What a lovely month! Full of good’uns that I’m so very pleased with. This writing and posting goals, business is really keeping me productive. Not least because you can see my goals and that makes me accountable, but also having it listed means that I have a clearer idea of what I want to do. Amazing right!
I’m not going to spend too long going through this but I want to give you some of the highlights of October before sticking my nose back to the NaNoWriMo grindstone.
Vicki & Lara
On sale! At laaaaaaaaaaaast! Feels like it’s been so long coming and I’m thrilled that the time has finally come. About time if you ask me. ^_^ And of course there is more to come too. For those of you who didn’t know, this series is in six parts. So there are five more stories that Raven is putting out there for you. I’m sure she’ll tell you more about it as time goes on, but until then, allow me to bounce up and down in her stead.
Blogaversary
Three years old! My blog is three years old! Can you believe that I’ve kept up with it for as long as that? o.O Never for a second did I imagine I’d make it that far and still have things to say. Heh. Here’s to the next three years, eh?
Back To The Old Ways
In September I got to LARP. October… I got to play DnD. Dungeons and Dragons for those of you who don’t know and DnD Next for those of you that do. It seems like only yesterday I was bitching about 4e and now here is DnD v5, lovingly dubbed DnD Next. And it’s semi-regular too. Lovely (and missed!) friends of mine gathering in one place to roll dice and eat pizza. Makes me wonder if I should have been a dude though, because I’m the only girl. As usual. Meh.
Anyway, those are the highlights. ^_^ I’ve got to get back to NaNoWriMo now. I have a word count to reach. Wish me luck!
I won’t… I can’t… I won’t be able to write if I do.
I was going to let Raven do today’s post (as that has been the trend for the last fortnight), but since NaNo is my project, I thought I should be the one to chat to you. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll be back… probably sooner than you think. *wink*
Anyway! This year, NaNoWriMo is going to be completely different. In the past I have given myself a brief; a start and a finish. Maybe a line or two of where I wanted to be in the middle, but, ultimately, I put my fingers to the keys and let my characters draw me along for a crazy ride.
Not this year. I’ve talked about this in my post over at the Phoenix Writers, but, in brief, Silk Over Razor Blades has consumed my life for too long. I need to finish it or let it go. So this year I have a detailed outline of exactly where I want things to go, meaning that plot holes, inconsistencies and weakness crippling previous versions are gone. My subplots are clear. They have a purpose. The main plot is strong and exciting (even to me!) and has (from what I can see) suitable peaks and troughs to carry it from start to finish. I’m well armed this year.
That’s why… this year the goal isn’t to reach 50k words. I can do that easily. I always have, with NaNo except for last year when the boys were still so small. I suppose I can be forgiven for choosing to sleep rather than write. Nope… the goal this year is to actually finish the story. I want to get to type the last word, enter three carriage returns and then type ‘THE END’ underneath it. That’s my goal.
I don’t want to finish it in December – I have too much other stuff to do – it must be November.
Phew!
Yes, I know it’s crazy. I know that. Believe me, I know. But I have to try. You achieve nothing without pushing yourself.
So… I’ll keep you up to date on how things are going with regular updates linked into my goal list. I’ll give you a sample every now and then and let you know how I’m feeling about it all. This is so exciting because it’s a completely different approach to novel writing; one I’ve never tried before. I want to share it with you.
If you’re taking part this year, feel free to look me up (I’m still under Ileandra Young – and that’s i- l- not double l, as I’ve seen in the past) and join me.
I would LOVE to know how you’re all doing. Please, please share with me. Writing is so solitary… for this one month, let’s make it a group activity, eh? 🙂
Yes… if you’re curious, that’s just what I happen to be listening to while writing this. This track and the rest of his album that I bought the other day. SO GOOD!
ANYWAY! I’ve had a lovely week. Yesterday was another brilliant run with the Dolly Rockit Rollers (we’re getting so good now!) and earlier in the week I learned that a story I wrote for my A-Z of Flash (and subsequently edited to DEATH) got short-listed in the Doris Gooderson short story competition. WHEEEEEEEEE! That made me so happy that I bounced for the rest of the day.
More than that, my boys were WONDERFUL at their Great-Nanna’s 80 birthday party dinner. They sat quietly at the table and ate all their food, quietly sipped their drinks and coloured (kinda) a set of colouring books. And they seemed to take daylight savings in their stride. All things considered, I’m lucky as hell and don’t want anything to change.
*looks left*
*looks right*
CUE DISASTER!!!!!!!!
Yeah, hopefully not. Things are going very well right now. I plan to just enjoy it.
Create more detailed briefs for the rest of the ‘Meeting Each Other’ series
I did one of them. The rest I’m yet to write down properly, though I do have them sketched in my head. Does that count? o.O
Briefly outline short story for Phoenix Writers anthology
Sorted. Might even start writing it this week.
Complete two more transcripts
Three! BOOM! Yes… one of them was only 27 seconds, but it’s done. So nyah!
