NaNoWriMo begins today and I was most pleasantly surprised to see some of my all time favorite tech folks participate in it as well. I cranked out about 1500 words at lunch time as Collie was chattering away and I really need to concentrate on my resume this afternoon.
I'm excited for this year though! Hopefully, I'll finish up a story Collie's been begging to get done. I've yet to submit my info for my book this year, but will hopefully get to it tonight. And my region is having a LOCAL event this year! Even better! Yep, I get to go write with a bunch of writing "geeks" at the local B&N this year. Should be interesting.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Looking for Tools...found the inspiration
Since I'm new to this whole writing deal, I'm behind the curve when it comes to tools. I've used a variety of computerized tools to track changes and manage project notes for software development, but none of those tools are really what I need to manage all my writing "stuff". So I'm on the search, and wondering if perhaps I should develop one of my own.
Here's my dilemma: today's weather's been wild, keeping me home for the day, with a painful head and running brain. I had lots of inspiration today as a result, and this brought about an entirely new story line for one of my characters which I jotted down on one of my mini computers for future reference. The problem with this is that I have lots of these little "virtual" post it notes on a variety of devices, including my BlackBerry (which I can't live without now). I also have some hand written notes in a variety of little notebooks, none of which I hope to be able to decipher 100%. I used to practice writing like a doctor - on purpose - and now my handwriting is almost illegible. At least I succeeded at something.
I found an nice online tool (free of course!) which I use to keep track of the who/when/why I send a letter to an agent or publisher. And while that's nice and readily available from "anywhere", when inspiration strikes I can't ensure that I'll have either 1) an internet connection and 2) a device capable of making such a connection readily available.
The old Microsoft briefcase came to mind, but that's not supported on all versions of Windows, and the open source iFolder project is a possibility with some custom programming, but nothing "out of the box" quite suits my needs. So I have to wonder "What do other writers do?".
I'd go to my old standby method of harassing MaryJanice Davidson and her assistant Tracy, but they're busy with a book tour and new announcements, so I hate to pester them right now. I might go the route of bugging Monica Ferris again (she's always a doll and answers me), but I'd really love to know from the folks in the trenches who also have a day job as to how they keep track of their various notes and story ideas.
Anyone have any suggestions? And of course all of this is hitting as NaNoWriMo rapidly approaches. Monday! NaNoWriMo starts next Monday already! And I've yet to focus on which character's going to win for this round.
Here's my dilemma: today's weather's been wild, keeping me home for the day, with a painful head and running brain. I had lots of inspiration today as a result, and this brought about an entirely new story line for one of my characters which I jotted down on one of my mini computers for future reference. The problem with this is that I have lots of these little "virtual" post it notes on a variety of devices, including my BlackBerry (which I can't live without now). I also have some hand written notes in a variety of little notebooks, none of which I hope to be able to decipher 100%. I used to practice writing like a doctor - on purpose - and now my handwriting is almost illegible. At least I succeeded at something.
I found an nice online tool (free of course!) which I use to keep track of the who/when/why I send a letter to an agent or publisher. And while that's nice and readily available from "anywhere", when inspiration strikes I can't ensure that I'll have either 1) an internet connection and 2) a device capable of making such a connection readily available.
The old Microsoft briefcase came to mind, but that's not supported on all versions of Windows, and the open source iFolder project is a possibility with some custom programming, but nothing "out of the box" quite suits my needs. So I have to wonder "What do other writers do?".
I'd go to my old standby method of harassing MaryJanice Davidson and her assistant Tracy, but they're busy with a book tour and new announcements, so I hate to pester them right now. I might go the route of bugging Monica Ferris again (she's always a doll and answers me), but I'd really love to know from the folks in the trenches who also have a day job as to how they keep track of their various notes and story ideas.
Anyone have any suggestions? And of course all of this is hitting as NaNoWriMo rapidly approaches. Monday! NaNoWriMo starts next Monday already! And I've yet to focus on which character's going to win for this round.
