High Forest Confrontation: Reindeer King snippet

  Since I referenced it in my post for Indie E-Con, I thought I'd share this snippet from my upcoming novel, Thaw: Reindeer King.

"A bellow erupted from the forest ahead. The sturdy forest horses froze in their tracks, and Hess took a firmer hold on the reins, expecting anything.

But Kai knew what was happening. He flapped his legs against his mount’s sides with no effect, so immediately afterward he bailed off and hit the ground running, every leap emanating fierce protectiveness.

Snapp and Snurr burst from the curve ahead at a dead gallop, and then Hess heard the snarl as a furry gray beast took the curve right on their tails. The canine’s body leaned nearly sideways for the turn, the flying paws digging deep in the snow and litter of the past year.

The reindeer bellowed half in anger, half in fear, and Kai let loose with a bellow of his own to warn any and all predators… that these two herbivores belonged strictly to him.

The reindeer bolted past Kai, then swung their heavy antlers in a sharp turn to circle up at their master’s back.

The pursuing pack let loose a cacophony of yips and swarmed down upon the beleaguered woodsman and his team. [...]

Kai swung his staff and connected solidly with a head, then reversed the blow to thump another set of ribs. [...]

The pack retreated, slinking backwards into a sullen ring of watchers, cautiously circling the travelers. They definitely wanted those reindeer.

Several leaned back on their haunches and howled, a long chilling wail that wavered and ached across the mountains. [...] 

The creatures went into another round of howling, and then one of the big ones tried to rush in and sink its teeth into a reindeer flank.

Kai was faster, and the opportunist met the flat power of the oak staff, chock against the base of the neck, breaking the spine.

The hunter didn’t even yelp. It just crumpled forward into a pile, plowing up the skiff of snow with its remaining momentum.

“NO!!!” the shout reverberated off the mountainsides and shook the snow out from the pines.

Hess and Tompte raised their heads to see a figure cloaked in hides barreling down the slope. The newcomer was clearly bipedal, but that was about all that could be told at first glance, with the very furry outerwear, it could have easily passed for a forest animal.

With an unnerving yell the apparition charged at them, straight through the pack of dogs, and lit into Kai with its own stout quarter staff, which had clearly come from these same, rough, mountains."

 I think we can all agree there's going to need to be lots of conflict resolution before these two are friends again!!! 

3 Anthology stories, and how they grew!

Hello lovely peoples!
  I've been pretty busy this whole spring, but managed to write 3 stories for the VintageJane Austen story anthology, which released just shortly ago.
 I have also been maintaining my monthly goals, (20k base goal, with Camp NaNos of 30k and Nov. at 50)  in spite of a lot of stress in real life, so I've been feeling good about that.

 One of the reasons I wrote 3 tales to submit for the anthology was I felt stuck on the WIPs I *should* be working on, and so found the idea of hopping though genres with an Austen template a fun one. ;-)

    I started out to set a P&P in the 50's, but that turned into a different Austen, and I was fine with that. The switch-a-roo added a little flair to it, and I think it turned out cute.

Female Cardinal on Pinterest: This it what she looked like! SO Cute!

  Then the problem loomed large in my mind... how to set an Austen in space? Sci-fi is greatly under represented in Austen retellings! J 
   After cogitating on that for a bit an answer leapt to mind, and I had a great fun time slapping that one down. (I was a bit under the gun with the last 2 tales, to finish in time and add their word count to my monthly goal!)

  Thirdly, I looked out the window of the new build and noted a bird perched rather un-movingly on the edge of the dog's water trough, so I went out to investigate. It turned out to be a female cardinal, who acted alarmingly unresponsive to approach.
Since the dog's water trough is a highly unsafe place for a bird of that size to hang out unresponsively, I carefully scooped her up and walked away back into the pasture, where there is a massive brush pile where dozer-work cleared the overgrown brush and trees to get it back to growing grass.

Anyway, on the walk up there I admired the remarkable little lady, and feel quite enchanted of her perfect turn of feather, the way her muted tones looked like burning flames of orange and red were glowing through the brown of her more subtle coat. (Compared to her flamboyant male counterpart.) Since we'd lived in the west where cardinals never seemed to be, I have been very excited to spot the red males flashing about... but I'd never given the girls their due respect.
 That walk made an indelible impression on me, and when I carefully set her on the highest gnarled root I could reach in the brush pile, she flitted calmly even further up, and I knew she was safe. But I was forever changed.
  I wanted to write something with a cardinal in it, and I wanted the cardinal to be a pet.
  I know real wild cardinals make terrible pets because they're simply not wired that way, and to try to force them into that would just be cruel. But in my imagination... how much fun would that be???

  Oodles of fun, and the only place something can happen that can't happen in RL... is my favorite place; fantasy worlds!!!
    The idea seeped in my head, I turned it over and over like rubbing a creek pebble between your fingers... and then the time had come to writ. I painted it vividly, creating a sort of technicolor bright, classic fantasy setting, wherein the cardinal got to be our heroine's pet and companion, as the characters went about their Austen-inspired tale.

   This story turned out the longest by far, and ended up being placed near the end of the anthology; so if you pick it up and read through be sure NOT to quit before you get there, because I want to hear what you thought of the incorporated lady cardinal!!! :-)

   (My only regret is I did not have enough time to work up a cute little sketch of the cardinal for inclusion in the anthology. I'd have loved to share the understated elegance she embodied.)