Finish messing with my flashcards for SORB and background information
Done. ^_^ I’m so happy with the outline now, I think I’m really going to get it this time. If not… let it go… I know….
Draft blog entry for Phoenix Writers
Took it a step further and wrote it. In fact, that ties in with the previous goal about SORB, so when that post goes live I’ll be sure to link to it here. I’d like you all to see it. 🙂
NEXT!
Well I’m not sure. This week is a little less heavy in terms of other non-writing stuff. So, theoretically, I should be able to get more done. But I also want to do some things related to fitness and flexibility to make skating a bit easier. Dunno where I’m going to fit it in, but we’ll see how we do. Insofar as writing goals, there are a couple of obvious ones.
START NANOWRIMO!!!
Change up author profiles at Amazon and Smashwords to better reflect my personas (at the moment they are kinda filler profiles copied straight from here. Not good enough, in my opinion, so they need more work)
At least start draft of Phoenix short story
Get other ‘Meeting Each Other’ outlines out of my head and on paper
Complete two transcripts
Hmm. That’s quite a lot actually. I won’t be too upset if I don’t get too much of that done, though it would be nice if I could manage it. Let’s see how we do.
How are you guys getting on? Ready for November? Had a good October? Goals going well? Will you be doing NaNoWriMo? Be sure to look me up! ^_^
I don’t normally hop onto the trending social media bandwagons. I generally avoid getting involved because 1) I don’t have anything to say, 2) I don’t understand it or 3) I don’t care. Or all three.
However, over the last couple of weeks I’ve heard of very little else but Kobo’s antics with self-published titles in their UK stores, and the actions of WH Smiths. If I’m honest, I was too busy gloating over the fact that Vicki & Lara is available to purchase, to worry about other things happening in the world.
Short sighted? Yes. Selfish? Yes. So sue me! I was excited. I still am.
But reading up on some of the tweets, blog posts and Facebook updates has changed my thoughts on more than just Kobo. It’s made me think about myself and what I want.
If you don’t know what happened, then my advice is to check Twitter for the #kobogeddon hashtag. There is plenty of chatter there about what happened and what is still happening, so that should give you a pretty good idea. If you don’t have time to trawl through all that, check out this blog instead. A J Church talks pretty succinctly about what Kobo did.
Oh, yes, okay, go read it now. Go on…. I’ll wait.
Done?
Okay!
Now… my dream, since about 16 years old was to find a publishing house willing to take on my work, publish with them and roll back and forth in piles of money. Or to swim through it like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin. Not familiar with Duck Tales? Good lord, what the hell were you doing with your childhood? Take a look at this.
It’s okay, go on… I’ll wait.
Done?
Good. Consider yourself educated.
Anyway, that’s what I wanted.
Then I grew up a bit and realised that making tonnes of money was quite unlikely in this day and age – I’m not that lucky – but maybe I could secure a loyal cluster of readers willing to read my words and share them with friends. I could maybe even pay a bill or two with what I made from writing fiction and publishing it with a traditional publisher.
Then I grew up some more. I began to understand just how closed and virtually impenetrable the traditional publishing world can be. First you have to write the manuscript. Then edit it. Then edit some more. Then send it to betas. Edit some more. Proof it. Send it to agents. Have it rejected a dozen (probably more) times. Land an agent. Edit some more. Wait for your agent to submit to publishing houses. Enjoy the rejections. Finally find a publishing house willing to take you on. Edit some more. And more. Lose all control over title, cover art and selling price. Wait for your pennies to trickle in.
WHY THE HELL DOES ANYBODY WANT TO DO THIS?! ARE WE ALL CRAZY?
Yes. Yes we are. Just a little.
The dream of being published has kept me going for very many years. It pulled me through university, a horrible and traumatic breakup with a significant boyfriend, family bereavements, the birth of my sons and subsequent exhaustion, the loss of my job. But if I look at that dream properly, I find that it was never really to publish with the Big Six. It was just to be published. It didn’t really matter how.
The explosion of indie publishers and ebooks has come at a time so perfect that I wonder if in a past life I did something really, really, REALLY good. In this day and age I can write something I want to write. I can complete all the above steps right up to ‘proof it.’ And then I can publish it myself.
Kobo’s actions following WH Smith’s reaction to the Daily Mail article and the subsequent fallout against both is like the world holding up a mirror for me; showing me that many others have had the same dreams as me and come to the same conclusion. We don’t need traditional publishers any more. Yes, I admit, it would be lovely to write for a well-known and established publisher, to have them at my back, leading me along (paying for everything) and helping me promote my works. But I don’t need it. Because I’m not looking for fame, fortune and buckets of £££s. I just want people to read my stories and earn enough to enable me to keep publishing them. That’s it.
I don’t know if it is the opposite effect to what some folks might expect, but this Kobo fiasco has made me more adamant than ever that I’m going to self publish. Everything. Not just my erotica, but Ileandra’s fantasy as well.
And the comedy and the horror and anything else that falls out of our collective brain.
