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Wrestling with words

Finally Immortal Progeny is finished! *huzzah break out the champagne*

And it is off to the agent *takes a side of cake to go with the bubbles*

And then I realized it took me two years to write. *drinks whole bottle and stuffs face with cake*

Fast writer There has been a whole lots of kerfuffle lately about writers and how quickly they produce. Some have said ‘seriously don’t write more than four books a year or they will be nasty piles of tripe.’ Others like Chuck Wendig talk about how quantity doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of quality.

And I tend to agree with both. There are some novels you can tell were dashed off with little care under a tight deadline. And then there are books people have spent years grinding out, and they are just dire.

The truth is, we are all different. Some of us are plotters, some of us are pantsers. Some of us write in solitude, some of us write best in the midst of a coffee shop. Some people write terrible books slowly or at great speed. Some write wonderful things over decades or months.

However thereÂ are a lot of pressures on authors these daysâ€”more than just the demands of their craft. ‘Get more out’ one publisher screams, ‘We’re going to put your entire trilogy out in the same year’. While another literally says ‘you are over published’.

Personally I worry that I don’t write enough. Even with this being my full-time job there are a number of other things that pull at me. In the book world there are always waves of editing, promotions, appearances, and emails to answer. In the home world there is a house, a child, and three cats that also need to be taken care of.

One year I managed it. I wrote three books in a yearâ€”my personal best, but I was not a happy person, nor very much fun to be around. Holding all those characters and worlds in my head at the same time was tricky. Then over the last couple of years I have had so many not-quite-compleate projects around that it has put me in a spin. Immortal Progeny was just one of those, so knocking it finally out is a relief. One other I have put on the back burner, and that’s OK.

As you might have heard Tee and I are determined to finish the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences stories off, so there is a Kickstarter next month for that, but in between I am working on The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh. It’s a YA Ministry Seven story, so not nearly as long as my regular adult books, and since it is a world I am intimately familiar with it feels easier. It’s like taking a vacation someplace where you know the streets and the best places to eat. Immortal Progeny, I now know the landscape of too, and I am looking forward to going back there.

World building and learning about the characters take time, so maybe I’ll take comfort in that. I am a fast writer when I know the area, and the characters speak to me. Then I am a virtual sprinter.

Once again, it is all about knowing your style and what works for you. Then fast or slow it at least belongs to you.

Ideas are cheap…work is costly…

I am in the middle of a flood right now. A flood of ideas, and somehow it feels like I am paddling madly yet going nowhere.

Creating ideas. Wait a minute, you are saying that sounds like a good problem to have! Ideas after all are the stuff writers are always chasing after. The more the better, right?

Here’s the thing most people don’t know, ideas are cheap. There are millions of people out there with ideas for books, and probably many of those are fantastic ones. Yet how many of all of those ideas see the light of day, and the ink (even electronic ink) on a page?

Here’s the scoop, it isn’t having the idea that is the real work of writers. It is writing it, molding it, editing and polishing it. There go your hours and hours of labour, far more than one moment of inspiration.

My very first book signing in America, was at a bookshop in Baltimore. It was Monday. Lunchtime. On the third floor. By the cafe. Yeah, there weren’t many people there, but the ones that did show were memorable. Apart from the lady whose cats were dictating a book to her, there was this young guy. He sidled up to our table, and whispered, like it was a state secret, “I have an idea for a book.”

Tee and I both smiled politely. “That’s nice.”

Then he looked at us and in all sincerity went on, “If you write the book, we can split the proceeds 50/50…”

Even back then, a tiny seed of a published writer, I nearly burst out laughing. This gentleman honestly thought his having a thought, was the same value as writing, and editing a whole bookâ€”at minimum probably six months of a person’s life.

As I recall, neither of us laughed, we simply nodded and said something like, “That’s nice, but we’re rather busy with our own projects.”

The only people I would write an idea for would be someone whose ideas come with more value (i.e brand recognition)….like Chuck Wendig writing for Star Wars.

Anyway, right now I am indeed dealing with my own ideas, and plenty of them. As of this moment I am sitting on three new novels. One is a completed first draft needing to be polished up. Two are maybe half done. Beyond that, I have two other projects I am working on with Tee Morris. I dare you to look at my list of projects. Go on. I can’t or I might run screaming.

