IY: Episode One Is Here! @JUPodcast

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Ileandra Young

The Joined Up Writing Podcast Is On!joined up writing podcast banner

Woo! So exciting and a complete novelty, here is the Joined Up Writing Podcast: Episode one!

Join Da Shared Brain and Wayne Kelly as they discuss the first topic: critique groups.

You may know that Da Shared Brain is a member of the Phoenix Writers, well this is how she and Wayne met. From There they talk about- well I don’t want to spoil the episode by talking about it all here. So you’d better go and listen to it hadn’t you? :p

LISTEN HERE!

Beyond that all that remains to say is that this show, as well as being DSB and Wayne chatting about ‘all things writerly‘ it’s a chance for you to get involved too. They want to hear what you have to say on the current topic and anything else you want to chat about.

And you can do that using any of these methods:

Our Twitter: @JUPodcast
Our Facebook: JUWriP Facebook
Our Blog: The Joined Up Writing Podcast
Wayne’s Blog: Kelly’s Eye
This Blog: You’re already here!

Hope you enjoy the episode guys, and I’m looking forward to chatting back with you.

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RS: Learning From Editing pt6 – Waiting Is An Art Form

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Raven ShadowHawk

‘And A Fine Art It Is Too!’

Reaching this point must have involved a hell of a lot of waiting.
Waiting for beta readers to come back you.
Waiting for responses to your initial submission.Sleeping blue star from Wikimedia Commons; LadyofHats
Waiting for responses following your positive response to the offer to take on your book.
Waiting for counter signatures on your contract.
Waiting for your editor to get in contact.
Waiting between emails from your editor.
Waiting for information from the marketing team.
Waiting for a publication date.
Lots and lots (and lots) of waiting. And this isn’t even the end of it. By the time you get to this point and you realise that you have a release date, that you have an amazing cover, that you have the final copy of the manuscript on your computer, you release that there’s another thing you need to wait for.

Sales.

Not to say that anyone should just sit back on their rump and wait for sales. You won’t get any that way. After all, who is going to know about your book if you don’t tell them about it? But… you can do all the marketing in the world and still need to wait.

why nobody buy my book meme

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Nothing about what we do as writers is instantaneous. There’s no magic. There’s certainly no thing as overnight success (but that’s a post for another time). There is lots of work and then lots of waiting.

There really isn’t too much more for me to add than that. Whatever stage of your writing career you’re at, you’ll know about this.

Waiting is just something you have to learn how to do. And lots of it.

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RS: I Haz Planz 11/12

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Raven ShadowHawk

goal shooting goals from open clip artWhat a week! Full of stuffs and editing for both me and Ileandra. My purple pen is giving out (and so is her green one)! It feels good to be ‘back in the groove’ though I’m already missing the buzz of just writing. You know that buzz? The first draft buzz? Only 11 days after NaNoWriMo and I’m already wanting more. *sigh*

Last Week
~Print ‘Malcolm’ ready for quick-read and deep edits
Done – somehow I’d already done it! So I’ve started deep edits.

~Set up background for ‘Simone & Mr Bradford’ release by prepping Amazon pages
Sorted. The pages are all prepped now, I just need to hit the last button. My cover is in place, the file is in place. I’ve even put together the gubbins I needed for Smashwords. ^_^ Boo-yaaah!

~Chat with The Funk Master about video trailer options for ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust’
Done. I know what I want to do now. All that remains is to write the script, find a voice over artist (or read it myself o.O) and get it filmed. Easy, right?

This Week

  1. Finish deep edits on ‘Malcolm’
  2. Ensure newsletter is sent. Remember, if you want to hear the latest news on both Slippers & Chains and the Meeting Each Other series, be sure to sign up before December 12 (I know it’s early this month but I have a LOT to share before the Christmas break)!
  3. Write script for ‘Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust’ book trailer

Aaaah. Just rounding off the end of the year now. It feels good. Kinda like putting a little circle of chocolate on top of a perfectly iced cake… then eating it!

In fact… I’m gonna go bake me some biscuits. 😉 Laterz!

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RS: Learning From Editing pt5 – Repetition

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Raven ShadowHawk

‘To Read and Read Again!’

