Saving Tessa: Now it's Science Fiction!

I have reworked Saving Tessa to be a science fiction YA adventure (though it was close to that already).

In the year 2045, smart tech is everywhere, much of it devised by the teenage prodigy Dylan Chroz. But being at the top of the technical world means being in demand. Sometimes, by people who should be looking out for you. Sometimes, by people who won't take no for an answer.

Tessa alone makes Dylan's life more than schematics and computers, a spot of vibrant color and irrepressible life in a dreary world of users and frauds. 

So what do you do when someone steals your girl to make you perform your technical wizardry on their sketchy hardware? Do you curl up and cry? Do what they want? Defy them? Or do you outsmart them and do your damnedest to smoke out every one of them so they never can do this again?

That is, if Tessa doesn't beat you to it.

Also, as with Curse of the Jenri, I'm going to make it available in book form. Proof is on it's way to me now and I'll announce it when it's available. Eventually, I'll do this with all my books, but I'm excited about this one because I have a character frighteningly like me there.

Thanks for the gorgeous cover by Ryn Katryn.

Amazon

Smashwords

One of the things I did with this story when I moved it to 2045 is work on a post-Trumpian recovery. I found it therapeutic.

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Curse of the Jenri is OUT!

Curse of the Jenri is now OUT, out in ebook and, for the first time, I'm going to be putting it out in print as well. I got the proof, my first ever, today! I'm so excited (so no print now but soon; I'll keep you posted). You can find it on amazon and smashwords and it should soon be available at Barnes and Nobles, Kobo and the iStore. Links for Amazon and Smashwords are available now

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Finally, a Sword & Sorcery epic like it ought to be: manly hero who swings a massive sword and stumbles into spells, lovely wife who can kick his ass, a fleet of fiery and fierce compatriots, dastardly villains with vile intents, even griffons, all that and a dragonet. Oh, and six kittens. Because every manly man needs kittens, right?

RIGHT?!?

Or, alternatively,

The world of the Jenri is a dangerous, primitive world, where women are prized as chattel, but the Jenri women, every one from the eldest archivist to the smallest babe, strike fear into battle-hardened mercenary hearts. It is a world where battle steeds are mythical beasts and magic is as deadly a weapon as a sword. Those who wield both are doubly dangerous and those who cross them are thrice damned. The Jenri are mistresses of all these things. If you love one of these marvelous women, you must best her in a contest of her choosing to win her love in return.

These were women who needed no one to take care of them. Until now.

It wasn’t enough that Jenri women had been stolen, including his wife, Layla It wasn't enough that those who had stolen them had nefarious plans. And phenomenal magic powers. And could escape in seconds. And an underground fortress in the midst of frozen mountains so cold Tander was afraid he’d shatter if he stumbled one more time. It wasn’t enough that he was surrounded by angry husbands worried about their wives and willing to take their tempers out on him if he was leading them in the wrong direction. It wasn’t enough that he was also surrounded by the remaining women from his tribe who were equally angry and more than capable of kicking his butt.

No, on top of all those little issues, he discovered he's no longer “just” an extraordinary swordsman, but also a great and powerful sorcerer with absolutely no idea how to use his powers. He was not just any sorcerer, either, but one chosen by six tiny kitten familiars who did know how to use his powers and who had no problem telling him. All the time. While they demanded to be carried all over his person, purring and taking inopportune naps. He didn’t want these powers or a flock of noisy but helpful kittens, but he was going to need them. He'd need all the skills and talents he and his companions possess in order to save their women—and Layla.

But we love you, Tander! Solace insisted, purring and licking his neck.

Things have got to get better soon.

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Amazing Changes on the Writing Frontier

Many of you have likely noted my large repertoire of self-published novels and anthologies. I had a good reason for doing it, namely, I couldn't seem to connect with a publisher who appreciated my writing like, let's face it, I do.