So yeah, I have a lot of ideas all flying at my head right now. Organising them and getting them to stand in an orderly row is half the battle. My weapons are a white board, a calendar and a lot of tea.

Maybe I am just a whiny author with too much to do and not enough time- but then isn’t that everyone, not just writers? Point taken, let’s jump back into it then!

Finishing…finally…

Confession time; last year I wrote three books.

Or rather I started writing three books.

One is a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Young Adult spinoff. It is all about a young engineering girl, called Verity Fitzroy. Some of you may have read the Precarious Child and Merry Christmas, Verity Fitzroy. So I have been meaning to get to her story for quite some time.

The second is Immortal Progeny. This is an epic fantasy about three sisters, and set in a world of temples battling to have their god be The One True God. Naturally they are battling with huge, Frankenstein like monsters, called Progeny.

The third is Hollywood Sentinels. This is set in 1920s Hollywood. There are Sumerian gods, an immortal woman who is constantly reborn, and lots of early Hollywood history. You know me, I love my history.

So I did all these things last year, half-writing three books, but completing none. Ouch. It’s been a good few years since I haven’t written at least one novel a year. It wasn’t like there wasn’t something going on; Ministry books came out, we wrote the Social Media for Writers book, and I appeared in a couple of anthologies.

Still, part of me was angry with myself for not finishing something, and maybe that tiny, negative little voices all writers carry around with them, started up.

Luckily I had some time in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to drive those thoughts away. With some of my favourite people in the world sharing a cabin for the week, I was able to suck down the equivalent of some creative juices Five House Energy, and kick start Immortal Progeny again.

This passed week I finally tapped out the last words of the book. Of course, there is always more, but I have done it. I have got over the road block in my way, pushing over the idea that I couldn’t finish a book anymore.

Next up is Hollywood Sentinels.

What happens to these stories remains to be seen, but what I do know is there are more stories crowding forward. Tee and I are mulling over an idea for something else to write together. Something epic.

I’ve started up a mailing list as well, just to let everyone know what is going on. Subscribe and I’ll keep in touch, but only when there is some exciting news.

For now, there is success. I finished a book!

Recollections from ten years

Chasing the Bard Original

My first print book sale seems like a long time ago. Then I counted back and I realised it was…ten years ago.

Ten. Years.

How did that happen? I guess I have had my head down so long, working, writing, marketing, and attending the odd convention or two that I didn’t notice what year it was.

So I’m taking a moment to consider the journey.

Since Chasing the Bard came out in 2005, I’ve moved from being a librarian with writing as my hobby and dream, to being a full-time writer. Over the last two years, writing has saved my family’s bacon, and if I had given up somewhere along the way things would have been impossibly tough.

I’ve moved from small press, to New York, and then onto the hybrid writer life; juggling traditional publishing with my own self publishing efforts.

I’ve learned a lot of skills; from layout and design, to using social media, and how to be a good guest at conventions.

In those ten years, I’ve had twelve books published with DragonMoon Press, Ace, Pyr and Harper Collins. In each case I’ve learned new things, had challenging moments, and experienced the joy of opening that first box of books. That never gets old.

Along the way I’ve had plenty of stumbles. Unfortunately there is no school about how to be an entrepeneur writer. Handling the business side of things is something you have to learn, and I developed another skill to cope with that, spreadsheeting the heck out of numbers.

I’ve been very fortunate to find an agent in Laurie McLean, of Fuse Literary, who has not only been a negotiator, but also a mentor and friend. She’s guided me, and hopefully most of the time I’ve listened, not driving too mad.

I learned to be a collaborator. Even while one story withered on the vine, and my collaborator disappeared from my life, I found another one. Tee Morris has also taught me a lot, and somehow we managed to negotiate how to write not oneâ€”but four books together. That still amazes me. I ended up marrying him, and for that I owe to the writing life.

I’ve attended many conventions all over the world, and at them I’ve been lucky to come across some of the most wonderful readers and fans a writer could ever wish for. I still haven’t got any better at knowing what to say when someone says they loved my book, but I adore hearing it. Although I enjoy the spectacle of big events like BEA or New York Comic Con, I love those mid-sized cons the most, because there is so much better chance at interaction.

