The Writing Goes On...

That title is kind of how things turn out in this business. No matter how many manuscripts you finish, there's always something else to do. In past years I'd take a bit of a break between the prep week for Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, but I'm busy enough now that I really can't afford to do that. I'm working on more writing projects now than I've done in the past several years.

I had intended on writing an update last weekend, but over the past couple weeks I've gotten back two book galley proofs that had to be gone over. If you don't know what a galley is, that's the final stage before a book gets published, where it's laid out as it will appear in print. My job as author is to read through it and either make or authorize corrections that have been made by an editor. This is a courtesy to authors so that something doesn't get changed that shouldn't be altered, or so we can pick up on any mistakes (yes even editors make mistakes). 

The first galley I got back about mid-month was a pleasant surprise—one of the outstanding Companion Dragons Tales books from Pro Se, LAZLO AT HOME. I'll have more about what's in there on the CDT's blog, but it's basically a collection of adventure short stories featuring everyone's favorite little blue dragon adjusting to life with his witch companion in the magickal place where they live. My job was simply to read through the galley and make notes of what I might want changed. That got turned back in fairly quickly, these are half-size books (novellas at around 30,000 words) to keep them affordable and an accessible read for kids, though plenty of adults seem to enjoy them as well. They are a labor of love too.

This past weekend, I received an editing draft of my western for Wolfpack Publishing. I was asked to do a couple of things besides proofread the editing notes. There were far too many instances of the word 'so' in the manuscript that needed to be dealt with. Also the ending I had was rushed and not satisfactory because it didn't really resolve the main issue of the plot. Oops! This is what happens when you're hurrying to meet a deadline as well as concerned about word count. I was trying to make a good impression on a new publisher and do things in a timely manner, and I shot myself in the foot instead. So this one was on me. There were some positive comments as well, it wasn't all dismal. So I set aside all the other stuff I was working on and got right down to business on that galley, which took several days to go through. Most of the editing changes were fine, I only found one I disagreed with and that was a very minor issue. I got rid of a ton of instances of the word 'so' and had a good laugh at myself for how often that appeared in there. Again, minor rewriting was involved. Then... I had to write a new ending, one that sewed up (no pun intended) the plot holes I'd left. That took a few days. Fortunately I was able to add most of it to the original ending, by shuffling a few things around. It added some serious word count, but I was told to just get the story completed. I'm satisfied that I did, and hope the publisher feels the same way.

That is a part of writing too, where things aren't always as cut & dried as you think they are and you need to set aside your ego and dig back in. I hold no grudge against someone asking for a rewrite. I've done my share of editing over the years as well, rework comes with the business. Being published is a privilege that not every writer gets. Getting a book from concept to finished form is a major task for all involved, so we have to work as a team. I know how to write, but the folks on the publishing end know their market and how they as publishers need to present their offerings to potential readers. I try and handle myself as professionally as possible no matter who I am working with. This is a career for me, not just some hobby I indulge myself in. I'm doing all I can to satisfy those who read my stuff and those who put out the books and stories that I write. But I will say, I sure was glad to get that one back to them so I could continue with other writing projects I have going.

Since the last time I posted here, I have turned in both the Monster Earth short story as well as the 7th Jezebel Johnston novel, subtitled MASTIFF. Those were two important projects I was pushing out over the last few weeks. Monster Earth had a firm deadline, but I also wanted to get that pirate novel in before November for a change. There's a lot of research with the latter because it's historical fiction, and so the average JJ adventure takes about 9 months to write. Monster Earth stories are being collected before being read because there could be continuity issues that must be dealt with. This book concept involves an ongoing scenario over a short period of time and stories are being written by multiple authors. Contradictions can happen, so there could be some rewriting ahead. Plus people write at different paces. So no feedback yet. I have heard from Airship 27 head honcho Ron Fortier that he is enjoying my latest pirate yarn, so I think we're good there. Now I have turned my attention back to other writing projects that have been waiting in the wings.