Monday, October 18, 2010
An Odd Duck
Okay, so I'll heartily admit I'm an "Odd Duck" in more ways than one. Even the vast differences of my 3 main characters makes that obvious. But I'm feeling it more than ever now at the job I currently have (the thing that actually pays the bills) and am still - very impatiently - waiting to hear the news of who stays and who goes in our latest round of layoffs. I'm a pro at layoffs and fully expect to be one of the folks sent off to join the unemployment lines, but the fact that I'm the only one who appears to be concerned about it certainly singles me out even more.
And then there's the upcoming NaNoWriMo decisions that need to be made. Do I tackle Jess' book editing for this, or do I work on Collie, or even better do I work on Merie's story - which is most certainly the most controversial of the three series, even though it's the most fun to write. I'm beginning to feel at bit like MJD's latest book's primary character as I'm rather scattered to the winds at the moment.
PubIt! Barnes & Noble's electronic publishing is looking very attractive. I'm having a bit of trouble focusing on getting through all the legalese though and I spent absolutely no time on it this past weekend, so I'm hoping to get through it sometime this week so I can give you all a synopsis of what it's all about, who keeps the publishing rights vs. who keeps the copyrights and any other pertinent stuff. I am a bit boggled about the cover art though as I can't draw worth a damn even though I can picture it in my head. I'll have to shelf that for the time being though as I deal with the dueling personalities that are demanding I put "their" book first and use that for NaNoWriMo.
I wonder, has anyone else ever tackled more than one book in a single NaNoWriMo? This multiple characters thing is just so chaotic! It must be Alzheimer's or dementia kicking in early...it just has to be!
And then there's the upcoming NaNoWriMo decisions that need to be made. Do I tackle Jess' book editing for this, or do I work on Collie, or even better do I work on Merie's story - which is most certainly the most controversial of the three series, even though it's the most fun to write. I'm beginning to feel at bit like MJD's latest book's primary character as I'm rather scattered to the winds at the moment.
PubIt! Barnes & Noble's electronic publishing is looking very attractive. I'm having a bit of trouble focusing on getting through all the legalese though and I spent absolutely no time on it this past weekend, so I'm hoping to get through it sometime this week so I can give you all a synopsis of what it's all about, who keeps the publishing rights vs. who keeps the copyrights and any other pertinent stuff. I am a bit boggled about the cover art though as I can't draw worth a damn even though I can picture it in my head. I'll have to shelf that for the time being though as I deal with the dueling personalities that are demanding I put "their" book first and use that for NaNoWriMo.
I wonder, has anyone else ever tackled more than one book in a single NaNoWriMo? This multiple characters thing is just so chaotic! It must be Alzheimer's or dementia kicking in early...it just has to be!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Researching self publishing via B&N's PubIt!
I've been playing around with the idea of selling my book electronically for some time now. And I just found out about the Barnes & Noble's PubIt! service. Basically, you write and edit your book, get some cover art made up (wonder if I can convince the aunt to do something for free?) and upload the entire shebang to the PubIt! service at Barnes & Noble.
They have their own pricing scheme for which the majority of books will fall in the "we get 65%, you get 35%" category. The other category is they get 40% of the take. Not sure how they worked all that out or if that's kind of "standard", but it is an option to not having an agent. They'll even accept short stores, which may be where I start at...if I do this at all.
There are restrictions (of course) on what is acceptable material, and sad to say MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy series wouldn't make the cut as they would consider it "pornographic" in nature (due to the number of times Betsy gets graphically laid). I think Jess will fit into their requirements okay, but I still have to wade through all of the legalese and FAQs on the site before submitting anything.
And I'm not sure how the copyrights will work either and that's the stuff I'm the most concerned about. I want to make sure I'm not signing over control to B&N. Jess has her own strong opinions about who can/can't modify her language; she does have quite the repertoire of swear words, many which I don't use and end up with a headache as a result.
I'll be better about updating as I find out more about this potential option to get my book(s) published. I'm very intrigued by this new service and B&N says it will put the manuscripts into a common eReader format, but I'm not 100% convinced of that just yet.
