Rambling Thoughts After the First Round of Edits

 I know, there's a proper name for this phase of my editing process, but I'll leave that to the academics; I'm a writer.

Yesterday morning I set aside my red pen and orange and yellow highlighters.  What was left behind?  A manuscript littered with notes, mark-outs, circles, and, of course, highlighted passages.  The manuscript is a first rate mess and I can't wait to clean it up.

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I think a lot of people like to utilize YouTube for a little help with projects like changing out ball joints on a 2016 Subaru Forester, or how to change the battery in a 2019 Indian Roadmaster.  I also like to use it to stay focused while maybe picking up on a few things here and there.

Part of my daily writing routine is to watch a random Booktuber.  Sometimes the video is a complete miss, other times there are little nuggets of golden information, lessons to tuck away into my writing toolbox, and even, like this morning, I stumble on a creator worth following (Ginger's Creative Corner).

The most disappointing of those are the one's that exist for only one purpose; to sell you their product.  Don't get me wrong, I think all of us are here in the online atmosphere to sell something.  (Buy my books!)  The part that turns me away is when these creators pitch a thought process that is wrapped around a middle of the video hard sell of a product that will help the viewer with the very thing they are discussing. It happens in a way that screams they are interested in helping you, if you choose to buy their stuff!

I see this a lot from the freelance editing community.  They present themselves as your peers in the writing community, yet in reality, they view themselves as above you and if you want to improve, you must hire them to edit your pathetic attempt at a story.  There is typically an element of discouragement.  A lot of times you catch it in the titles, "Your Cover Design is Wrong!".  (that one coming from a publisher wanting to sell his services)

Some of it is phishing for that sweet spot within the algorithm that drives traffic.  We all know, two things sell, sex and negativity, and writing just isn't sexy (to most, at least).  So, telling the writer how bad they are in the title and even in the content of the video, brings viewers.  It also discourages new writers, whether that is the intention of the creator is left for another discussion.

I take issue with this approach (obviously). Why brow beat authors with a title like "7 Cringey MISTAKES Writers Make With MALE Characters".  The title immediately implies that you, the writer, are writing cringeworthy characters.  And really, the tone of the video does kind of reflect this (at least the short bit I watched).  The purpose of the video is made clear, five minutes in, with a forty-five second sales pitch.  Can't the title and overall tone of the video be more like what the video creator is pushing the hard sell on "How to Write Realistic Men and Women".  

I feel the writing community, overall, should be encouraging, and in some cases, a little more humble.  My way of doing things is, well, my way of doing things.  It works for me, and I'm more than willing to share, but I'm not going to tell you that what you're doing is wrong.

Writing is full of guide wires that can be pushed a bit here and there, and if you bend that guide wire with intent, the result just may be golden.

Yo Ho Yo Ho A Writers Life for Me

Since before Requiter was released, I have been hard at work on book three; until three or four weeks ago.  I needed to step away and revisit the real world for a few moments.

Since May of 2012 my time away from work has been dominated by the World of Nilrus; writing, editing, marketing, rinse and repeat.  This has been one heck of journey, and I’ve enjoyed it.  I will continue to enjoy it.  Now it’s time for me to dive back into this fantasy world.

Book Three:

At this point, most of you know I will not have a title for this book until near completion.  I am roughly halfway through the brain purge.  I’m struggling here and there with timeline issues.  The book deals with several storylines that need to mesh in the end.  Eldric and company are returning to Dalthanalle, Lith and his band of merry elves are also going to Dalthanalle, albeit for different reasons.  The Knights Kranse have a want to visit that wonderful city, and Aeldon works on his return.  Add General Grunsch and all his friends to the list.  Dalthanalle has become a genuine tourist destination; the Disneyland of Nilrus.

Of course, we can’t forget the rulers of the fair city; King Alik and Queen Elma.  Oh wait!  Does Keeper Leandros actually rule the city?

I have built myself quite a trap here with more than eight story lines to follow.  It is quite a challenge to bring them all together in the end, but it promises to be an engaging story.  I really can’t wait to see how it all ends.

Spuds Au Rotten:

This is the short story I promised long ago.  I have the cover art for it, but I hit a little snag.  An additional scene was suggested, and I agreed.  When I went to add the scene, the electronic document was gone.  Gone!  This is wild, because I am OCD when it comes to backing up my work, yet I can’t find Spuds anywhere.  I say it is a little snag because I have a hard copy of the story.  It is just a matter of typing it all up again.

But, Book Three is priority.  When I hit the next dry spot, I will get Spuds finished and published.

Condr:

I started this story a few years ago, and it will likely be the first book after Drums of Rallinwar is completed.  Occasionally, I hammer out a scene for the book.  I like the story, and the main character.  This book will be a standalone.  If it works out, Condr will be the first of many stand alone books based on his adventures.

Anyway, that’s about where I’m at right now.  I hope to have Book Three published this year, but I’ve learned my lesson and I’m not promising anything when it comes to release dates.

In other, more important, news; Requiter is available.