Yes, it will be harder. It will cost more. It will be time consuming and painful and hair-tuggingly frustrating at times, but the big names, publishers, distributors who can pull stunts like this (and it won’t be the last time either) can’t be allowed to maintain their strangle hold. Because their priorities are different. They want money. We indie authors want to share stories.
Yes, I said we. Because that’s what I am. As me, as Ileandra, as whatever name I give myself now or in the future, I am an indie author and proud of it. I’m an author no less talented, professional, real or worthy than anybody picked up by a traditional publisher. I’m just less financially well off. :p
No traditional publisher is going to get anywhere near my books. I want to do it myself with the rest of the indie authors out there; cutting a new path through the wilderness of publishing. Give me a machete and some hunting boots! Though realistically, if one of those names seeks me out then I’m not daft, I’ll give them due consideration. But I’m not going to chase them down. Not any more. I have Little Vamp Press. I have you and I have my own will. I have all I need to be successful according to my personal definition. And that is all I want.
This is why, by the way, I’ve brought forward the release of the next book in the Meeting Each Other Series. You may have seen, at the top of the blog, a milestone countdown for Carol, Niall & Lin, the next story. There will be more updates on that as time goes on, but I’m pleased to say that this should be my next release.
Anyway, what do you think? Has this blanket bad-treatment of indie authors rankled you as much as it has several others? Have you been affected by it? What do you plan to do now?
I’m really curious about what folk are going to do and what they want to happen. What they think will happen? So please… open up a dialogue with me. Even if it’s just to tell me that I’m bonkers and that this reaction to #kobogeddon is actually slightly crazy. I would agree with you…. Not changing my mind though. 😉
Have I ever told you guys how lucky I am? Just generally?
Let’s take a look at last week. I have:
-Enjoyed several lengthy lie-ins (until 9am!!!) while Dave got up and had fun with the boys
-Had not one, but TWO lunches in town with a dear friend, to which I was able to bring both of my boys
-Saw Prisoners at the cinema (have you seen it yet? Watch it. No, really!)
-Went to my first Boylesque event run by ElectroTease (and as a result got to do some creative writing LIVE ON STAGE – more about that here)
-Got an extended meet with the Phoenix Writers to plan our first collaborative project
-Had a second training session with the Dolly Rockit Rollers
Just looking back at that, none of which was planned, makes me realise just how loving, accommodating and understanding my friends and family are. So… Celine and Dave particularly, thank you so, so much for giving me a wonderful week!
And that’s not all; goals-wise, it’s been wonderful. Look at this:
Finish read through of SORB (Oh, didn’t I mention? I changed my mind – AGAIN – and will in fact be working on that through NaNoWriMo) and create chapter outline with brief outline for the other two books.
Yep. Finished reading it (and was HORRIFIED at how terrible it is). I’ll talk more about that in the week. But I put a quick break down of each chapter on a flashcard used it to sort out the structure. I’ve now moved all of that to Scrivener along with a couple of background notes including character profiles and motivations lists. That should put me in a better position to try again.
I didn’t do the outline for the second two books, but I have a better idea of what comes next now. Woo.
Complete two more transcripts
Done. With bells on. Just need to keep on at it now.
Brush up the last few tweaks on interview with Tab Kimpton
Done. I sent it to my editor last night.
Profiles on Smashwords and Amazon to complement the release of ‘Vicki & Lara’
Done! If you’re curious you can find them here and here respectively.
And, even better than that, I made a sale!I spotted it yesterday in the midsts of lamenting how much my legs hurt.
One sale.
Already.
I don’t care that it’s one; somebody was willing to fork out cash to own my words. I know I’ve written paid articles before, but my heart has always been in fiction. So seeing that little ‘1’ on my dashboard gave me a glow so warm I could have heated the entire house for a month. I still feel really tingly.
I need to maintain the focus now and try to keep things moving. Having one book out there is all well and good but momentum is key. So…
Create more detailed briefs for the rest of the ‘Meeting Each Other’ series
Briefly outline short story for Phoenix Writers anthology
Complete two more transcripts
Finish messing with my flashcards for SORB and background information
Draft blog entry for Phoenix Writers
Yep. That’s plenty.
I hope you’ve all had a good week and that the week to come is everything you want it to be.
What a lovely month! Full of good’uns that I’m so very pleased with. This writing and posting goals, business is really keeping me productive. Not least because you can see my goals and that makes me accountable, but also having it listed means that I have a clearer idea of what I want to do. Amazing right!
On sale! At laaaaaaaaaaaast! Feels like it’s been so long coming and I’m thrilled that the time has finally come. About time if you ask me. ^_^ And of course there is more to come too. For those of you who didn’t know, this series is in six parts. So there are five more stories that Raven is putting out there for you. I’m sure she’ll tell you more about it as time goes on, but until then, allow me to bounce up and down in her stead.
I spotted it yesterday in the midsts of lamenting how much my legs hurt.
Writing: A Conversation Without Interruptions 