I’ve met people like the League of Victorian Imagineers, Felicia Day, and the League of STEAM. Fabulous, creative, delightful people.

Books everywhere!

I’ve taught classes on writing in New Zealand, and spoke at the Library of Congressâ€”one of the two motherships for librarians.

Certainly, sometimes it has been frustrating. Sometimes the words have got stuck. Sometimes I despair. Yet there are worlds out there I have loved to write with, characters that will always stick with me.

Puck. Sorcha. Eliza. Wellington.

Despite all the struggle, this has been a good ten years. Writing has vastly enriched my life, just as reading did when it led me to writing.

So what’s next? Well, I have about four projects to finish, some Ministry related, some brand new. More worlds, more characters, more stories. However, in the next decade I think I’ll remember to look up more now and then and appreciate just what writing has done for my life.

Riding a jackalope

Oh yeah, I forgot…there was that time I got to ride a Jackalope!

Con survival- the Pip edition

So Tee and I have gone to our first convention of the season, and so the 2015 season is officially on. This year, like most years we have a pretty full on slate; in 2014 we had eight events, this year we have nine.

As much as I love conventions, that is quite a lot, and the only way to survive it is to know what you are getting yourself into, and make sure to plan.

So here are some of my tips for being a writer and surviving a con at the same time.

If you are selling your books

You might end up doing this, especially if there is not going to be a bookseller in the dealer room, so make sure that a couple of weeks before the event that you have enough stock. Exactly how many you need is up to your guesstimate. I like to look at the attendance before judging, but for example for a mid-sized con like Balticon I usually have 10-15 copies of each book. I take a few more for the first in a series or something new that just came out. If I have been to a convention in a previous year that’s a plus, since I can more accurately judge how many copies I will need. In 2015 we’re going to Steampunk Unlimited for the third year in a row, and I know I will need around 20 copies of each title for that.

A few days before the convention, make sure you have enough change with you, which might involve a quick trip to the bank. Personally, there is nothing more annoying for me when we are about to get on the road to have to stop to stand in line at a bank.

Packing

For your personal attire, make sure you have enough good clothes for the convention. Remember you’re being a professional here. However, also pack some relaxed outfits for chilling out and maybe getting a spot of exercise in at the hotel gymn. Also if you are being filmed on panels, choose outfits that will look good on panels. Here’s some ideas on that.

Make sure you have the following;

Aspirin and some earplugs just in case the hotel gets loud at night.
Professional looking business card. You might not think you need them, but then for sure you’ll be approached by a book blogger, an editor, or (wouldn’t this be wonderful) a screen writer.
A way to take pictures, smartphone or camera. Photos of fans, or better still fans in cosplay make for great additions to a blogpost.
Comfortable shoes. This is doubly important if you at a big con like San Diego ComicCon!
Snacks. Great to carry around with you, just in case you get stuck away from the chance of a meal.

Taking care of you.

Being on at a convention all the time is tiring. As much as you are feeding of the energy of the con, you are also living in a physcial body that needs more than that, so make sure to drink plenty of water (hotels can suck the moisture right out of you with their air conditioning) and find food three times a day. It actually can take effort to remember these things.

If you have a little or a lot of an introvert personality, conventions can be particularly trying. I have a touch of the introvert now and then, so I know from experience at a certain point I will need to go back to the hotel room and just zone out. Be OK with that.

Make sure to keep up your healthy regime as well. Remember to shower and put on your best face beyond the hotel room.

Partying Hard

I would say, don’t do it, but the truth is in some cases you have to at least show up to events. Conventions are not just about panels, they are about meeting friends, fans, and in some cases editors and agents. There are specific conventions such as WorldCon and World Fantasy, where the focus isn’t on panels. It is about connecting with those people in your industry, and that means attending room parties, making small talk, and chatting in corners about deals.

Here’s where you have to be a bit circumspect. Don’t drink so much you become known as the writer that can’t hold their liquor. Enjoy yourself, but don’t end up racing to the bathroom. Every drunk writer thinks they are Hemmingway, but that is not what you’ll come across as. Far from it. Even if you have a huge beard and polydactyl cats.

In other fan run conventions, being moderate also holds true. You have panels in the morning, so bear that in mind when someone is filling your glass. Your attending as a professional, and with that badge comes some responsibility.