Amazon
Smashwords
iTunes
Diesel ebooks

I’m still waiting for Barnes and Noble to put it out, but I strongly encourage you to purchase a copy for your Nook from Smashwords.  Mark Coker continues to be an awesome advocate for the Indie world, and has earned every penny he makes from book sales.

Time is Like My Daughter; Short

 

This busy lifestyle never seems to end.  I had to find a new mode of transportation, since the Memory Machine choked on me Christmas Eve.  The time for looking had to come from somewhere, so the writing suffered a bit.  In the process of all that, I needed to file taxes to get money for the truck.  Of course, that resulted in more time away from the writing desk.

The good news:  I have a new-to-me truck.  That should get me another ten years.

With a fresher mode of transportation, I have been busy planning the next Gunter Family vacation.  It looks like we may have another trip with the full brood.  My brain is in serious need of this trip.

Spring Cleanup is here.  Yeh, it was thirty something when I woke up this morning.  We spent the weekend piling junk on the curb for pickup.  In the process of cleaning, I stumbled on a Nintendo 64 box with all the instructions and paperwork, as well as a Mario Kart game package.  It’s hard to believe I had time for something like that.

Now, I can almost park the motorcycle in the garage and not have to walk sideways when I jump off.

At some point, over the last couple of years, I gained a new friend just above my waisteline.  I guess between my day job and writing, I spend the bulk of my waking hours in a desk chair.  In light of this new guest, I’ve set aside an hour or so every day to see if I can “run” him off.  I hate to steal more time from the fantasy world, but I’m sure the truck’s gas mileage will increase if it doesn’t have to haul so much…

With all that is going on in my life, I am still plugging away at the final book in the Drums of Rallinwar series. I look forward to finishing this project off and moving on to the next. I’ll slip in a complete update on the next visit to The Stray Scribe.

 

In other, more important, news; Requiter is available.

Amazon
Smashwords
iTunes
Diesel ebooks

I’m still waiting for Barnes and Noble to put it out, but I strongly encourage you to purchase a copy for your Nook from Smashwords.  Mark Coker continues to be an awesome advocate for the Indie world, and has earned every penny he makes from book sales.

Time Isn't Always On My Side

Seriously.  Like never.

I have so many stories I want to tell.  I also have a 60+ hour a week job.  I am married to a wonderful lady who deserves every ounce of my attention.  I have a house to maintain.

As Book Two (Requiter?) plods to its publish date, I have begun Book Three. 

The artwork is near completion for Book Two.  The edits continue to filter in.  Soon, I will publish the book and move into marketing it (bleh).

I have been writing Book Three.  I have to write it while the story is still fresh in my head.  There is so much I want to get down before I forget it.  I really like how it is shaping up.

There is a short story sitting on my desk that needs the first few hundred words rewritten.  I wanted to publish this story months ago, but I received comments on it that I can't ignore.  The beginning of the story is just not on the same pace as the rest of it.  In my experience, it only takes a few sentences added, changed, or removed, to fix these problems, but since my brain has been tied up with the Drums of Rallinwar series, it has been difficult to address.

On top of that, there are two short stories that need to be written.  I have the notes for them, and there are just a couple of minor tweaks to make before they get written.

I have another short story that is almost complete.  I need to complete it and publish it.

And already, I have been considering the next book.  I have a story that I began a couple of years ago that will get written, but I have also been brewing a "fantastic" type story.  One of those with over the top fantasy elements.

I could lock myself away in my office for a week and not finish all the stories on my list.  I honestly get excited just thinking about what is next.  And the excitement only increases when I am told the manuscript for Book Two is in much better shape than Blood of Two was when i passed it off to the editors.  I mean, I feel as though I have improved, and it has been validated by those I work with.

I only hope you see it the same way when it gets published.

Time isn't on my side, but this is an exciting time for me.

Horseshoes and Four Leaf Clovers

I suppose at some point I should like write down blog topics so I don't find myself bereft of things to say for weeks at a time.  But, let's face it, I ain't too good at this whole talking to people thing.

The last little blurb was about my wonderful busy life, and I am looking forward to at least four more weeks of busy.  Of course, that is assuming I finish the book on time.

Unlike Blood of Two, editing this book has been intensive (and I do hope it shows).  Things have fallen to the wayside while I've concentrated on the book; Facebook, Twitter, workshop forums, industry news perusing, reading (I haven't read a book in two months), marketing, and my short stories.

It makes you wonder how successful author's have time for the talk show circuit.  Well, not really.  You have to figure they went through much the same at some point in their careers, but then they reached a point where they had money to farm some of this junk out.

At some point, an author becomes proficient in their writing and the rough draft isn't quite as rough as it once was, which makes the author's initial editing easier.  Some author's even claim their rough draft is what they forward to their editor's.

Success will often bring money.  The author reaches a point where they can hire editor's they trust to do the work I do now.  I'm not talking about these editor's you find online at some editor warehouse, where they go back and pull one down from a hook and hand off your manuscript.  I mean someone who works with the author with a genuine desire to see an end product that matches the author's intent.

I could probably do some digging and tell you exactly how many hours of my life could be saved if I had the money to buy me one of those.