I went over the second Chandra Smoake paranormal investigator tale. Other than some minor tweaks, as far as I am concerned, that's complete and ready to go out once Occult Detective Magazine is looking for more submissions. It's saved and in a file, waiting. Right now I am toggling back and forth between that Vagabond Bards novel I started last year after my mother passed, and the 3rd Sinbad adventure I am writing for AS 27, which I began a year ago in mid-September. Yeah, things do get shuffled aside when they don't have a real deadline. But recently I've been making good progress on both. I'd like to have them finished by the end of this year if possible. I'm not sure what I'm doing with the Vagabond Bards novel because Pro Se still hasn't released the last one I wrote, and this one is rather large for their usual fare and still growing. I'll worry about that when I get it finished, I'm working on the big climatic scenario now. Sinbad will at least be a novella and it's possible it could become a novel. I'll see how that pans out as I go along. Providing nothing else pressing comes up, I should be able to knock these two out. I tend to toggle 2-3 days on one before switching to the other. That keeps me fresh, and I don't forget the storyline arc in that short a time.

You know, the turn of the year is not that far off. I'm already thinking about the next pirate novel, a third Silver Pentacle book, and whatever else I might get invited into. Some of my older series in the Terran World fantasy realm have been begging for sequels as well. No, I don't get tired of thinking about stories I want to write, I get frustrated that I can't get them written any quicker than I have. I'm far from the world's fastest writer and there are those who can turn out far more work in a year than I do. But I try and write good stories that I'd love to read, and so far I haven't lost my joy in the craft. Between my ongoing battle with mobility issues and this viral pandemic which is just not going away anytime soon, some days can be hard to handle. Yesterday we had our first snow of the season, reminding me that the days of slippery walking and biting cold are just around the corner. All that stuff can get to you. Writing gives me a reason to get up in the morning and something creative to look forward to that I can accomplish sitting down, without leaving home. Through my daily online contacts with peers in the business and the occasional fan, I don't feel like I'm sequestered in some remote location with no one to talk to. And my poor family doesn't have to listen to me natter on about things that frankly, they just don't understand. This is more than an art or a business, it's a lifestyle for us who dream of strange things and make them appear in words on a page. I love being able to share my passion for the written word with others, because reading was my escape for most of my childhood, which was often a very lonely time. Back then I read books that took me out of my world to times and places I'd never dreamed of. I'm still very much a reader today. But now I can create those tales so others can read them too. What a magical thing that is!

The magical quality of books to transport you elsewhere is good way to end this on Halloween. May that magic always be there to take you to places you never dreamed of...

 

~NANCY

Some Updates...

I'm making a better effort now to keep up with this blog. Sunday has now become my blogging day. For now I am bouncing back and forth between this, my writing blog, and the hobby and craft blog I started years ago. Both are being updated regularly by me, and the hobby blog also by fellow writer and all around good guy, Lee Houston Jr. Oh and Lee has a couple blogs of his own as well, this one on current events and he also has a writing blog.

So, what is going on for me in writing this week? So glad you asked!

First of all, I found the above interior illustration in an email from Airship 27's head honcho Ron Fortier a couple days ago. This is one of possibly nine intended for the first Silver Pentacle book, drawn by the talented Mr. Guy Davis. It features (from left to right) characters Aleta Kalama, Jordyn Orion, and Zephirine Merriwether. Now I have been wanting to collect these loooong short stories into novel format for a while, and was going to self-publish it when Ron asked me to see what I had. He took a good look, and begged to have it. There are two books with two tales each in his hands at present, but I plan on putting together a third one this coming year.

The Silver Pentacle series is kind of hard to shoehorn into any single genre category. While it is technically a fantasy, it has elements of superhero fiction and steampunk in a post apocalyptic setting where The Rapture has come and gone. Staggered rifts in time and space have allowed bits and pieces of the distant past or other dimensions to sift through. Earth itself is radiation contaminated and mostly in ruins, a mechanoid war continues in certain areas, and the survivors that are left behind are eking out a living as best they can. There are still well-off plotters using what's left of science and technology to try to build empires for themselves, and those people are willing to risk precious lives to wipe out the opposition. The older deities of the pre-Christian world are back now too, trying to gather converts as are various demons; and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are building their armies to scour away what is left of humanity. In the midst of this a celestial wanderer from a family of benevolent demigods who have always taken a liking to humankind decides to come have a look around, and see if whoever is left is worth saving. When he finds the first of the four elemental superheroes, Jordyn Orion knows he is needed here. If this exceptionally gifted and powerful quartet fall into the wrong hands, they can be used as weapons, and humanity will be destroyed forever.

