday, still several more to go.  Hoping to finish this weekend and get them all live.  Update to follow once it's all done.

Web Site

Working on updating my web site now. Most of the information on there will also be accessible from here.  There will be a few pages of information only available there, but I will link the information here as well.

...Try, Try Again

Ok, I'm going to try this again.  My purpose of this blog was to identify my work as I go, but also to provide any information others might fine useful.  These could be personal publishing steps, from start to finish of a book, as well as information I gather from around the web.  The information will involve publishing, story ideas, tools for writing specific items, and whatever else I find.

Just for the record, I didn't intend on abandoning this blog when I did.  I did most of my posts before work, and on lunch and breaks from work.  Then, they blocked the site so I couldn't post from there anymore.  As I was typically using my work computer at home as well (logged in to the work system), I got too lazy to keep logging out to post and log back in after.  Now I'm exclusively using my personal computer, so we'll see what happens.