Then there is the marketing.  First of all, I suck at it.  I couldn't sell a Goo-Goo Cluster half price to a group of starving junior high students stuck on a bus in middle of a snow storm.  I can't even begin to imagine what a professional could do for my sales.  Again, there comes a point in the author's life where the money comes available for such luxuries.

The laughable part of this, at least in the Indie world, this rambling post actually makes a silly little circle.  You can't have success without good marketing, you need a well-edited product to market, and you need money to hire an editor.  But, you don't get money without some semblance of success.

In a large way, it all boils down to luck.

There are many get-rich-quick schemes out there in the world of Independent authors, but those are reserved for the hacks that have little to no desire to put out quality.  Those of us who want to create a durable product, we have to stretch those get-rich-quick schemes out over several years.

And hope for a little luck.

So, I will continue on with my busy life and keep plugging away at editing.  And I am loving every minute of it.  I am learning my craft, and (hopefully) improving.  I'm still a couple of years away from completing the most popular get-rich-quick scheme and I continue to search for four leaf clovers.  Will I be reach in the end?  Who cares.  When it is all said and done, I will have written a story I can be proud of.

I suppose, in some pompous way, I think that is what separates me from some of the others.  I'm not here for the money.  I'm not here for the fame.  I am here because I have stories to share.  When a stranger sends me an e-mail, posts on my page, or tells me face to face that they enjoy my stories, then I have found something greater than the dollar bill.

Busy, Busy, Busy

The only sign August existed is the calendar on my office wall.  I apologize for sleeping through it.

In reality, editing is more time consuming than writing.  At least it is for me.  I can spend several hours editing a single chapter, which sometimes moves in to the next day.  The good news is; I am making progress.  The first half of the book is in my editors hands, and I am near completion with the second half.

I have the cover art for a short story I promised.  The only thing left is an edit.  Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to pry myself away from my other editing.  Which leads in to my lack of social media presence.

Every day I tell myself I need to blog, tweet, or share something on facebook.  Every day I sit down and grab the manuscript and work on some edits.  On one hand, the book is priority, on the other, I am neglecting other arena's of my writing life.  I could promise to do better.  I could.  But, I'm pretty sure it would be a hollow promise.

Personally, I think you would rather see a completed book two than another post on Facebook.

I will try to do a bit better, though.

So, where have I been other than editing?

Most of you know my parents lost their home in the tornado before the tornado that received all the attention.  Finally, they moved to their new home.  I was able to help a little, though not as much as I wanted.  I can't express just how happy I am to see this chapter finally coming to a close.  A huge thank you goes out to the people involved with the many churches in the area that came through where FEMA/Red Cross/United Way failed.

It is also summer time and I still have grass in my yard.  I think my next home will be in a gravel pit.

Until my marketing skills and my writing abilities improve, I still have a real job.  And don't take this as a complaint.  In many ways, my real job has afforded me the opportunity to write.

My wife deserves more attention than she has received.  And always will.

And my granddaughter is cuter than yours.

I need to get back to work.  Maybe I'll ramble on a little later.  Just remember, though there may be a sprinkling of truth, it doesn't make Thayer Evans any less of a hack.

I, Am a Writer

Bonus points to those who caught the movie reference in the title.

Over the last couple of years I have found myself amused at the similarities between the reader and the writer.  We both want a good story.  We cheer the good guy, jeer the bad guy.  Sometimes we even find ourselves wanting to find some nugget of good in the bad.  And the similarities carry on and on.

I often tell people I write what the people in my head tell me to write.  Other writers understand the premise, my wife and many readers fear I am mildly insane.  Yes, I am.  My characters have to have some semblance of "real" to them in order for them to come across as believable in the readers eyes.

So, as I write, though I have the rough story in mind, the characters guide the story.  They do things as they would do them, not as I would want them to do.  Many times their reactions surprise me and toss the storyline from its straight line.  In essence, the story unfolds for myself, as a writer, in much the same manner that it unfolds for you, the reader.

When it comes to the end of the book, I feel much the same anticipation as you do.  How will this end?  What happens next?  It always seems the last few chapters of a good book holds my attention the most asss I read them, and it does much the same as I write.  I experienced this when I wrapped up the rough draft of Blood of Two and I am experiencing the same feeling as I roll to the finish with the follow-up.

It's not just the excitement of completing this phase of the project, but it is the story.  I have an idea of how this book ends, much like I do when I read Stephen King or John Grisham.  I may have an idea, but I want to know.  What will these characters do when they are faced with these events?  You would think I know, but I do not.  This is one of the reasons I find writing so exhilarating.  I get to experience those same emotions I have as a reader, and I am writing the darn story!

I only hope that one day my skills reach the level that I can spend my time living these stories without the intrusion of a real job.

Quick update on the progress of Drums of Rallinwar - Book Two:

A stormy spring interrupted what I had going.  It wasn't just the cleanup alone, but my mind was on more important things.  The tornadoes had a devastating impact on friends and family.  If I wasn't helping with the cleanup, I was thinking about it.  Honestly, the book had fallen down the list of priorities.