  So!!! Have you read it? What did you think of all the stories... And what did you think about mine? (You know I want to hear it!!!! :-) )

  And what did you think about the cardinal??

We Want To Read The Rest Of It!

Hello. I'm E. Kaiser Writes, and I have a troubling incapability to write a short story that stays a short story... or at least, the readers think ought to remain one.
  Even on my greatest triumphs... I emerge dusty and victorious from the writing lair, gripping tightly to a short work of fiction that truly is short, and holding it aloft with the pride of a jungle warrior brandishing proof of bravery and competence amongst the tribe...

  *sigh*

  I give it to readers... and they A) tell me "this is not a short story, this is clearly an exert." (Crumpling defeat, I retreat to my lair and glare at offending short, which is not somehow "completely

short" enough...)

Sci-fi on Pinterest

...or... B) "I loved it! Where's the rest of it? I want it to go on!!!"

 *sigh*

 The truth is, I sometimes feel a little trapped by long fiction. I write long all the time, it's in my blood and bones, (it would seem) and I can't escape it.

 But sometimes I just want to dabble a little in a brand new sparkly world, and I want that dabble to last no longer than perhaps a day or two.
 And then I want to return to the lengthy behemoths that are consuming my weeks, months and years.

 (Because I truly do want to finish them!!!!)

So I dash off a small handful of scenes that illustrate a glimpse of a scene or a plot-line, a pivotal moment in a character arc, or a unique event. And then readers go "We Want To Read More About This!!!"

    And I feel a little trapped by that! Because I want readers to be happy, I want to let their feedback guide me toward my best work that will resonate on a deep level..
 and yet, I can't go in all the directions I feel I'm being pulled.

 Absolutely honestly, if enough readers clamored for a certain story to be developed more and explored... I would probably do it.
 Because I want to resonate with people!!! That is why I write! :-)

    But sometimes I'm not sure how to respond when people say things like that... should I ignore the urge to open those boxes back up? I'd dipped in already, and been happy to shut the lid again... but does that mean that I'm consigning  a brilliant-potential-series back into the dust and cobwebs of never existing?
 Am I denying the bright light reflected back from reading eyes, which is supposed to lead me on to my greatest summits of authorly creation?
 And if I turn away from this sort of feedback, am I being a "selfish, self-absorbed author" who only "writes for themselves?"

   (P.S. I'm not earning NEARLY enough to be writing for anyone else, at this point, but still... ;-) )

  So, tell me what you think!!!

   Also, if you read the Second Impressions anthology, part of the Vintage Jane Austen, let me know what you think of the story "The Mansfield"?  I've had reports that story deserves to be expanded.... the idea is tantalizing, but what do you think?

Space Kitties 2 set to release!!!

All right!!!
 Well, it's been a busy month!

 Last time I posted was to "pin the list on the wall" so to speak of the winners involved in the Print Launch of All Titles... which was a pretty big deal for us here at Hearth Books, and the completion of a whole lot of hard work throughout the past several months. (P.S. madelinejrose still hasn't contacted me, so she's at risk of forfeiting her prize win!)

 Now that this launch is over, we've actually got another one coming right up! ;-)
  Space Kitties 2 is wrapping up final edits right now, and will be officially released June 4th. There will be a FB party, as well as a corresponding blog tour running the whole first week of June, at both either of which readers can win an e-copy of this second addition to the Space Kitties tales!

  How does this sound for a teaser blurb?

"Pawsitively purr-able accounts of feline shenanigans from across the
cosmos, by a constellation of authors from across the country.
Seven cutting edge spec-fic writers band together for a
second installation of light-hearted and suspenseful stories
about kitties in space. Could anything be more purrfect?
Eight original literary entries await your imagination as kitties assert their superiority in far flung galaxies..."

 Be there or be square!!!


In other news, many of you may know that I've been using the My Word Circle site for tracking goals,
 (If you're looking for a progress bar + chart to keep you inspired, I recommend it!)
and it's been a great help in keeping on the straight and narrow with that!

 Anyway, so this is also a post to report that I finished my 20k for May 3 days early!!!

Do You Know Your Definiton of Success...?

 It's always important to know where you're going, and not simply chase what someone else "says is worthy". You've got to know your own definition of success, and then recognize it when you get there.
  As an author, here are some questions that are good to ask:


What made you decide to publish your work?

I have wanted to be an author since I first leaned how books came to be, and coming from a business-acumen type family, the money is what proves success. That is in my blood, so that's one thing that is always a consideration for me. I write very niche, and dreams of a big advance were tantalizing but unrealistic. I was scared to go self-pub, as someone without much of  a"people you know" network I figured that would be money wasted. (And that was right.)
 Attending a conference where the buzz was all about e-books got me to thinking about releasing in that medium, which I did for the first time in 2011. It was affordable, and was an invaluable step, it gained me some fans and I learned a whole lot through the process. Book 2 in the series released July 2013, and I finally feel like I have my head above water on all this online marketing stuff. I'm still not hardly any good at it, (and sales are super low) but at least I understand what marketing gurus are talking about!
  At this stage I am writing madly, fully committed to the process of becoming a successful author and intent on having the 7-10 books out that status seems to demand... I've followed indie authors who are successful, and their "slow start" mantra makes sense, so I'm in it for the long haul. I know my work is good, it's received praise from such a wide range of readers, so all I have to do is put the time in and be diligent. I believe, (with the Lord's help!) that I can make a small income off of my writing, and I'm setting my sights on the future.