Being a good guest

Remember, if the convention has given you a badge, a hotel room, or a plane ticket then the agreement is you are paying it back by being a participant. Being on panels is part of the deal, and so I think is being the best guest you can be.

If people stop you in the corridor to chat, then make the time if you can. If you are on the way to another panel or meeting, then be polite about letting the person know that. Offer them another time when they can catch you. ‘I’ll be on the Women Panel at 3 today. Hope to see you there.’

Try and remember that while the interaction for you may be fleeting, for a reader who loves your work, it could be the highlight of the con.

I should mention while there are plenty of horror stories about pushy fans, or just plain rude ones, most of my interactions with readers and listeners have been lovely. A couple of uncomfortable ones have been avoided also with the ‘I have to get a panel’ move, but I didn’t include the invitation to find me again.

Also be prepared to pose for photographs, which in most cases I go withâ€”unless I am really flying to another event.

If people ask for a signature when they see me, I usually do it, unless there is an official signing event happening later. Then I will direct them to that, and only sign if they can’t make it. It’s a complicated little dance, but after a good few conventions most writers will get the hang of it.

If it is awkward or odd, there is always the safety of the hotel room to catch you.

Hopefully these tips will help you as we all dive into the convention season. Have fun, be safe out there, and say hi if we happen to run into each out there.

There and back again…a writer’s tale

Having just returned from New Zealand after a two week break, a birthday celebration, and a fantastic convention, I feel almost as relaxed as I did after the break at the Smoky Mountains writing retreat.

It was my Dad’s 70th birthday, and it was lovely to share it with him. I also managed to catch up with some cousins I haven’t seen for years.

It reminded me that it has been nearly five years since I moved to Virginia, and the world has not stopped. Nothing like seeing children sprout up to remind you of that.

Apart from that New Zealand is still somewhat the same, although there seem to be more cafes and craft breweries. Tee was pretty happy about that.

In Wellington we visited the Garage Project which is in a converted gas station that I used to actually fill my car up in. Tee much prefers the liquids they have there now. Then we moved onto the Little Beer Quarter, which seemed like the ideal place to drink beers, and have a meet up with friends, writers, and people it was a joy to catch up with.

After Wellington I drove us up to Rotorua. This is probably the second most concentrated tourist hub in New Zealand, but despite that it hasn’t lost its New Zealandness. Being on a thermal area, there are plenty of hot springs, warm mud, and a little sulphurous gas. The convention Reconaissance, was lots of fun, the panels were well attended, and Tee and I ran a one day course on writing. We also got to spend time with Gail Carriger, who we haven’t seen for a couple of years either.

To top it all off, we ended up with a delightful steampunk gathering in the Government gardens. There was croquet, tea and little baked things.

From there I drove us to Auckland (still not quite ready to let Tee drive on the left-hand side), we hopped a plane, and landed in Christchurch. Then after picking up a car, we drove to Oamaru.

For years we’ve been meaning to go there, since it is styled the Steampunk Capital of the world. After doing a whirlwind visit thanks to the kind steampunk folk of Oamaru, I feel like that might be an understatement. We’re going to do a series of posts about our experiences there, but I will say that it was amazing, and took awhile to process.

So New Zealand has changed. I set sail for America in October 2010, and shortly after steampunk took hold there. Seriously took hold. From what I saw steampunk has grown in cities like Wellington, and in small towns like Thames. I think steampunk is this popular because New Zealand has a long tradition of making do. Like most islands, you learn to make do with what you have, or changing it to serve your needs. Steampunk and the maker culture as a whole have a similar ethic.

Still reeling from the huge gulp of steampunk culture, I drove us through the bottom of the South Island towards Queenstown. In the growing twilight it was actually kind of eerie in places since there were not settlements and no cellphone reception.

Queenstown is New Zealand’s most touristy town, and as beautiful as it is, on a lake surrounded by mountains, I don’t like it as much as Rotorua. Still we had fun looking at kiwis, drinking wine at a tasting room with a soda machine like setup, and watching a man with jets on his feet hover above the water. Yes, it is wild and wacky in Queenstown, but Tee didn’t get to bungy. So I suppose we might go back.

Now, back to reality and the pile of work I need to do. However, New Zealand we will be back. Thank you for taking us into your kind embrace.

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