Things are still not as they should be, and likely will never be.  Even as I type this I yearn for things to return to some sort of normal.  However, the last week I have been able to set aside a substantial amount of time for the project, and my mind has been on the task.  The progress has been amazing.  My wife has been amazing for allowing me to lock myself away for hours at a time.

I anticipate the completion of the brain purge within the next few days.  With that said, there is still a long road of editing ahead.  I have told you before, I will not release a substandard product to meet a deadline.  I will put every effort into making Book Two better than the first.

Look for the new title in November.  I will keep you updated.  And most of all, thank you for your understanding.

In the Beginning

I suppose my latest theme on this blog has been opinions on writing.  Sometimes I feel a bit pretentious offering up these opinions, and someday I may find myself disagreeing with what I write today, but keep in mind these are just the mere opinions of an old man still perfecting his craft.

I was a part of an interesting discussion this week and it involved where to begin when writing a story.  In the writing world, we call this the Point of Attack.  In a world filled with expectations of instant gratification, Point of Attack is extremely important.  I guess it goes without saying (yet I'll say it anyway), it hasn't always been this way.

One of the traps that we fall into, as writers, is trying to emulate successful stories of the past, but when you do so with tunnel vision you may be setting yourself up for failure.  Would Moby Dick even make it to print in today's environment?  Would The Hobbit take so long to get off the ground?  In my opinion, no.

We are programmed to believe Moby Dick and The Hobbit are wonderful tales that must be read, so we suffer through what we would now consider shortcomings in an effort to find that wonderful tale.  If either tale was published, as they are, next week, they would fall off into obscurity.  Not because they are bad stories, but because they aren't written to match up with today's expectations.

So, as writers, we can't pick up a book written before our parents were born, copy the formula, and expect the same results.  No matter how good our tale may be.

Which brings me back to the Point of Attack.

Some people say you must engage the reader within the first five pages, others say the first five sentences, and they may both be right, so it behooves me, as a writer, to start the story off in an engaging manner.  We want to share with the readers every aspect of our characters.  We want them to see where they came from and why they are who they are today.  But, if we begin a story with the birth of our character, we may lose the reader in those first five pages and never get to share the growth of the character with them.

You can share all there is to share and still engage the reader.  Begin your story with some conflict, and sprinkle in the past along the way.  Probably not in flashbacks, as they are often overused, but a couple of sentences can say a lot.

"Ole Joe knows hospitals better than anyone in this room.  What with that cancer he had as a child."

You don't even know Joe, but your imagination just painted a picture of his childhood.

When I say to begin a story with conflict, don't take that to mean you must begin with an epic fantasy battle or the like.  A simple conflict will do.  Think about an opening chapter where Joe is panicking because he forgot to pay the water bill and it's cutoff day.  Zipping through traffic to get to the utilities office before noon.  Worried about his wife's reaction.  Hoping the check doesn't bounce.  This is real world situation that could very well connect with your reader.  They find themselves wanting to know if he gets the bill paid on time.  How much more mundane can you get?  But, this is conflict in the writing world.  And, as an added bonus, it is something the reader can connect with.

So when someone tells you to start the story at the beginning, keep in mind the beginning of the story may not be the beginning of your character's story.  If we did that, The Hobbit would have began "There once was a hobbit born in the Shire."

Imagery

It has been a typical Oklahoma spring around here.  Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and the chaos that surrounds them has been ongoing for a few weeks.  As with most Oklahomans, I have spent my days dealing with the aftermath of Mother Nature's fury, and my evenings staring at the television screen and hoping the next twister finds empty fields.

Somewhere along the way, Summer sneaked in through the back door.

I know, officially it is not Summer, but Mother Nature isn't much for schedules.  I stepped outside yesterday morning to take care of some yard work and broke into a sweat before the mower hummed to life.  So, now we shift gears into a typical Oklahoma summer; hot, humid, and windy till the sun goes down, and then the wind will sometimes calm where you're left with just plain old hot and humid.

While I'm sitting in front of the television with the AC blowing full bore and a tall glass of lemonade in my hand, an Oklahoma Tourism commercial comes across the screen.  The scenes are inviting and made me yearn to load up the camper and find some of those beautiful corners of the state.  Then it hit me; those images on the screen felt inviting, by design, but they lacked an element of truth.  They were all missing the people gathered beneath a shade tree with drinks that used to have ice in them, holding them to their foreheads while fanning themselves with the other hand.  They also missed the constant drone of cicada's in the background.

This brought to mind imagery in my writing.  Most author's know that part of bringing the reader into the story is utilizing the senses.  Most of the time we rely on sight, but there is more to story-telling than painting a picture, though we can use that image to project other impacts on our senses.

The ceiling fan creaked with every rotation and once again Jonus wrote down oil on his mental list of things to do.  It would have to wait.  He leaned back in the chair and wiped the moisture from his brow with an already damp kitchen towel.  The smell of coconut oil told him Thea was escaping to the pool before he saw her prance across the room in her new two-piece she had paid far too much for.  He unbuttoned his shirt and felt the breeze on his soaked skin.