What keeps you going on the tough days?

 I remember how much I was shaped by the books I read as a teen, and I really, really want to have my stories help youngsters, (and oldsters,) inspiring and directing them upwards on the trail of life. This, and the fact that the writing is in my veins, it seems, and I can't stop. Even if all the words were deleted every month, I would keep writing. (I just wouldn't agonize over finishing anything in that scenario, since it wouldn't matter! So I'd just do the fun stuff and skip all that editing! )

What would you consider success for your author career?

Straight up? Money talks: and I would like to make at least part of a living with my books. I know others are doing way better than that, (genre is big here though so... romance, erotica, and thrillers seem to be easiest to make a good living with) but if I could bring in a small slice of actual cash with my words, I'd consider myself totally successful. 

 Short of that, there are other levels; being recognized as an "author" when meeting in Real Life friends I've only known online.
     That's nice.
                      That's happened. 

 Being respected as a "good writer" in online circles. 
        That's nice.
                       That's happened.

 Having a fan friend me on FB because they read something I wrote and loved it. 
      That's super nice.
                       That's happened.

 As I become more adept at my social media presence and my connecting circles expand, that reputation factor will continue to grow, and at some point I hope to be a presenter at a(/some) conference(/s) on world building/ how to pick the best clothes for your author photos/ descriptions that sing... I'm not too picky. But that would be very nice, and I think that will happen.  (I've got big ideas on how to attend conferences!!! )

 Other than that? 7 books, in print, on my shelf, and knowing that people are buying them. That would also be a success... and I think it's in the future.

  It's always interesting to think about these questions! Re-evaluation is a major tool, and although I'm no closer to knowing exactly how to make this stuff happen, being clear on intentions helps one recognize steps when they come along.  

   How about you? What's your definition of success? 

 And when you look at the world and the writers in it, what makes you think "That author is a success!" I'd LOVE to hear your take on this one!!!

Slick E-book Sales Graph!

  With all the attention that e-publishing has been getting lately from just about everyone in the chain of book-to-reader, sometimes I wonder what is actually happening. Who is getting famous, making lots of money, etc.?

  Can we find some statistics somewhere, to get a better image in our heads?

The answer is... Yes! Actually, I just did; I came across this super interesting post by Derek J. Canyon over on his info-rich blog, Adventures in ePublishing. 

  He put together a highly interesting set of graphs and statistics, and this is my favorite. Straight up, the best selling e-book genres, all ina nice handy pie chart.  (I love pie charts! So easy on the brain.)

 What do you think? How much would the best-selling-ness of a genre influence you toward writing it?

Free Write to Free Up Creativity

Hey Everybody!
 If you are stuck on your ms. this is something to try: free write. Just start typing, throw the words down... they can be anything, everything, something stuck in your head or song lyrics, just don't stop. Don't guide them, just "blab"...onto the page, and let it go! (Yes, they totally stole my line. ;-) )

It can get you past the scared stiff feeling, adn once you loosen up your fingers you can then step back and assess what you're doing wrong in your ms.

 Mostly, if it freezes on you then you're trying to do something you shouldn't, plot wise, or else you don't know how things work. So get out the crayons and make a calendar, timeline, put in the main scenes you KNOW will happen. Then ask ?s of stuff, play around. Have fun!

'Cause if you don't have fun with it, your readers won't enjoy it either. Think of six different things that could "chain" out from the scene you know, and then come up with a seventh. Which feels more "true" to character? Which feels most FUN?! 

How To Plot Your Novel: Into the Arc Theory

Third post in How to Plot Your Novel series. Here we explore an in depth look at the "Arc Theory" technique introduced in the last episode of my very own tips; Plotting For Pansters.

 Q: How do I know where to put my plot points? How do I know what plot points to put there?!!!

A:  Never fear! Stay calm. There is absolutely no reason to panic.
 Even though we're pansters here, and there is that mean, growling word "plotting" hanging around a lot, I'm going to show you that ol' shadow monster is actually the reflection of a puppy dog in front of a bulls-eye lantern.

 (No idea what a bulls-eye lantern is? Here you go. > ) 



Okay, on to the meat of this post.

 So, as I was saying... think about getting your plot-lines figured the same way you approach arranging food on your plate at a buffet. There's no hard and fast rule about the mashed potatoes going in the upper right corner... but you do know that the potatoes had better be between  the creamed corn and the roast with gravy.
 It'll just taste better that way.

 In the same vein,  the exciting dramatic points in your story taste better when dividing up the less sparkly, thoughtful stuff. So keep that in mind when you're spreading your ideas around the arc that you made last time.

This is a real arc I'm in the early stages of using... so I've blurred out specific words! *Spoilers!*

 Boil down your plot points to a spare few words. Two is good. One is even better!
 So, say it's that robber/mystery in Texas from our Road Map post.
 
 The City would go over here at the left hand corner, 'cause that's where they start from. Pencil in "Meet" next to it. You'll have to figure out how they meet later... or maybe you already have an idea. (Is at a cafe, where they both order lunch? Or when the one fender bends the other at a stop light?)