And there's no merit in a story that sits forever in a virtual drawer. So I put them out there, where, they were mostly ignored, but nowhere near as ignored as they were on my computer alone. And, I maintain, that was largely because my marketing skills are not impressive. But the books...

This past year, I've dallied in a field I haven't dallied in in decades, short stories. Prompted first by contests, then a great friend, Chuck Larlham, who enjoyed reading my work and kept finding new opportunities to check out and, ultimately, write a story for. So, after a year, I've got more than a dozen new stories, mostly fantasy science fiction and fantasy, but several that are also in different genres I haven't tried before or, at least, not in a long time.

As I've been rediscovering my writing talent, Chuck's also been key to my sending it out there. I got in JAMM magazine (as I noted previously), have a story accepted in an anthology meant for book club type parties, and another short story in charity anthology to support a charity that works with domestic abuse (Dove).

The publisher for the Dove anthology specializes in science fiction and fantasy and the name could not have been more perfect for me: The Dragon's Rocketship Publishing. They're relatively new and small, which is fine with me, and also accept short stories. So, a story that didn't make any waves in a contest (I seem to do more poorly in those than straight marketing) seemed like something to try because I *liked* it. So did they. They in fact gushed in the way I've been dreaming of a publisher gushing since time immemorial and wanted to know if I could make it into a novel. Well, no, I hadn't intended to make it into a novel, but, oddly enough, I'd written two side short stories that were related to a novel I'd already written (Curse of the Jenri) and was weeks away from self-publishing.

Not the final cover, just my own concept

Well, they liked those stories and then the novel. So, here we are, a few weeks later and I have signed contracts on seven short stories (plus the anthology story) and a novel.

Am I happy?

I, who am never at a loss for words, can't even find a word to describe how fantastic I feel to find people who *get* what I'm writing ans saying.

If you're on facebook, feel free to go by their facebook page and give 'em some love.

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Stepping out from the manga for just a sec

Thing is, I don't just write blogs (in fact, one could make an argument I don't even write those given how I've let my blogs go fallow) or fan fiction or reviews of various manga.

I have and have always written fiction and I'm pleased to make note that one of my short stories was recently published in SQ's anthology Star Quake 1, available as both a paperback book and an ebook format. I don't know everywhere it's available, but I know it's available at both Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.

It's not a big thing, as real writing goes, but it's big for me.

More news, I'm gearing up to take my rather large backlog of novels and short stories and self-publish in ebook form (some of many different flavors of electronic book at once). Not because I don't believe in it, but because I do. I don't want to get rich. I want to tell stories.

One way or another, that's just what I'm going to do.

Stay tuned.

(Oh, and I'm still reading manga, one reason I've been so lax with work on the blog). I'll share more of what I've found charming later. No, really!

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Twofer: Writing, Jeff and Cardiogirl

Since two of you wanted to know about writing, I'll make another Two-fers. I've done a lot of tarot reading today (Halloween and my anniversary); bear with me.

Jeff King asked: Can you give me a reading about the prospect of my book or my writing success? Thx

Past - Knight of Wands (reversed) - since this question is focused on writing, I'm going to say this card is saying that, up until recently, the writing you've done and thought about, Jeff, has been more talking than action, more dream than reality.

Present -XVII The Star - this card is all about what your writing is bringing you: optimism, satisfaction, fulfillment, enlightenment. More than telling stories, you are finding more about yourself and what you want your world to be. It has expanded your horizons and added real magic to your life.

Future -Queen of Cups (reversed) - This card, in the reversed position, speaks of self-pity and self-indulgence, melodrama. Not sure how it answers the question so I'll ask for some clarification.

Cups IV- This is not a propitious card with regards to publishing success - depression, disppointment, lethargy. However, along with those characteristics are balance, pleasure and honesty. I can't say the cards seem to be hopeful with regards to short term publishing success; however, clearly the pleasure and insight you're gaining by writing, by telling the stories, is not lost. What you learn by doing so makes you a better person and, thereby, a better writer. In time, the one may change the prospect of the other. Good luck!