Feeling warm?  Passages like that help bring the reader into the story, and take note that the word heat was never used.  There is something about sound of a creaking ceiling fan, or the smell of coconut oil that brings summer to mind.

To me, Steinbeck was a master of imagery.  Pick up any of his stories and you'll have an urge to sit in front of a fan, or snuggle up to the fireplace.  One day, I hope to be that good.

So unless you are selling vacations in a hot and humid state, don't forget imagery.  Utilizing senses other than sight alone will help bring readers into your world.
 

Pretentious Writing

I recently read a post on one of the writing forums where the individual was looking for a word to call his magic.  You see he didn't want to use the word "magic".  He felt what he used in his world was something different, grander, more far-reaching than such a simple term.  And, after reading the description, I could see his argument.  He presented a three sentence description of his magic and several of us offered up different words to use that might better represent what it was.

But, when it comes down to, his readers will call it magic.

I don't believe he was attempting to be pretentious by using another term, but the topic did bring to mind other works where the author's were being pretentious, whether they wanted to be or not.

League
Furlong
Cubit
Stone

Pop quiz.  What are the modern comparisons to those units of measurement?

Maybe you know the answer, maybe you don't.  I don't.  And quite honestly, if I am reading a fantasy novel that uses those terms, I will most likely not look them up.  Those terms are of no use to me in my daily life, so I will remain blissfully unaware for your entire novel.

Yes, those terms have a certain fantastical ring to them, but what good are they if they don't communicate the measurement you want.  Next time you see someone reading Lord of the Rings, ask them what the modern equivalent to a league is. You may just find I'm not the only one too lazy to look it up.

To me, it is like flipping open a Thesaurus and using a word for the sole sake of being different.  Instead of sounding different, you sound pretentious.  As in carpentry and mechanics, you use the best tool for the job.  In a lot of cases a simple hammer will do the trick.  No need in getting fancy.

I started to read a fantasy series that used made up terms for weight and distance.  At the back of book one was the all-to-common fantasy dictionary where it explained what those terms meant.  Why?  What is the purpose in using strange terms for measurements?  For immersion in your world?  Balderdash! (n. stupid or illogical talk)  If the reader has to flip to the back of the book, or look up the term online, you have just accomplished the opposite.  As a matter of fact, I never moved on to book two, because that was not the only area of pretentiousness in the prose.

We are story teller's.  We love to take the stories in our heads and share them with anybody who will listen.  It is as simple as that.  Don't try to make yourself seem more important than you are through pretentious writing.  Don't talk down to the reader.

A Moment of Relaxation

I have to laugh at myself.  For most of my adult life I have had different business ideas, which usually corresponded to my hobby at the time.  The problem is, I am lazy and starting a business is work.  You have to maintain your "day job", while you attempt to make your new job successful.  Even after you get that business going well enough to quit your job, the work with keeping it lucrative is still more than if you just worked your day job.  So for years, those grand schemes fell to the wayside and I remained fat dumb and happy.

Then I decided to pursue my writing passion.  Don't let anybody fool you, writing is a business.  As much as I love to write, it still boils down to the fact that I am doing what I avoided for years; I am starting a business.  I work all day, then come home and write (work) all night.  Don't take this wrong.  I am not complaining, just stating a fact that some people with dreams of writing are ignorant of.

So, it was time for a moment of relaxation.

For the past 23 years we have taken a family vacation.  I am not sure I can ever express the importance of these trips.  They were essential for us as a family, and for each of us individually.  I strongly believe those vacations have lengthened, and enriched, our lives.

This was the first year my kids weren't able to go on vacation with us.  I hated the thought, and I missed them, but my wife and I had a blast.

We grabbed a tent, straddled the motorcycle and had ourselves a 2800 mile adventure.  We froze our tails off at a few campsites, rode a ferry across Mobile Bay, explored an old military fort, dipped our toes in the beautiful waters of the Emerald Coast, absorbed natural beauty that you could never experience from a car, and visited Mickey Mouse.

My wife and I have never lost that connection that some empty-nester's discover they lost, but this adventure strengthened it without a doubt.  And we both relaxed.  We needed it.  For the last two years we have worked ourselves into a stupor.  Now we are recharged, and maybe not quite ready to return to the real world, but more prepared to do battle with it.

Don't rob yourself of these moments of relaxation.  Step away, enjoy your life, and you may be surprised how clear things become when that cloud of exhaustion drifts away.

Life is Good

In a matter of hours, my wife and I will be breaking away on a motorcycle adventure.

The house will be left in the care of our adult children, work will be left behind, cell phones will be playing our favorite music, and we won't have a care.

This is our first vacation without children.  As much as I would like to have them all along (work got in their way), I am looking forward to spending a couple of weeks with the woman I am still in love with.

We have seven days to make a 22 hour drive to Walt Disney World.  If something catches our eyes on the way down, we have plenty of time to stop and gawk.  We'll be exploring a couple of National Forest's, combing a few beaches, and finding every opportunity to enjoy the moment.