  Maybe the Shabby Hotel would go at the top of the arc, at the midway point. Cause right after that scene our mis-matched protags break up in disgust with each other after the argument... and then travel their separate ways to each find out a different clue which they will use when their paths cross again, (and they've simmered down enough to forgive each other.)

  So put "Shabby Hotel" up  there, sticking out from the arc. Then scribble "argue - split up" underneath that.

 There you have it! Your climactic middle scene.

 So... then, the "Prison" part would be half-way between the two. This is at the place where the Rule of Arc, (or Story Beats) dictate entering the Uncomfort Zone.
  Well, say one of them has a jailbird past, and going back into the pen as a visitor gives him a bad case of raised heart rate.
That's a definite Uncomfort Zone.
 (Poor character. They're just going to get more Uncomfortable from here on out!)

   (Write that. Write the reaction and the self control it takes to make themselves go back behind those iron gates... a testament to their drive and dedication to solving the case.)

 

Keep Updating the Arc Plotter

 
Do you have an end scene in mind? No?

 Not a problem. Do you have any idea how it'll work out?
Yes? Good. Maybe put "Robber Caught" at the other end.

 And when you get the idea; "Oooo! Must write that argument scene at the shortcut!" jot that scene down in it's approximate place. This will remind you what you have so far, and can keep you from writing the same scenes twice.
 (What?! You've never done that? I'm the only one???)

 And if you get a nifty idea, and write a real whip-cracker of a scene, then boil it down to one key word and jot it in on the arc. That way you can easily see your progress at a glance.

 Keep this with you, and whenever you get a really sparkly idea, whip this little plot arc out and jot down the one or two word code that will recall that idea whenever you read it. Then the next time you are at your writing place, just take a gander at this handy little arc sheet, (or big arc sheet, which is better, with more room for jotting.)

 And there you have it!
            Off you go, fingers flying like the wind!

                                      No fears! Just writing!

  Writing... writing...!!!!

 


  (But seriously... have you ever written a scene, then forgot you'd written it, and then wrote it again, slightly different? And then couldn't decide which scene to keep, because they each had good parts, but totally cannot ever, ever, ever mesh????)
 

Plot Arcs: How to Use Them in Your Novel

Example of the Basic Arc

Second post in How to Plot Your Novel series. Here we explore a another technique I use, which can help you Pansters Plot your Novels.

Q: How do you plan a plot arc?

 A: Okay! People have been asking me about my methods of tracking plots, and since I'm a panster this is a big topic with me.

   All of you plotters can take your Excell spreadsheets and binders full of detailed notes for each scene and step outside with those now.


 (...Or you can hang around. You know, just for fun, and to laugh up your sleeve at other people's problems.)

  All right! Onward to glory we go!  (Props if you recognize that song...)

 As a major panster, I've had a hard time coming up with a plotting method that actually works with my "all over the place" writing style. I can't tell you how many different ones I've tried, but most of them failed miserably.

Okay, so here it is! The What Works For Me deepest secrets.


  We all know by this point that story arcs basically kind of have a similar shape all the time.

Like, beginning, middle and end.

   Or Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, if you're into that. (Personally, it always really bugs me that Act 2 has three parts, and they still call it a "Three Act Structure". What?! Who did you get to do your counting for you?)

 Or some people get all into the Hero's Journey, and the book that shares that name.


 Myself, I just want to write the story.
   So here's the "Arc Plot" that enables me to do just that.

 Draw a half circle. (All right fine, it's more than half a circle! Just make a big loop out there that covers most of your paper.)
  Divide this arc in half with a little line at the top. Then divide each half in half with another mark.

 You start at the Ordinary, move to Uncomfort Zone, on 'til you reach Confrontation/Greatest Fear. That is your climax, or the midway point of your story.
 (Some tales' climax is longer than others, and so it can slide into the Deepens Problem territory. That's totally okay.)

 Half way between the middle and the end of the book you come to Hits Bottom. This is a great place where you can have fun with making things look really bad for the protagonists and their dearly held dreams.
 Really turn the lights out on this!

  And then... oops! They turn things around! It's not that bad after all, and they all go home and be cozy in their caves.

   They have faced their fears and mastered them, (as well as the Big Bad). This makes them not only safe once more, but they actually have grown and have a bigger comfort zone than they had before.

  So... everybody wins!

Hope it helps, everyone! :-)

 (And while you're at it, you can get really creative and use the brightest, most diverse range of colors! Make one stand for one thing, and so on, that way you're creative muscle can easily see what's going on and get inspired!!! :-)

 Next time we'll get into the details of how to really make this Arc Plotter your own.

How to Plot Your Novel with the "Road Map" technique

Okay! In honor of November being NaNoWriMo, with all those writers determinedly writing, I thought now might be a good idea to break down and put up those novel plotting posts I've been asked about. 
     (Also, a good idea to write them, first.)

  I'm thinking I'll call this series "How to Plot Your Novel ... or Plotting For Pansters".

Q: I know specific plot points my novel is wanting, but I'm unsure about how to figure out what goes between them. Any suggestions?


A: As a died in the wool panster, this is what I'd recommend! :-)

 Start writing madly with every plot point you have in mind. You can make a "road map" on a piece of paper, jotting down the main important destinations. Big City  - - - -  Visit Prison (to check up with incarcerated witness) - - - - Shabby Hotel - - - - etc.  Then, when you're writing along, and suddenly in the Shabby Hotel your MC yells, mid argument, "I told you we shouldn't have taken that stupid short cut! If you'd have listened to me, we would have been here hours ago, and that little girl never would have been shot in the bank robbery, 'cause we would have stopped it before it happened!!!"