Honestly, that just scratches the surface of what's going on in this series. It's the most ambitious writing I've ever done, and even I'm not certain exactly where it's headed. But it sure has been a challenge, as well as a lot of fun. The first two books have two stories each, and introuduce Jordyn Orion as well as 3 of the 4 elemental heroes: Aleta Kalama who manipulates fire, Zephirine Merriwether who controls all things air and wind, and Roan Finnman, the half-selkie water elemental. They all have their share of adventures, alone and as a team. I have a bare start on the third book, which now needs a bridging section before I can bring in the 4th elemental superbeing, Silas Nakai, who can emulate all living things past or present that are found on Earth. Each one of the team needs to learn to come to terms with their respective pasts as well as harness their current abilities for the vital purpose they can serve in saving their world and those who are left in it. The pentacle issue comes in because as they learn to use their enhanced skills for the greater good, each of our heroes is 'adopted' by a minor deity and given a silver amulet with a pentacle center holding a symbol of their respective talent. And that's enough spoilers for now. There is so much else involved in this series, it's hard to believe all that stuff came out of my head. You folks keep reading them, and I'll keep writing them, and that will keep everyone involved busy and out of trouble. 😉👍

Now as far as what else I have going on...

I have not gotten back to the pirate novel yet, because I have been concentrating on Monster Earth, which has a hard deadline. A couple days ago, I finished that story in rough draft. It's quite a bit too long, and will need a serious second pass to rein it in, but it is essentially done. I plan on starting to go over that tomorrow. Should only take a couple days to excise what isn't needed and smooth the rest out. When I'm satisfied that I have it in the best shape I'm going to be able to make it, I'll send it in to the folks at Mechanoid Press. I figure by the end of next week tops. Then it's back to JJ #7, which needs its second pass as well as a title. Right now I believe Airship 27 should have that by the end of the month. It takes longer to proof a novel than a short piece, but I will give them both the utmost care.

Gee what am I working on after that?

I've got a lot of projects that need attention. I mentioned quite a few of them in the last post. There is the Vagabond Bard novel I need to finish, which doesn't exactly have a home right now. I have a Sinbad started for Airship 27, and another, somewhat long Chandra Smoake paranormal investigator tale that can go to Occult Detective Magazine at some point. And of course as the year ends, i need to get cracking on the 8th Jezebel Johnston pirate novel as well as that third Silver Pentacle. And the big end of year holidays are ahead, which also includes granddaughter Terralyn's 6th birthday. How time flies.

I have to say, 2020 has not been a particularly easy year for the world, but I've kept busy and it has still flown by. Remember that I am an empty-nester in an all older adult household, so my time is my own. Writing is what I do, and that's very much a solitary profession. I'm used to being a hermit of sorts, spending lots of time alone with my thoughts. So much of my year was business as usual. My ongoing struggle with arthritis has made trips out by necessity only, though I do see my family regularly. I'll tell you, I am thankful to have something like writing to concentrate on, because virus or no, my level of disability is not going away. I might in time qualify for some joint replacement or other surgeries, but for now I have to live with the discomfort. Having something else positive to focus on besides that keeps me going most days. As long as there is a reader out there waiting for a book of mine, I'll keep writing them.

I think that's true for most of us authors down here in the shallower end of the publishing fishpond. You folks let the publishers know what you want to see and by whom, and they'll make sure to get our stuff out when they have it. Honestly, even a 2 word review (F'ex: Enjoyed It!) is a big morale booster on those days when nothing seems to go right and you wonder why you even bother. I'm far from the only writer, or illustrator for that matter, who feels that way. Give us some love, give us some feedback, let us know you see our stuff and what you thought of it. We can't come knocking on your door to solicit comments, but our doors are always open to fans. The days when something good is said make the all tough ones getting to where a project is finished, so worthwhile. Don't just do it for me, do it for all of us who labor away trying to bring you interesting fiction that isn't cookie-cutter copies of whatever the mainstream thinks is in vogue. We offer the alternative—the books you can't find anymore. Tales that you can curl up with and let the world go away for a while. Heroes and villains who make sense. Action and adventures that will take you places you never dreamed of. Pure entertainment. Isn't that what reading should be about?

It sure is to me.

Writing On,

~NANCY

Writing News From My Desk...