At Disney, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary.  Twenty-Five years and that woman still gives me that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.  There is no other person in this world that I would rather spend my life with and this adventure, in many ways, reflects our life-long relationship.

Life is Good.

I'll be back later this month.

BTW.  I am just a few chapters shy of completing the rough draft for book two.  After that, the extensive editing process begins.  I really feel that my writing has improved since Blood of Two.  So much so, that I feel the need to go back and edit that book again.  If time allows, I may just do it.  One of the beauties of the e-book.

Life is good.

The Most Intelligent Orc in the World

This title has been available for a week or so, but I was waiting until it hit most of the markets before I announced it.  As opposed to giving daily updates on its availability.

It's a freebie, and another installment in my Tales From Nilrus project.  Princess Elanya is in this story again, as well as Malik, Prince Eldric, Qa'Veck, and General Grunsch.  I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Here are a few links:

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Diesel eBookstore

KOBO

Sony eBookstore - this link is to my author page as they do not have this story yet.

Progress on book two for the Drums of Rallinwar series is going well.  I hope to complete the brain purge (rough draft) within the next couple of weeks.  Full bore editing will begin in June, with a target publishing date somewhere in September.

A Different Perspective

I look back some twenty years ago when I dabbled a bit with writing a book and I see a different outlook on writing.  Back then, before I was ready to write, I had big dreams.  I would be another big time writer.  My books would be side by side with King and Grisham at the front of the stores.

How things have changed.

I suppose one of those changes is the fact that bookstores are becoming more and more difficult to find.  Like it or not, technology has changed the face of the book world.  The most important change, for me, is my perspective on my writing career.  I'm a few years older, and a bit more aware of the reality of writing.  Having a title share the headlines with Terry Brooks is a long shot.  It is still a goal, but it is no longer get there quick or give it up.  I like to think there will be a day when my writing attains that quality and reach.

Twenty years ago, the dream of quitting my job and writing for a living had a different perspective as well.  I would write a few hours in the morning and play the rest of the day.  The goal was a life in luxury.  Now?  Not so much.

Last night was another one of those nights where life interfered.  It happens a lot to us writers.  Outside of our imaginary worlds we still have real world commitments; things that need to be done around the house.  I wanted to write a few thousand words last night.  I really did.  Somehow, some way, my adult responsibilities hovered over my keyboard and kept my fingers at bay.  This was when I realized just how much my perspective has changed when it comes to writing success.

I still want to make money off my imagination, but it's different now than twenty years ago.  I want to make enough to quit my job so I will have time to write.  Not so I will have time to play, but to write.  I want to spend as much time as I can writing without work getting in the way.  My duties at home do not get in the way of writing, it is my job that gets in the way.  At forty some odd years old, I just want my writing to sell enough that I can concentrate on writing more.  That's quite a bit of difference from twenty years ago.

I still want to write "that book", I think most of us do.  I think that dream will always remain.  I want people to look back on one of my titles and say "That is the book that changed the face of the genre."  That thought never even crossed my mind twenty years ago.  It was all about the money, which is likely why I never succeeded in getting anything written back then.  Today it is all about the writing.

It's just a different perspective.

Nothing In Particular

Really, I have nothing in particular to say.

2013 looks to be a promising year.  At least I hope so; there is a lot on my imaginary plate.
Somewhere over the next few days I intend to publish my next freebie, Diplomat Elanya.  I posted the raw cover art on the Facebook page if you want a peek.  I like the impact these freebies have, so you can expect me to continue.  I expect to release at least two more before book two launches.

Speaking of book two...  Wow.  One of the story lines took an odd turn and I blame it all the characters.  They just can't stick with an outline.  It may lengthen the story a bit, and change up how I originally intended, but with any sort of luck (and time), the book should be ready by August/September.  However, this time I really need to put something extra in the edits.

Editing...phew.  Look, I know Blood of Two had some issues (my wife told me so).  I haven't looked back since I published the book, but I am now having a change of heart.  At some point, you can expect a revision, not to the storyline, but more to address grammar issues.  I am sure there are more issues than I think, but I still want to tighten it up and provide my readers with the best quality.  This will likely happen around the release of book two.

Beyond book two, you can expect more short story freebies.  I do anticipate packaging the shorts at some undetermined point (maybe after 10 or 15 of them) and selling a hard copy of the collection.  Not for the money, (I make very little off paperback copies), but just to tie them all in a pretty package.

Beyond that, of course, is another book.  I'm liking this writing thing.

Fear of Technology

It seems that most of my discussions lately have revolved around writing.  Go figure.  That's what I have been spending most of my time doing; writing.

Computers are all around us.  If you are reading this, you are doing so via some incarnation of a computer.  Chances are, your car operates because of a computer.  Modern flat screen televisions utilize computers.  Your cell phone is a computer.  When you withdraw money from your bank account, you most likely do so through the use of a computer (ATM).  Cash registers have evolved into computers that make that nostalgic cha-ching noise.

So why so scared?

I work around a bunch of scared little people.  They have to interact with computers on a daily basis in order to complete their jobs, yet they want nothing to do with them.