Real, actual road map plot I've been writing from for a couple years now, off & on.

 Then make a note in your road map.

 In between Prison and Shabby Hotel jot down "Short cut - argue about". There you have another scene that you will need to write so readers will know why your MC is so mad about not being listened to.

 You can use symbols, or scribble pictures... whatever will spark your memory later on.

 This is the method I use, and it works really well for me. So long as I am faithfully following the story by putting down on paper the scenes I DO know, the others will generally follow... like clues on a mystery case. As the writer/detective you get a feel for where you need to go, (and take your readers along with you) next.

               Hope this helps!!!
                          Have a good NaNo!
                                           Elizabeth

October Update: 20k is Down and OUT!!!

Okay, peoples!!!
 
 I'm just as thrilled as pink peaches to announce to the world today that my 20k for October is

Found at FrontPorchCandles; don't they look scrumptious?!

accomplished!!!
 (Post-scriptus: I wrote this on Saturday, but since my poor blog already had a post that day, I set this to post on Monday. )

   I had several thousand words left over in September from that month's 20k goal to "pay forward" towards October's... which was a good start for "Month Before NaNo Crunch Time".

   ...And then I had a good sit down with my main-brain side-kick and plot-planning partner, and we roughed in some timelines and got several sticky details nailed down.

 (P.S. Snapp and Snurr are some long lived reindeer! They're treading 13 years old now, at this point. And still going strong!!! I tell you what,  does Kai really know how to treat his team or what? He's a master herdsman! )

Current Mock-up Cover Art

 (P.P.S. What do you think of those names for a pair of reindeer? Sound reindeer-y enough to you?)

 So, jet-fueled with all the new scene ideas richocheting around in my head I plopped down in the chair and typed madly for the rest of the day! I held out against distractions, against movies being watched in the next room over.
 I even held out against naps and... food. (Kinda. )

 And I did somewhere in the neihgborhood of 5-7k that day!
  
  And then I hit the keyboard in the days that followed, putting in late nights, and middle of the night writing sprints and anything you can imagine to be sure that I
 A) Got these good ideas down, and
 B) got to 20k as soon as possible.

 Now, I have.
   My 20k for October is accomplished, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.

 And most of my good ideas are down, and I'm feeling very confidant in this book's future as NaNo project starting next month.


 So, with those two worries off my mind, I can now concentrate on the one obstacle that remains: Prince of Demarken, Mission Code Word:WRAP-UP.


 Like seriously, Wrap-UP!!! I've been talking about getting that thing finished off for months now, and I'm deadly determined to make sure it happens before November.

 'Cause I can't start on Reindeer King with the clear conscience it will definitely require if Prince of Demarken is STILL lurking unfinished in the background.
 
  Come one, now, WIPs!!! This is NOT funny by now!

 So... that's my plan for the rest of the month.
 
   What about you?

  ( And do you think it is remotely possible that I will actually finish off this long-haunted project at long last??? )

Monthly 20k, and August Update!

 Hey there!!!
 
    Yes, we made it through August!
 August to me is one of those difficult months... it's too hot to enjoy summer any more, but we're still not ready to acknowledge that it's almost fall. It's like something inside is screaming "I wanna go back to May!!!"

   Which isn't possible... so, everything just slides into a long, sticky string of events, like molasses. Black strap molasses, in fact. 

 But by the time we reach Semptember everything is better. The temps are cooler, the weather more gorgeous, the harvest is coming in and from time to time you can almost catch the smell of fall in the air. And that's okay, in fact, by this time, we're looking forward to fall.
 Hey, by mid-canning-season: we're even looking forward to winter!!!

  So, the big question is: Did I make my 20k goal for August? 

    After the creativity draining Camp NaNo in July, where I over shot my original 20k goal to produce 32k.

          ...Let me tell you, August did not start out with a thunderclap of writing frenzy.

 In fact, August didn't start out with any writing at all.

 My batteries had to seriously recharge.
 And then some Real Life stresses stepped in and messed things up in their own sweet way, and then it was the middle of the month and I had hardly written anything at all.

 So of course, there was mild panic, because I don't want to break my "20k monthly goal" success

streak! Ever since January '14!
 This is the 8th consecutive month that I've produce 20k words in.

 And yes.... I did get them produced.

  It was tough, but I finished the final 2k needed on the next to the last day of the month, and then I just called it quits.
    I seriously need to recharge my batteries!!!

  Progress So Far This Year

     So, on the flip side, I do want to take a minute and publicly consider what this commitment to "Monthly 20k" has resulted in.
  
   August was the 8th month!!! Can you believe it???  (I can't hardly! )

    Here's the math:   8 x 20 = 160

      That means that I have written a minimum of 160 thousand words, so far.

 A minimum! 

  That is 3 novel's worth. .... Or 6-to-8-ish novellas... or... 

    Well, actually, it's two 30k novellas, one 90k novel, and I've got the follow-up novel at about 50k, with a couple of thousands tossed into roughly three of the later in the series. 

  (Yep, all new since January '14!!! Yes, I am kind of freaking out. It seems I've finally closed in on the secret to letting the stories out of my head in a smoother stream!)