Cardiogirl said: I'm participating in NaNoWriMo in a mere three/four days depending upon your timezone. I'm super geeked and I think I have a winner with this idea. I plan on writing it and editing it crazily so I can find a publisher. And I'm talkin' a real publisher like Harper Collins not Lulu. There's nothing wrong with Lulu per se, but I want a traditional publishing deal. The question: how will I fare with this goal. And the cards are intent on crushing my spirit, so be it. I am very confident and I will not take no for answer. Well, I will take no from the tarot cards but not from the publishers. I'll query 1,000 publishers if I have to.

Again, the subject is writing so I'll bear that in mind when I interpret this.

Past - XI Strength (reversed) - Lack of faith, mixed messages, blank mind. From this, I'd get that past endeavors into writing have either led to dead ends or have not lived up to what you'd first imagined. Or, when it did come through, you didn't have enough faith in what you built to see it through.

Present - Wands X (reversed) - there's an interpretation of this that suggests seeking happy work, working before a harvest, enjoying what you do and a potential that needs to be tapped. That could very well mean that you have an idea well worth plumbing and happy work to make it so - but it looks like a great deal of work.

Future - King of Cups - Once again, not sure how this card relates to the question. It seems to describe a person: manipulative, charming, friendly, sensitive., generous A very multi-faceted creature. Perhaps a character? I need some clarification.

XII The Hanged Man (reversed) - There are two interpretations that come to mind for me on this card in the reversed position. One is a failure to give of oneself, a preoccupation, a failure to make a sacrifice. In that case, it would not seem propitious. However, the card can also mean that sacrifice pays off, humiliation falls by the wayside and a test is passed.

The bottom line for both of you is that you are doing something that makes you happy, that fulfills you. Your perseverance (and there's nothing more important for an aspiring author) and your hard work will be the key to your successes. Good luck to both of you.

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For Shakespeare: Why Is Publishing So Hard?

Shakespeare asked: Why is publishing one's writing so difficult (i.e. impossible), and what is the best way to improve the publishing industry?

Again, this is not an area where I'm an expert. I know a couple and they might wander in to put in their two cents, but, since you asked me, I'll give you mine.

There are several problems that make it hard for people to get their writing published and, the first problem, and, in my opinion, the worst problem is that most of the people who want to get something published have no business getting published. That probably sounds harsh, but it's a huge factor in how hard it is for quality first-time literature to be published and, ignoring that, doesn't do us any good. The bottom line, many more people think they have something that's worth publishing than actually do.

It is very hard to be objective about one's own work and many people can't do so effectively. Some think personal recollections will appeal to the masses (unlikely, but find out with a blog, why don't you), think they've got a "brand new" idea (which if they'd done their research, they'd see had been done to best or done definitively), think a spellchecker is all the editing necessary (Heaven help us!) or have no real understanding of how their work really comes across. What they write is so personal, so compelling to themselves that they are completely blind to all the things that are wrong with it. Some join writer's groups and that's certainly an advantage over working in a cave for objective opinions, but even they can become so focused on filling out the checklist (No "saidisms"-check) that they're still clueless about what makes a story compelling and successful or what makes a nonfiction book readable or accessible to the general public.

The truth is that a substantial proportion of the work offered to publishers and fielded to agents is pure dreck. It's not called a slush pile for nothing. Sometimes, there may be moments of brilliance, but their buried in so much clumsy dialog and painful description, that an editor, swamped with a pile of incredible proportions of stuff that is likely mostly garbage, is unlikely to sift through the nonsense to see if there's anything worth saving.

The problem for would-be authors who have reviewed and crafted their work, who have painfully excised favorite passages because they just didn't fit, who something original or thoughtful to say is that, unless they are incredibly lucky, they're in the pile with the dreck and, with expectations painfully low, it's hard for it to shine from the muck. The editor expects it to be garbage and it better impress early on or he'll never see it. Add to that the notion that even a fantastic writer can be a terrible marketer, and editors will often see little gems that might be snapped up if they had been sent to an editor that favors that sort of thing.