Myself?  I embrace technology and wonder how I can make it work for me.  I constantly write programs to make my life, and others, easier.  That is just one of the many things I get paid to do.  So it only makes sense that I would seek help from a computer to improve my writing.  Right?

Wow, don't bring that up in the writing workshop forum that I was formerly a member of.

The computer is only as intelligent as the programmer.  As a programmer, I teach the computer to do what I need done so the task can be performed reliably and efficiently.

In the writing world, what needs to be done reliably and efficiently? 

Editing.

I just felt several people from that workshop cringe.  Get over it.

Editing software does what I do (and will continue to do) reliably and efficiently.  I promise you, it will catch "now", when I meant "know" more often than I will.  Or how about "through" and "threw"?  I can edit a piece of work, much like my editing of Diplomat Elanya this last weekend, and still miss things.  When I dump it off to my editors, they will catch things and make notes, but they too will still miss things.  It is the way humans work; we are glorious imperfect beings.  We can scan a document and look specifically for "teh" and miss it a hundred times, a computer will catch it every time.

Editing software is just another editor.  I had three editors, now I have four.  Guess what?  I can ignore number four just as easily as I ignore numbers one, two, and three.

I don't want everyone's prose to be the same...

Seriously?  This is an actual line from a concerned writer.  Really?  This isn't the Jetsons where Elroy feeds an essay into a computer and the computer spits out an edited sterile dissertation.  Editing software offers suggestions (like a human editor) based upon data and algorithms created by a human.  You can accept the suggestions and make corrections, like you would with a human editor, or you can ignore the suggestions, like you would with a human editor.  The choice still remains with the writer.

By no means am I saying that every writer needs to use editing software.  I am saying that it is another tool available that has the potential to help you grow.  Just as Frank from Edits R Us can be another editor to use in your process, so can the computer.  It doesn't replace the human factor, it can't.

But, don't let your fear of technology hold you back.

And don't name your editing software Frank.  I already named mine that.

Shameless plug:
My short story The Leaf Pendant is available for free at most e-book sellers (except Amazon).  My book Blood of Two is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, and a multitude of other e-book retailers.  You can also pick up the paperback (though it is a bit pricey) at Amazon.  Read it, rate it, review it, and most of all, enjoy it.

Finding Time

It has been more than a few days since I posted, and much of the reason can be blamed on the clock.

The rest is my own fault (but don't tell anybody).

I have been hard at it with the follow-up to Blood of Two and it is going slow, but it is going.  I'll save some of that for another post.

One of the things about writing a book and working a full time job is finding that short span of time to dedicate to writing.  It can be quite the challenge.  Some writer's get up early and spew out a few words before work.  Some will utilized technology and hammer out a bit during breaks.  Since I crawl out of bed at 3am to get to work by 4, I wait till after work.

I am a creature of habit.  Such a creature of habit it is almost silly.  Oh, heck.  There's no almost about it.  I get home from work, check the mail, check a few websites I frequent, pay a bill or two, take a shower and pour myself something to drink.  Most nights it's just a Mountain Dew, other nights it calls for something with a kick.

I then ease into my office, which is my writing domain.  I will check in with some of my social networking that I joined up with specifically for my writing.  This here blog would be one, the facebook page for my writings is another.  I haven't quite found the magic touch with Twitter yet, though I do occasionally tweet, and Google+ is still a mystery for me.  Regardless, I hit em all and contribute if I can.

Then it is time to write.  I fire up the music, light up the incense, and away I go.  For how long?  Until the characters in my head grow mute.

So, you see, I have found time to write, however there is another issue:  I have forgotten about the time to vegetate.

Some people call this vegetation time 'Re-charging', and there is a lot of truth to that.  Don't get hung up with word counts and progress if your writing has turned into work.  Take a few moments and hang back with your family and friends.

Just this last weekend I had just completed a chapter that was a chore.  It was like every word I typed had to be squeezed out of me like a clove of garlic in a press.  I had spent most of the last week with that single chapter (which will likely get shredded on the first edit).  Saturday and Sunday, I didn't write a thing.  I hung out with my wife.  We looked at new motorcycles, bought some stuff for our May bike trip, ate a couple of meals, and caught up on some television.

When I returned to my writing domain last night, I spewed out a thousand words before the first stick of incense expired.

You will often discover that finding time to do nothing at all will re-invigorate your writing.  Take a day off and when you come back to the keyboard you just might get lost in your story.

Of course, you can take this thought too far...

Office Space

For the last year I have been doing my writing at a pub table in the den.  Not the most productive area.  The den is full of distractions, including my beautiful wife who wanders through, sometimes in nothing but a t-shirt.

I am the type of writer that needs an environment conducive to, well, writing.  Although the den is definitely not that environment, I have surprised myself and finished up quite a bit of work.  Come on, I published a book while working in that environment.  Well, that is officially over.  I have returned to my office; my writing environment.