  Since I have overshot 20k on more months than not, the total word-count is at least 200 thousand new words.

  That is... to me... pretty amazing. I wouldn't have thought it possible even just a few years ago, and now...? It's still pretty amazing.

 But, having the flexible-timed, large-monthly goal has helped me keep motivated without getting discouraged.

       Discouraged is a horrible place for creativity.

       And learning how to refine the quality of my writing time has hugely affected the words-per-hour.... since I no longer sit at the computer beating myself up for not having a clue what should happen in this scene.

 And having a truly gripping set of plot-lines has inspired a much better conversion rate of time-in-chair.
  
   So, thanks to expert, knowledgeable, professional folks like Rachel Aaron, Dean Wesley Smith, and Hugh Howey for publicly sharing their hard-won perspectives on the realities of being a writer... and particularly, an indie writer.
   You have each inspired me!

   (And if you don't know them yet, I heartily recommend checking them out! As writers, they are truly great role models to watch, and learn from!)

 

  Future Progress

  Also, in August, to get me through to the goal, my first reader and I did a lot of plot brainstorming. We now have the next four-to-five novels lightly sketched out, and the possible spinoffs nailed down enough so that their possibilities will not be impeding forward motion on any of the next up books.

  

   This is huge!!!

 And I'm so grateful to have a sister like that who can bring clarity to the muddle of my inspirations!

    (Also, I do intend to make a post about my/our plotting process to share! ...Soon... ish... )

  So... that was my August. How was yours? 

Blast from the Past: Why I write.

Click here to Pin!

   I was searching for something the other day in my various stacks of repositories, and came across a paper with this written on it.
   I remember writing this... but I can't remember exactly when. I think it may have been as far back as eight/ten years ago... or maybe not that many, I can't place it for sure.
 Anyway, here it does:


"Why do I write?

 Why do you dream?

 When I write, life recedes a distance and I am on a different level... where the temperature drops on the mist of my thoughts, condensing then into drops of words.

  Then, like dew on a spiderweb... stringing into sentences and paragraphs. Images and feelings, swirling and fading, in and out.
 
 I wanted to write because I loved reading so much as a youngster. I wanted to contribute something good back... and that's never changed.

 When I emerge I am refreshed; renewed.

 Day-to-day returns and I can face it with a cleared perspective.

 ...I have learned something from myself."

  What do you think about that?

       Why do you write? Hm???

Guest Posting on Vaguely Circular

Hey! I'm a featured guest poster recently over at Vaguely Circular's Imagine This! celebration of
creativity.
 I maybe should have given everyone a bit more notice, but it just snuck up on me!

 Oh, well!

 In other news, I'm over 20k on my July writing, so that means I've reached my Camp NaNo goal. Should I reset my official goal to 30k, or just keep that as an unofficial goal?
 What say you all?


 Anyway, on the my guest post opening!

 "It seems a lot of ideas come from dreams, and I have a theory that dreams and spec-fic actually are located in the same place… as in, spec-fic is stories set entirely in the dream world, that is why they work, and why they appeal.
Because we are waking when we read them, our conscious minds demand the stories follow their own internal logic and rules (unlike dreams); but, so long as they’re consistent, writers can get away with anything… because we all know in dreams, anything goes.
I’m known for active and colorful dreams, and there was a stretch..."

 Go check the rest out on Vaguely Circular!

The Writing Process Blog Tour

 I was tagged in the Writing Process Blog Tour by Caroline Keeth, of Three Little Birds. She had been tagged by Kathryn Lang of Growing H.O.P.E. 

 I'd like to pass the baton on to:
 Sarah Scheele, of Stardust and Gravel
 Kelsey Bryant at Kelsey's Notebook
Deborah O'Carroll at The Road Of A Writer
 Joanna Holden at It's a Writer's Thing
& for my fifth pick I nominate whoever wants to jump in and grab a bit of the fun!
 These are all really good questions for any writer to ask themselves, because once you know these, a lot of other things can fall into place.


 1. What are you working on? (Well, this one is easy... )

 Right now I am working on  Snow Queen retelling... I had wanted to write a story/novella/novel called Winter Queen, but was a little stymied on exactly the angle to tell.  After the release of Frozen, (which I enjoyed very much, but had a lot of points to argue with it, too!) the missteps they had taken fueled my imagination. 
 The original Snow Queen tale was basically a metaphor for maturing, learning to see the bad in life as well as the good, and keeping the balance. (Also, that dedicated friends are worth hanging onto and make life better?)

 Frozen is about... um, sisterly love? (I think that's what they all say, though anyone with an opinion can get different messages out of it.)

 Winter Queen is about how the pitfalls of emotional instability, especially growing up, (when we are changing and becoming more powerful in every level and yet so insecure, so unsure of how to use that new power wisely) And how, if we allow ourselves to be swayed into a "victim mindset" it can cripple us and those around us in a myriad ways.
  The only way to overcome the natural, self serving, "poor me" mentality takes true maturity, the real acceptance of responsibilities for our actions and the consequences we are capable of causing. When we step out into the light of adulthood and say "I accept what I should have changed, and let go of what was not up to me." Then we have found the balance place where we can use the power that is in us, as adults, to promote balance and stability in those all around us, as well as within ourselves.



 2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?

