I'm still here

Okay, I haven't posted much, and I don't think anyone is reading this anyway.  I think this has become more of a reminder to myself of what I'm working on, what I want to accomplish this year, and what I've accomplished so far.  To that end, I will pretend someone reads this and continue to post.

The story I mentioned before (now titled Gifted), which I hoped to get in a rhythm with, I have.  I'm over 30k words and actively going.  I've got the story plotted out through the end, and hopefully I'll finish before the end of August.

Once that's finished, I plan to finish edits on Crimson Sea, then go back and finish off Gabriel Rising.  Violet is still awaiting review.  With any luck, I'll have 3 books ready for review by the end of the year, and a fourth I just need to finish edits on and publish.  That would put me at eleven completed books. Never thought I'd even do one.

Okay, okay...

So I'm a little late posting again.  It's only been, what, four months?  RL got in the way.  I got a new job, 6-month contract, so that's kept me busy.  That's only part of it though.  I've also struggled getting traction on the stories I had been working on.

I'm trying to get something going again though.  A fresh start on an idea I've been working on, so hopefully I'll get into a rhythm and make some good progress.  Needless to say, I'm behind on everything.  I've got edits to complete so I can publish one book, I've got one or two others ready to be edited, and others that are done with the first draft and need edits.  As I get used to my new schedule, I should be able to get it going.  If anyone has been waiting for my next release, I apologize for the delay and will work hard at making progress.  Thanks for your support!

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...