Wow, doesn't that sound all official? Seriously though, my desk is where the writing gets done. In this case that desk is simply a used drafting board that was left behind in my previous home, screwed to an old iron Singer treadle sewing machine base that belonged to my dad's mother and was in our household as long as I can recall. The treadle and the top of the sewing machine cabinet are both gone, so no drawers or cubbies for storage. The scarred up flat surface of the drafting board is just big enough to hold my PC tower on the left, a 24 inch monitor in the back with two speakers tucked behind it, a light up mouse, mousepad, and wrist rests to the right, and my light up keyboard dead center in front. All that lighted stuff means I can type at night without the overhead room fixture on (too much glare on the monitor) or a desk lamp (no room). Now between that keyboard and monitor there's an assortment of scratch paper on a tiny clipboard for scribbling my daily totals, and tucked here and there are holders for pens, letter openers, scissors, and other odds and ends. I keep a small flashlight and my reading glasses handy too. The ammo can with the dark chocolate along with stuff like tissues, my insulated glass of icewater, and flash drives for saving work are all within reach nearby. My chest of drawers holds a small all-in-one printer. I've got several removable stick-on hooks on my PC tower to hold things like my headset, a bamboo back scratcher, and my phone charging cable. Yeah it's often a messy desk, and this little home office spot is actually in my bedroom, which is small and cramped. I don't mind the shared space; this is my preferred spot for writing and researching because it's private, and when I sit down here to work, the world goes away while I get something accomplished.

So there's nothing special about my writing environment other than I keep  what's handy nearby and persist in plugging away. The ability to get things done depends on a workmanlike attitude and perseverance. I've written in a lot of different situations over the years, but the important thing is not the aesthetics, but what actually gets done. Although I will vote for a comfortable office chair, because you're going to be sitting a lot.

But this post isn't as much about where I write as what I've been working on lately. And there's been plenty going on...

Finishing the western novel and having turned that in back in mid-July gave me some breathing room. I really did sweat bullets (haha, western pun) over getting that book done by the due date of August 1st, and managed to beat that by a couple of weeks. Big sigh of relief there. It's not easy writing outside your comfort zone in a genre you're fairly new to. You'd think that after having 19 books in print and at least 15 short stories (with more to come in each category) I'd be past those heebie-jeebies. Uh, nope! Every project is a new adventure, and when I get invited in to play in someone else's sandbox, I want to make a good impression. So I was incredibly relieved that the story I wrote went over so well. Stay humble in this business, you'll last longer.

After the western was done I went back to working on other projects I had started earlier. I have a Vagabond Bards novel I've been picking away at since a year ago in April that is still not finished, and the 7th Jezebel Johnston pirate novel that I'd started back in January. Since I have broken into a UK periodical (Occult Detective Magazine #7 ) market with a paranomal investigator tale that was well received and it was suggested another Chandra Smoake tale might be welcome, I was also picking away at that. And I wanted to do another Sinbad story for Airship 27. So all those were on the table when Mechanoid Press put out the call for writers for the 3rd and final Monster Earth anthology.

Oh, I wanted to do one of those again! Who doesn't like envisioning a world where big stomping kaiju-type monsters are the basis of the cold war instead of nukes? I loved those Japanese monster movies as a kid. The series creators from Mechanoid Press have a definite outline for 6 stories. One of my monsters from the first book was included in there, so I threw my hat in the ring, wrote a proposal for that particular tale, and got myself involved. They're looking for about 10,000 words, which is for me a piece of cake. Because the deadline is the 31st of October, I had to drop everything but the pirate novel to get that story told. There was research involved for boning up on the unique locale, but I'm about at the 8,000 word point so in a good place. Might have to trim my beginning some, but no big deal there. I'm knee deep in monster battles at the moment.

Ah, but this past week saw me finish the rough draft of the 7th Jezebel Johnston pirate novel. Again, that is a wonderful feeling, to have put nearly 10 months into a book and have it at least complete in some form. It doesn't have a title yet, nor does it end where I expected it to, but the ending is logical and leaves a bit of a cliffhanger to begin #8 with. Sometimes you just can't get to everything you expected to cover into one book. The important thing here is to have a story that is well told, and to have satisfied the greater part of what you started out to have the main character(s) accomplish. I did all that. And this one will be getting a second pass, straight through reading and editing, before I decide it's good enough to turn in. If you write long enough, you learn to be flexible with what you want to convey. It's easier with series work, where you can pick up the thread of an event that didn't get resolved in the next book. I'm far from done with adventures for my buccaneer maid and her surviving companions. Plenty more books filled with adventure, romance, and mayhem ahead.