But it's more than having good writing - it has to be marketable. The editor is in business to sell books. The golden opus of perfection isn't going to make him a red cent if no one wants to read it. They aren't out to do beginning writers a favor; they are out to sell books and they don't want any manuscript, no matter how well it has been crafted, unless they think it will appeal to a market sufficiently to recoup losses. Lack of reknown for a new author makes this a bad bet under the best of circumstances.

And part of the problem also lies with the reading public. While books can appeal to a number of people for a number of different reasons, the truth is there is always a market for certain types of dreck under certain "genres" - romance is particularly prone. Additionally, people often gravitate to something that titillates rather than something with substance (i.e. Paris Hilton's tell-all biography vs. the magnificently written memoirs of a nameless Concentration camp prisoner.) And, of course, people can be fickle. Two books with similar stories or concepts and quality writing, but one will tickle the public's fancy and the other will languish. Some readers can fall in love with characters in a novel and ignore plot holes. Another segment of the reading populace will relish the detailed plotting and shrug at the cardboard characters. Perfection is rare, but finding the right combination is a real art. Predicting what will work and what won't probably gives many a publisher gray hair. But it's more than the quality of the writing.

What can be done to improve this situation? I'm not sure.

Can't change the public - I know people have tried, but we can spread the word on quality work we've encountered. We can try not to be part of the problem.

Can't change the editors here - if they are looking at unpublished authors, they're going to be slogging through the slush and their expectations aren't high.

But we can make sure our work is as good as we can make it. We can read it out loud to ourselves and be ruthless with things that stutter. We can have trusted friends or, even better, people we don't know in the target reading audience look it over critically and tell us what works and what doesn't. We can accept that sending garbage in desperation over and over won't buy us anything and just makes it that much harder for good stuff to get seen. We can resolve to be part of the good stuff. We can do our research to send it to the best possible editors for our work. We can look for agents that know the market better than we do. We can be patient. In fact, we have to be.

It isn't easy. I've never done it myself. But I believe I can do it. I hope I'm part of the good stuff, that I've done my homework, that I've written something that appeals. I'll do my best to learn and improve until it is if it's not.

One thing I'd LOVE to be adopted by the publishing business: A checklist rejection letter that would, by checking boxes, help a would-be author figure out what killed that particular offer.

A list that included grammar/syntax/spelling errors, or dull language, or clumsy wording or has potential but needs polishing, etc. All of these things can really make an author look at the aspects he or she hadn't realized were lacking. Or perhaps move on to something he or she is better suited to do. Or just self-publish.

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For Davida: Writing a Novel

Davida asked: How long did it take you to write each of your books? What was your inspiration? Did you follow a particular format (like writing an outline or making sure each chapter was perfect before moving on to the next or some other method)? How many queries (I think that's right) did you send out and what happened? What would you do differently, as far as getting one published, the next time?

This is a nontrivial question and it deserves a nontrivial answer. But first, some caveats. First, although I've published three short stories and some technical papers, I am not a published novelist. I can point you to some directions for publishing advice, but I wouldn't put much stock in mine because, hey, it hasn't worked yet. I also am not qualified to answer that last question, but maybe someone who is published can chime in.

Secondly, I truly believe there is not one right answer, one right method, one perfect tool for writing a novel. Some people live and die by the outline. Others do it in fits and spurts. Others sit down and write a minimum number of pages whether they feel like it or not. Some write through and then revise. Others constantly revise and tweak as they write it. I'll be happy to tell you what I do, but don't throw out a method that's working for you because I do something differently. In fact, you might have to try a dozen or so different things before you find out what works and what doesn't.

However, there are some rules I think apply to darn near every writer (this is to write good stuff, not necessarily to get published - though it sure would be nice if those two synced up, eh?)