The room has been painted and the old twin bed moved away.  I bought a nice desk that will hold my computer, printer, and the various books I use when I am in full writing mode.  This new office is for one thing, and one thing only; writing.  If I want to take a break and surf the net a bit, I leave my office and go to the other computer.  This way my mind remains in writing mode while I am in my office.

It's really amazing how well this works.  I had some of my most productive days in that office, before it was occupied by another for a year.  Tonight, I dive back into some very serious writing, and I can't wait.  I have been productive as of late, but this change of environment is what I have been wanting for quite some time.  No more barstool.  I can sit at a desk and unload the voices in my head.

Now, where is my red stapler?

Characters v. Outline

One topic that makes its rounds a couple of times a year on workshop forums is the outline.  Some writer's will create an outline for their story, a hiking trail if you will, while other's preach the evil's of such organization.  Reader's would likely be surprised about the arguments that ensue among authors about this singular tool.  I have even listened to lectures where the speaker claims that a novel sans outline is destined for failure.

To both arguments, I say whatever.

After my novels have been written in my head, an outline is created.  By no stretch of the imagination is the outline a concrete entity.  It can't be, at least for my writing style.  It's begins as a basic outline; a beginning, the outhouse orcs, and an end.  As developement progresses, the outline maps out each chapter in a general sense.  But, like any map, there are places along the road that just aren't shown and you discover them along the way.  And don't forget the occasional flat tire and blown fuel pump that can cause a delay in your journey.

Then there are those lousy, good-for-nothing, disobeying, free-will, hateful, outline trashing characters.

With my writing style, no outline is impervious to character intervention.  Aeldon, a character from the Drums of Rallinwar series, begins as a not-so-bad prince.  His qualities bring you to hate him and love him.  You want this guy to grow out of his hatred and become the good man that he is quite capable of becoming.  The outline for the follow-up to Blood of Two has Aeldon growing closer to the man we all want him to be.  The dirtbag just doesn't want to do it.

As much as I prod and pull him toward his good side, he resists.  He'll launch an inkpot across the room, punch someone in the face, and preach the virtues of keeping the elves and dwarves in their place.  There are times when I look up from the keyboard, I expect to see an inkstain on the wall, or on my outlline.

With almost every scene a character will bring cause to alter the outline.  An encounter in a city is scrubbed because somebody decides it's too dangerous to venture into it.  Another chapter has to be added because a character decides that someone needs to be thrown into the dungeon.

My outlines are organic.  They change as the manuscript is written and all of the changes are due to character's decisions.  In the war between characters and outlines, it is a stalemate.  Neither wins, they both adjust.

Shameless plug:  Blood of Two: Book One in the Drums of Rallinwar series by C. Hollis Gunter is available at most e-book outlets such as: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, smashwords, Sony ebook store, Kobo books, and Diesel ebooks.  You can find the book by searching on their sites for Blood of Two, or C. Hollis Gunter.  Buy it, read it, rate it, review it.

Looking Back

2012 is winding down and instead of waiting around for its grand exit, I figured I would take a look back at the year now.  And what a year it was.

In January I was sitting on a completed rough draft of Blood of Two feeling a bit discouraged.  I had shelved the manuscript because it was the first of many in that story line, which is not an easy sell for a first time author.  Don't take that wrong; I don't walk away from difficulty, but from what I understood it was such a hard sell that it would be counter-productive.  So, Blood was shelved and work was underway on a stand alone novel .

Progress on Condr (the stand-alone novel) was labored, which is why I felt discouraged.  It is, without a doubt, a story that will get written, but it now sits on the shelf where Blood of Two once resided.

In May I purchased a cheap book for my Kindle.  The story was engaging, though the prose was littered with errors.  Even some of the phrases used had no business in a fantasy setting.  I was quite surprised to find that the author was an Indie.  No publisher had gotten their hands on the manuscript (and it showed), but it was selling.  Thus began my travels down a road that has really changed my life.

I began in earnest to edit Blood of Two, with a little help from my friends.  A breath of life had permeated my writing and the obsession has yet to subside.  In August I published Blood of Two and in September I began its follow-up.

Sales have been as expected, which is honestly unimpressive to the outsider looking in.  For those in the industry, which I am now a part of, my sales are considered average.  Again, sales of Blood of Two are going as expected.  I have sold more books than I have friends, and have gotten positive feedback from people that I have never met.  All things considered, life is good.

Since Blood of Two went on sale my writing life has been divided between actual writing, marketing research, and marketing.  Busy is the word.  I work, then I come home and write.  Life is good and life is different.

As 2012 winds down I find that I am now a writer.  I am a published author.  Strangers have seen what bounces around in my head and they approve.  On one hand this is surreal, on the other I can't help but think 'It's about damn time'.

As I move into 2013 my goals circulate through the veins of writing.  I have a short story about Celeste that I intend on releasing as a freebie.  I have two others about Princess Elanya, one of them a bit more light-hearted than most of my writing, and another story about Jaron Senith's nephew, Alik, who is shaping up to become a player in the Drums of Rallinwar storyline.  And, of course, the follow-up to Blood of Two is in the works.

Looking back, 2012 wasn't busy at all.  At least not compared to 2013.