You know, there is no feeling like finishing a long-term creative project. I never get tired of that. It seems like a minor miracle each time I write THE END after the last paragraph. I was all alone the other day when I decided the pirate book was done, but I raised fists in the air and had another one of those 'Rocky Balboa at the top of the stairs' self-satisfied moments. Not so much because this particular book was so hard to write—hell, they're all hard to write. If writing was easy, anybody could be a published author. But because this year has been a tough one, both outside my little isolated part of the world as well as in a more personal way for me, it felt like a great triumph. Any time you work on something long-term with so much else going on in the background, and yet you still manage to finish it, that's a accomplishment to feel proud about. There's nobody here forcing me to write at gunpoint; I do it because I love the craft, and because I still have stories to tell.

I know a lot of folks are still reeling from the dire statistics and daily news reports about the pandemic, the natural disasters, and episodes of blatant racism and civil unrest that have erupted around us. You better believe that all troubles me too, both as an individual and a citizen. I have kids and grandkids that I dearly love and want a better world for. But for the most part, those are things which are out of my control on a national or worldwide basis. So I do what I can from my place in society, and I watch, read, and listen in order to learn more. I try to react in what I hope is a sensible and helpful or supportive manner on a more local level, and you can be assured that I will vote with those issues firmly in mind.

On a more personal basis this year, I've struggled harder with ongoing chronic pain from arthritis. It's reached the point where my sleep is often interrupted. Some days I need help getting on my feet or navigating safely through my own home or outdoors to the car (no, I'm not driving). I have family assistance with cooking or housework that I can no longer do. I walk with a cane all the time now, and by walking I mean a slow hobbling pace. Having to shower or do any kind of personal care or chores that involve standing or working in potentially slippery conditions has become treacherous and nerve-wracking for me. We are trying to set things up to make it easier, but this is an old house, and remodeling is expensive when every time you touch something there is just so much else that has to be tackled along with it. I'm not ready for a wheelchair at this point because I want to keep using those leg muscles, and the house isn't really set up for that anyway. I really don't want to switch to a walker at 63. I'm daily taking all the pain medication I can have without danger of overdose or addiction, and as far as any medical intervention we have gone as far as our current insurance will pay for without putting us deeply in debt. Some of the things I'm facing just have to be lived with for now. I have invested in items that help me dress, use the facilities, and reach for things—anything that will help me keep my independence and manage what I can no longer do on my own. Fortunately I can nap if I need to, or sleep in on mornings when the night didn't afford me enough rest. It's not pleasant, but I'm managing and stubbornly going on with my life.

Yet the writing has gone on regardless, because I really need that one big part of my day to look forward to. This is something positive I can accomplish even sitting in a chair. It gets my mind off the other stuff, and takes me somewhere outside the troubled world we live in. Not only do I turn out my share of fiction, but since June of 2013 I've been writing a monthly column for my town's newsletter. It's popular enough that I've been told they've increased circulation and been able to draw more ads to help pay for publication. It's my little volunteer project for the community, and I try to be as entertaining and upbeat as I can manage while touching on some of the topics that have us all concerned. I guess you could call it a busman's holiday, but I really don't mind doing it. Writing is second nature to me, and it's good to get up every morning knowing there's at least one thing I can accomplish for the day that won't have me struggling to force my now aching body to do. Whether it's 100 words or 1,000, I know I gave it my best. You'd be surprised how much that adds up over time.

It sounds like I write all day long, but I actually average 4-6 hours in the afternoon. Most of my evenings are free for TV, crafts, or just chatting with family and other folks. I regularly take one afternoon a week off to see my kids and grandkids. I do belong to a small, private online writer's group where we meet virtually once a week and read a section of something we've been working on. We also talk writing, sharing tips and potential business contacts as well as our triumphs and speedbumps. I'm very grateful to have been asked to join the group, and due to our much loved leader's health issues I've been hosting it for a while. But we all look forward to it every week. Nobody understands a writer like another writer, and we've all become better at our craft for the camaraderie and helpful and polite critiques. Those are sessions I treasure, and those folks are my clan.

So that's what's been going on at my desk lately. A shuffle of projects and always something to do. I hope you're also doing things that make you feel good about yourself. Life can throw a lot of wild curve balls all at once, so that you feel more like ducking and running for cover than standing there swinging away. Having something to do or somewhere to go that makes you forget the nastiness and smile for a while sure does improve the mood when things get frustrating. Anything that gives you a sense of accomplishment can make a difference in how you handle all that stress once you get back to the world as it is.

Always writing on,
~Nancy