 I like to blend a lot of real facts and very realistic situations into the imaginative earlms, I think it gives them a deeper meaning and gravitas, but also I hope that readers can learn actual true things from my stories. That's what stories do best, in my opinion, so I certainly want to be delivering as well as I can.
  So many readers have commented on the "real feel" of my settings and characters, and I prize that aspect of writing very highly.
 So I conscientiously aim for as good a tale as I can tell, with an almost pseudo-historical accuracy... to the point where someone might read my work and then years later be browsing through history and come upon an interesting incident or fact, and think "Oh, OH! Like that book I read!"

 Yep.

  A lot like that book you read.


3. Why do you write what you write?

 Well, this is a subject I've given considerable thgouth to, and I like to talk about story telling theory!
  I like fantasy, mostly because my mom read the Hobbit out loud to us kids when I was seven; but also because the LOTR books were such encouragement for me all through growing up... So I feel like spec-fic can tell tales that are Truer than any other kind, because we get to see how things really feel with all the unsee-able stuff that makes up most of life. The physical realm is really only a small slice of living... and it's the inside battles that can be the hardest to win.

 An angry giant can stand in for the internal problem of having a bad temper.... it must be defeated or else it will continue to wreck things!

 And those un-seeable thigns are the ones spec-fic, (fantasy or sci-fi) can really grapple with exploring to the full degree. So, when I write I feel like I'm trying to describe a mental/emotional/spiritual fact by translating it into the same place that our brains go to process a lot of things: the dream world. Where anything can happen, and even the cloudiest of ideas can be seen and felt in living color.

   So that's basically my writing theory on fantasy, and why I'm drawn to spec-fic in general. I have a lot of respect for history, and my dad as well as other family members are very drawn to studying up on all different aspects of it... so I'm pretty well exposed to a wide range there. I have a few historical fiction ideas that I feel are novel enough to be worth putting down on paper... (I really hate the thought of simply re-drawing an already overdone plot-line!) But the hist-fic doesn't have quite the prominent place in my heart as spec-fic does.


4. How does your writing process work?

Ah! That's the tough question.
 I generally get an idea, and it can be from anywhere: something mentioned in conversation, two random thought patterns colliding to form a new and kaleidoscopic train wreck of a situation, or often times an element from my dreams will hang on long after I'm awake yelling at me "Hey! This is super neat! Take a closer look."

 I generally let those all percolate for a long time, maybe a few months, sometimes several, several years. When I feel the plot has boiled long enough and built up a nice head of steam, I sit down, lift the lid off the pot and try to catch what bubbles out onto paper.

 It's taken quite a bit for me to get the hang of it, but by now I feel like I'm getting a handle on the process. I try to go frotn to back, but if a scene wants to come I just let it. We sort that out later... though I try to keep mental tally of where everythign is headign adn who is in waht condition at any given point in time.

 I used to be famous for my memory back during my schooling days, so I think this definitely serves me in good stead in this method of writing. It's only rarely that I get a little mixed up and miss something... and usually that's because that thread may have morphed in another scene that bubbled out, showing a little different side of that particular vein.

 I have my in-house editor, perfectionist sister comb through it, and she also helps me brainstorm as we go, so when she reads through she knows what is supposed to be there and will catch it if it's conspicuously missing.

 When we two have trashed the grain out of it, we throw away the straw and commit the gleaming grain to the keen eyes of betas, who give us further feedback.

 From then on out the process is just about like anyone else's I suppose... it morphs into the process of publishing, and is not the writing process anymore!

20k in May: YES!

Yes!
 I made my 20k in May goal! Finished it up after lunch... and then put in a few more k's just because the scene was rolling!
 Ooooh.... shiny conflict! ;-)

~  He stood, flipping his coat tails into place. "No, my love. The answer to that is no. It won't work... somewhere along the way she'll do something so spectacular that no one can hush it up, and then we'll have a fine mess on our hands." He stalked to the door and turned, his hand on the knob. "Not just for us, dear. But for all of Noren, as well."
He pulled open the door.
 "And now," he breathed deep. "I will go chop some ice." He sent a glare at his wife, and shut the door decidedly behind him.  ~  from Thaw: Winter Queen

  And coming up we will have some Q&As, some interviews, and quite a few more posts next month than there was in this.

  So, what are you looking forward to in June?

Killing Characters?

Came upon this interesting article from David Farland recently, Thou Shalt Not Kill.


 The subject is one that I definitely have strong feelings on and I've even had discussions with writers about this element. It is not to be used lightly, and I think I am almost starting to see it as a trap that eager beggining writers seem to be especially suseptible too. Is it the thrill of the kill, the initial rush of power that comes with discovering you hold these fictional lives in your hands?

 The power to make readers feel is truly amazing, and it should be respected and held gently, and not be abused for a quick rush of  reader wreching moment.

   Be brave! Be creative!
   Stand up for the innocents in your stories.


  What do you think?

Q& A: How much Plotting?

 Q: I have a sad tendency to get caught up in trying hard to get words written in the NOW, and I
forget to figure out the plot, so that I eventually end up lost in a mess of wilderness with no idea what to do next.
  Do you plot your stories or do you figure out as you go?