1. Write stuff you like to read. Many say write what you know - that's fine if it's what you like to read, but not if it's not. You will never be happy as a writer unless at least you like your own stuff.
2. Read stuff of the type you want to write. Mix it up, try a few more authors. Find what works for you (and no adopting a style that makes you uncomfortable just because a popular writer adopts it - you have to like it).
3. Read your stuff out loud (preferably with an audience that is willing to tell you if something sounds wrong). Not only can you catch more typos and grammatical errors this way than you ever though possible, you can find sentences and dialog that sounds awkward. And, if it sounds bad, it can almost undoubtedly be written better. I do this multiple times. Always.
4. Get someone to read it when you have a working draft and after each revision. Get someone willing to tell you what they really think. If they do nothing but gush (or just say, "not my style"), you need a different reader. No first draft is perfect.
5. When your reader has taken the time to read your novel, give them the courtesy of taking each suggestion and comment seriously. That doesn't mean you have to agree with it or change it, but think about it. Perhaps they are the only person on earth who would see it that way, but they might not be. If you can address their suggestion without changing your book essentially (or compromising your vision or your voice), consider doing so. Come up with a compelling reason for every comment you decide not to implement and if, at the end of the day, you've implemented none of them, either your reader was just not right or you need to reconsider (and I'd check you first). :)
6. When you think you've finished a draft or a revision, while others are reading it or not, let it lie for at least two weeks, preferably a month or two. If you jump right back into it when you've just finished it, it will either be perfect to you or it will be crap. You need a little distance to look at it objectively. NEVER send off a novel or a book the day after you finished a major rework. Wait, read it again and clean up small stuff, but, if you find you need major rework, you'll need another cooling off period.
   

Those are all recommendations I'd given any writer and that I follow myself.

Now, to actually answer your questions.

I have completed three novels, all while working full time. Cumulatively, they have taken me 20 years. However, the first one is in serious need of a major rework. One is only on the second draft and one has gone through several major revisions and is, I think, "done". The "done" one, with all the reworking, took me twelve years. The first one, I worked on for about six years, off and on. This last one, complete with its first draft, less than two years. During the first two books, I took off multiple years several times. Life happens.

Note also that I work on eight or so novels at one time. While I have three completed drafts, I have 5-15 chapters completed in at least five other novels. I grow stale on one, I'm quite likely to switch to something new (or, heaven help me, a new novel).

Note however, that the first novel, in serious need of a rewrite, taught me a great deal about character development and dialog. The second helped me with plot and world-building. And, with each one, the first draft improved immeasurably from the first draft of the book before. I'm actually quite pleased with my newest novel despite it being in first draft form. That one, by the way, I wrote the first half (~50,000) in one week. I was inspired. I wrote like five more chapters than Vista ATE the whole thing (OFF the hard drive; I'd backed it up) and I had to reconstruct it. It was so disheartening, I didn't touch it for a year (oh, and I had a baby and revised the other "done" novel and started another one and got 12 chapters in).

I write in spurts and don't write every day; for me, writing stale makes my work so bad I get disgusted and put it away, sometimes indefinitely. I don't use an outline, but think up characters in detail, then put them in situations that interest me than generally stand back. I sometimes make character cheatsheets, but usually to make sure I don't mess things up and change eye color or something. I often have ensemble casts so it's easier than you think to get mixed up. You will not be surprised to note that plot is still not my strong suit.

I tend to write along gangbusters until some plot twist comes along I didn't see (or I find a useful change) and then I'll stop moving forward and rework what I've already done to make it work. Many prefer many revisions, but only doing it as a whole. I really do both. I'm too anal to leave something I know is broken behind.

As for queries, there are many websites devoted to that kind of thing and it depends on whether you want to troll for an agent first or try your hand at publishers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but I think most publishers would tell you that, if you can get an agent, do so. Kinda like having a lawyer when going to court.

I hope that helped you. Remember, there are dozens of different ways and speeds to write. There are very successful authors that generate half a dozen books a year or more. Others take years for each. Pick your own speed.

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