Repetition. *sigh* And I’m not just talking about removing crutch words from your prose or just picking out sentences that use a similar, repetitive structure. I‘m mean going over a manuscript again and again and again to find the sentences that cluck clunk, to correct spelling and ensure you’re saying you’ve said exactly what you meant to say.

I’m talking about thinking that you’ve done with it all you’re finished when in truth you’ve only just begun.

I’m not going to strike through the whole of this post with my corrections – there’s no need for you to see those – but do you get where I’m coming from?

I sent Breathless Press the most complete manuscript I could. It had been through four beta readers, had rigorous edits before and after and I was sick of it. When Jenn got in contact about the editing process we would follow, she said we’d see perhaps four passes of content edits on the manuscript. Then it would go to line edits.

-_- Read that line again.

Four passes of the manuscript before going to line edits, meaning possibly another one or two read-throughs after that.

one more read through meme

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I wasn’t ready for that. Not by a long way.

I knew there would be some work to do – there always is – but that many? But I’ll tell you what: each time I went through that manuscript with notes and things to look for, I found things to change. Sentences to tweak. An opportunity to take a dive into deep POV. Spell errors. Grammatical fuck ups.

Even now I know that I could look at that document again and want to change things. I’m scared to look at it for fear I find something else that needs to be tweaked or swapped or deleted. My brain is so raw from reading that text that there are sections I can recite from the top of my head.

But did the manuscript benefit from it?  You damn well bet it did. ^_^

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IY: Mah Plans – 08/12

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Ileandra Young

goal shooting goals from open clip artI went to the Christmas Market in Birmingham yesterday. Took The Sprogs and Dave and met with my oldest friend, Gemma. T’was really nice. Despite myself I find that I’m feeling festive and wanting to buy people daft and pointless presents. o.O Ho hum. I thought I was less commercialised in the brain but I guess I was wrong. Darn.

Last week

I feel like I’ve had a week off. I’ve got stuff done, but not much and I’ve been distracted by reading things I wasn’t really scheduled to read.

Contact all authors involved with issues one and two of Fab Fables to remind them of the deadline for all stories (Dec 15)
Yep, done. And I’m glad I sent the message because I’ve had another writer drop out now 😦 But… I know it’s the season for all things busy and family related. And while one writer dropped off, I got another one come up, so it balances well. Remember, if you want to be a part of what we’re doing, this post will explain how you apply to join us.

Finish first read of my story for Fab Fables in preparation for deep edits
Yes and no. I‘ve read it, but I’m still reading the story to the Phoenix Writers and would dearly love to get the last of their feedback before I begin. I have some strong thoughts about the start of the piece – it’s too slow for my wordcount for starters – but having comments for the whole thing will help gather my thoughts before I begin the deep edits.

Outline second story for Fab Fables in preparation for drafting
Oh, yeah! Nope. I have a (very) brief outline of what the story will include, but nothing as deep as what I’ve come to need. I’ll have to make sure I do that this week and maybe make a start on it too.

Pick my indie fantasy book for December and begin reading
Half done. Check out the book goal to see what it is. I haven’t started reading but it’s now on my Kindle. I didn’t start reading because… well *scuffs foot* I printed Walking The Razor’s Edge last week and, after reading one chapter couldn’t stop reading. I just couldn’t. Seeing Lenina’s story continue after the events of Silk Over Razor Blades just made me want to keep going; immersing myself in the days that follow was a wonderful treat this week.

There is a lot to do with that novel. Some chapters will vanish completely – I kinda knew that – and others will plump out. Historical details need fiddling to ensure accuracy ties in well with creative license and I need to secure in my mind exactly how werewolves, witches and non-human politic structure ‘works.’ Then I’m away. ^_^ Soooooooo excited! Given that I’ve not yet heard back from Angry Robot, it seems sensible to keep distracting myself with other things. I guess this is it!

This Week

  1. Edit/proof the stories I have from Fab Fables writers and ensure they are ready for publication on Caladria’s system (x3 so far).
  2. Outline my second Fab Fables story and begin drafting
  3. Complete prep for first episode of Joined Up Writing

And that should be it. Yeah. Totally. o.O

Ugh, if I need to add more I’m sure I will. Laterz!new ileandra signature,

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