A:  I guess I kind of do both... I generally let an idea sit in my head for a little while before I even begin
on it, so I do tend to have a general idea of where it might be going. Then when I start to write, I have a long talk with my sis, (or else a long think with myself!) and get a few plot points decided on, so they act as sort of towns on a map. We may have several options of roads to get there on, and may end up discovering new trails along the way, but the town keeps us moving in the right direction.
 Does that make any sense?

 But I totally cannot outline every scene and every sentence and then go back through and "add descriptions" or whatever. It's got to be much more organic than that, and kind of be allowed to grow up out of the bed of my imagination in all it's viney, leafy gloriousness.

So, I do a bit of both!

   I really understand the feeling you're describing of getting lost in the woods, and having none of the trails line up with each other at all! I've spent my fair share of days in that literary morass and it really stinks to have so many beautiful scenes that are at total odds with each other, and there is no possible way to make them agree! That is a super frustrating experience, so I now go with the "loosely mapped" plot lines... and it really helps!

  (Which reminds me, I'm going to do a post on my "plotting arc" design.)

   So... did that explanation make any sense?

Day 19: April Camp NaNo

Whooo-hooo!
     What a rush this month has been so far! With plenty of real life hectic-ness going on, it's been almost a relief to have a word count goal to worry over, because that at least I can influence!
 I know, but it's true all the same.

  And, I've not had much trouble worrying over my word count lately. I'm ahead of schedule, even on the challenging 30k goal, and I'm super excited about where the story is going!

  First off, in an attempt to get into a friends cabin, I opted out of the un-talkative cabin I was in. But instead of getting into her cabin with her, I ended up in another cabin, pretty well populated with motivated writers and interesting chatting going on.
  This has made the Camp experience much more fun, and encouraged me anew to tackle the major plot points in my tale.

 Secondly, I met a friend of a friend also doing April Camp, and her word count was astonishingly high. I was flabbergasted, and then that little bug came up and said, "If you could catch up with her, you would be happy."

 This itched at me for several days as I tried to get my daily words in, and then I was stuck by brilliance! The story rolled out of my fingers like water out of a culvert in a spring rain, and I loved it!
 My sister also loved it...
 And soon I was within striking distance of that really high word count...

  And then, I had passed it!


 And of course that WriMo had written more, so I wasn't up to her.

Day 19, 4:48 Mtn time!

 But brilliance continued on, and I wrote over and above my daily goals. I got multiple thousands per day, and soon... yes!

  Today, I caught up with her word count! I am ecstatic! I am happy.
 And I am way ahead of schedule, so that means I am also Not Scared I won't make the total.

 And I can't wait to be so far ahead that I burst through my 30k goal line, and then I'll be like, "Good! So glad! Hm, lets' see if I can secretly do 40k before the month is out."

 There is every kind of way that will make this story get finished huge lots sooner, and I really want to send this on to betas! I think they may like it as muchly as my sister does... ('cause she can be hard to impress sometimes, and she likes this!)

So... that's how I'm doing. 

 Tell me, how are you doing?

Day 12: April NaNo Camp

Okay, so you may already know that I've been working on 20k per month goal since last Novemeber,

and I've been being successful so far. But since April is "Camp NaNo" month, it seemed like a good idea to join in on the fun there with my 20k goal and kill two birds with one stone.

 Since I'm trying to concentrate on one project, and I'd really love to have it done, done, done!

So I did.

  It was interesting.

 Last year I did July camp for the first time, so I am somewhat familiar with the way the Camp site works. (Haha, got you there, that's an accidental pun!)
   Anyway, the real NaNo site is more fun, with the Plot Doctoring forums my favorite part, but having the "cabin mates" chat to talk in can be fun, too. My cabin mates so far aren't very talkative, so that's kind of sad. (I may have to resort to a different cabin...)

 So, I got some great days of really productive sprints in early in the month, and was almost nearing the halfway point on my wordcount.
 "If I'm doing so well at this," I thought to myself, "Shouldn't I try to do more? The faster this project is done the happier several people in my life will be, and that includes me. So... why not up the word count to 30K? After all, a measly extra 10k on top of the pile shouldn't be too hard, right?"

 So, I did.

 And now I've hit some days where I'm not getting the scenes rolling like they used to, and I'm kind of losing momentum, and I'm thinking "What was I thinking?!!!"

 But, I think I can still do it... it just won't be easy sailing. I'm on track to accomplish it, as the site stats say:

"At This Rate You Will Finish On

April 30, 2014"

In order to write 30k in 30 days; I simply need to come up with one thousand (high quality, intensely expressive, and on-track-with-the-plot) words per day.
 At 12k on the 12th, (today) that means I'm theoretically doing okay. But I know that I did more than 1k per day early in the month, which means that my actual production has downshifted... and this spells a bad forecast for the upcoming weeks.


 To add to my problems, I have the ridiculous tendency to desperately want to finish early. To the degree that if I simply finish on time I will feel somewhat like a failure; only if I finish early will I have actually won.
 And the degree of actually enjoying the win will directly correspond to how many days early I finish.

   Is this crazy? (Are you afraid to answer that honestly?)

   Does anybody else feel like this? It's actually pretty miserable, 'cause it totally steals the joy out of most accomplishments. (At least timed ones.) And I don't like to think of myself as going through life all joy-less, etc. but I'm not sure how to alter this tendency, or ever from whence it springs.

  Anyway, let me know what you think and make me feel less lonely, will you please? :-)

   Thanks!
    Elizabeth