In case you haven't heard about this service yet, here's the link to the B&N PubIt! service: Note: the link feature on blogger seems to be borked up on my blog atm
http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home
I'm also looking into what it would take to publish electronically via Amazon, and all the legalese that goes along with their service as well.
And I've been debating about chasing after MaryJanice's agent...if he can keep up with her, I wonder if he could handle another one that goes off on tangents at random times. Hmmm...... oh well, back to the day job.
They have their own pricing scheme for which the majority of books will fall in the "we get 65%, you get 35%" category. The other category is they get 40% of the take. Not sure how they worked all that out or if that's kind of "standard", but it is an option to not having an agent. They'll even accept short stores, which may be where I start at...if I do this at all.
There are restrictions (of course) on what is acceptable material, and sad to say MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy series wouldn't make the cut as they would consider it "pornographic" in nature (due to the number of times Betsy gets graphically laid). I think Jess will fit into their requirements okay, but I still have to wade through all of the legalese and FAQs on the site before submitting anything.
And I'm not sure how the copyrights will work either and that's the stuff I'm the most concerned about. I want to make sure I'm not signing over control to B&N. Jess has her own strong opinions about who can/can't modify her language; she does have quite the repertoire of swear words, many which I don't use and end up with a headache as a result.
I'll be better about updating as I find out more about this potential option to get my book(s) published. I'm very intrigued by this new service and B&N says it will put the manuscripts into a common eReader format, but I'm not 100% convinced of that just yet.
In case you haven't heard about this service yet, here's the link to the B&N PubIt! service: Note: the link feature on blogger seems to be borked up on my blog atm
http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home
I'm also looking into what it would take to publish electronically via Amazon, and all the legalese that goes along with their service as well.
And I've been debating about chasing after MaryJanice's agent...if he can keep up with her, I wonder if he could handle another one that goes off on tangents at random times. Hmmm...... oh well, back to the day job.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Losing my virginity...at a book signing
It's not as exotic as you might like to think. But last night was the first time I've ever been to a book signing event - ever. And it's the first time I'd asked anyone to sign a book for me, so technically speaking I gave up my book signing virginity to MaryJanice Davidson. Which is a bit odd when I think about it as my mom was an English major and my aunt is a published author, so you'd think I would have to been to something as a kid. As my grandmother would say with a shrug - it is what it is.
I dashed over to Lansing last night to see MaryJanice Davidson in person, and to ask many questions of course. She was a riot! She really does write like she talks. Should she need a "next career", I'd strongly suggest stand up comedian as she had me in tears last night. I couldn't help but think if we'd been in high school together we would have been friends (she's too young to have been in high school with me though). She switches tangents as quickly as I do, and it was a blast to keep up with her, and she's just so damn FUNNY!!
I had several questions about writing for her, and asked if she's thinking about updating her eBook Escape the Slush Pile - good news, she is! She kindly answered all the questions everyone threw at her. And then referring to me as the "aspriring author" she said she liked my bangs and to just ignore reviewers who pick on you about your hair. Some reviewers have apparently referred to her has having "soccer mom bangs". All of which made me laugh harder.
She did say she hates me though - jokingly of course - because of the positive responses I've had so far from agents. I wouldn't have received them though if it wasn't for her book, so it's kudos to her as well. Made me think that perhaps I should hit up her agent next, even though we're not in the same genre. At least I'd know he can handle my sense of humor.
And I was most surprised to hear she likes many of the same authors I do - most specifically John Sanford. I'm not sure what I was expecting her to like, but I was surprised to hear his name. And she's a Fan-girl (which I'm not) and had some great stories about "molesting" Laura K. Hamilton and Charlene Harris at a conference. The funny part about this for me is that I would never have read anything from Laura K. Hamilton if it wasn't for MaryJanice and here MaryJanice is a huge fan of Laura K. Odd how the world works sometimes.
Which reminds me of how I ended up reading a genre that is not normal for me. Anyone who knows me well knows I prefer thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy. I've been asked how I started with the Betsy books before and most people laugh when I tell them, but the truth is it was the book cover. Sometimes you can tell a book by it's cover. I was in the library to pick up the latest Carolyn Hart Death on Demand book when the book cover for Undead and Unwed caught my eye - it was the older cover, the cuter one. The title intrigued me, so I checked out the back cover and took it home. I devoured it in gales of laughter in a single night. I was hooked, and now I own them all...along with Fred and now Me, Myself, and Why.
All the humor and simply being around MJD has caused my girls to pipe up. So I guess it's back to writing for me, and I'll put at least Jess and Collie into NaNoWriMo...I'm not too sure about Merie though. She's the most fun to write, but she's also the most controversial. (And why I like writing her so much).
I dashed over to Lansing last night to see MaryJanice Davidson in person, and to ask many questions of course. She was a riot! She really does write like she talks. Should she need a "next career", I'd strongly suggest stand up comedian as she had me in tears last night. I couldn't help but think if we'd been in high school together we would have been friends (she's too young to have been in high school with me though). She switches tangents as quickly as I do, and it was a blast to keep up with her, and she's just so damn FUNNY!!
I had several questions about writing for her, and asked if she's thinking about updating her eBook Escape the Slush Pile - good news, she is! She kindly answered all the questions everyone threw at her. And then referring to me as the "aspriring author" she said she liked my bangs and to just ignore reviewers who pick on you about your hair. Some reviewers have apparently referred to her has having "soccer mom bangs". All of which made me laugh harder.
She did say she hates me though - jokingly of course - because of the positive responses I've had so far from agents. I wouldn't have received them though if it wasn't for her book, so it's kudos to her as well. Made me think that perhaps I should hit up her agent next, even though we're not in the same genre. At least I'd know he can handle my sense of humor.
And I was most surprised to hear she likes many of the same authors I do - most specifically John Sanford. I'm not sure what I was expecting her to like, but I was surprised to hear his name. And she's a Fan-girl (which I'm not) and had some great stories about "molesting" Laura K. Hamilton and Charlene Harris at a conference. The funny part about this for me is that I would never have read anything from Laura K. Hamilton if it wasn't for MaryJanice and here MaryJanice is a huge fan of Laura K. Odd how the world works sometimes.
Which reminds me of how I ended up reading a genre that is not normal for me. Anyone who knows me well knows I prefer thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy. I've been asked how I started with the Betsy books before and most people laugh when I tell them, but the truth is it was the book cover. Sometimes you can tell a book by it's cover. I was in the library to pick up the latest Carolyn Hart Death on Demand book when the book cover for Undead and Unwed caught my eye - it was the older cover, the cuter one. The title intrigued me, so I checked out the back cover and took it home. I devoured it in gales of laughter in a single night. I was hooked, and now I own them all...along with Fred and now Me, Myself, and Why.
All the humor and simply being around MJD has caused my girls to pipe up. So I guess it's back to writing for me, and I'll put at least Jess and Collie into NaNoWriMo...I'm not too sure about Merie though. She's the most fun to write, but she's also the most controversial. (And why I like writing her so much).
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Happy Dancing!
MaryJanice Davidson is in a nearby town today! About 10 hours from now I hope to be getting a book signed. This is the first time I've gone to a book signing, so it will be a new experience for me, and one I expect I'll enjoy. Plus it gave me an excuse to take a 1/2 day vacation, which makes the day even better!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ridiculously happy and humbled
Okay, so maybe it's not THAT big of a thing, but I was ridiculously giggly, happy dancing, blushing, and humbled to see a link to my little, insignificant blog on MaryJanice Davidson's website. Really?!?!?! MJD has stumbled across my blog? She and Tracy (her fearless assistant) are too busy for this, aren't they?
Even better yet - MJD will be in my state in just 4 short days for a book signing of MMY! Can't possibly explain in feeble little words how great that made my day.
I just had to gloat a little...a New York Times Bestseller posted a link to my itty-bitty blog (the only thing itty-bitty about me). Woo-hoo!!!
Even better yet - MJD will be in my state in just 4 short days for a book signing of MMY! Can't possibly explain in feeble little words how great that made my day.
I just had to gloat a little...a New York Times Bestseller posted a link to my itty-bitty blog (the only thing itty-bitty about me). Woo-hoo!!!
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