Listening #IWSG

Ack! It’s Camp NaNo and I’ve taken on likely more than I can manage. I’ve got a table at Gem State Comic Con this weekend that I need to make sure I have everything prepped for. Signed up/paid for two more events this summer this month. Pinewood Derby for my daughter’s Pack was earlier this week (sorry, no pictures – I was running around with my iPad and a list of racers and their numbers which made me look official enough or something to get ALL the questions). And there’s still plenty more on the calendar that I don’t want to think about right now.

Doesn’t leave much time for other projects to try and get to at the moment. Though book 7 edits is the project for Camp NaNo so at least there’s progress there.

IWSG question of the month: Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

Not yet. I’m exploring options still, but unless I can bring that cost much further down, I cannot afford to make any of them into audiobooks. I have a decent mic and the program to do it myself, but I’m not certain I would be the best person to be the narrator. I don’t have the training as a voice over actor. Though I could probably muddle through what I vaguely remember of audio production.

That and I have a pair of noisemakers in the house even when I’m the only human there and a surprisingly busy neighborhood. I’d have to invest in some soundproofing.

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So, I am still looking into doing audiobooks when I have the chance, but for the moment it has to be set on the “I’ll get to it eventually” pile that is ever growing. The thought of running a Kickstarter or something with Patreon or Ko-Fi has crossed my mind to help with the cost, but I’m not sure I would make it for one book to be produced (and having six out currently that could be done as audiobooks makes those numbers look even more insurmountable).

For now, it’s back to getting ready for the con this weekend. I can definitely say I’ll also be at Gem State Gaming Convention this summer (I’ve missed this con!). The other one is always weird to try and announce early because I’m never quite sure I have my spot until I start getting responses closer to the event. I’m very much hoping other events return or are able to run fully again.

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Just because you can doesn’t mean you should #IWSG

I should start this post with some progress. Yes, I’ve finally gone back and started editing book 7. It was in a much better place than I feared it was (post NaNoWriMo chaos is always questionable). I’ve got plenty of editing still to do and possibly some scenes to add since it’s a bit thin for my liking.

I’ve put it back down for now with the chaos of life. Though I’ll pick it up again soon. When I have two of them going at the same time, the newest one kind of goes on and off hold for these first few months of the year anyway while I prepare the other for publication. It’s enough of a routine that I’m unconcerned at the moment.

The major reason for putting book 7 back on hold is my calendar is filling quickly this month and most of it belongs to my daughter. If it was merely taking her to drop her off and wait, I’d likely be poking at Scrivener on my phone if I didn’t take my iPad with me. However, my attention will be required.

IWSG question of the month: Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?

So many times. Especially when it’s adding scenes during editing. Does this fit? Is this just for my own entertainment? Does this help the story at all?

While I ask those questions, I also look to see if it there’s a way to work it so it’ll fit/help. Most of the time I can get it to play nice. I’m not sure if I’ve ever really trashed a scene after writing it (excluding when I’ve done a complete rewrite of something). This may be more because I write so minimally when I draft that I’m constantly having to add.

That and overthinking things before I start is a specialty of mine.

As for being conflicted about writing a whole story, absolutely. Every time I start something, but if I don’t write it, I won’t know. If it doesn’t work out, no one else has to see it.

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Paralyzing fear #IWSG

You know that rough of book 7 I was talking about? Yeah… I still haven’t looked at the file again. Why? I’m scared.

And that’s not the only thing lately. I’ve been trying to pick up some new skills or returning to things I used to do, but stopped because… well, I sucked. I know I’m fighting myself on the “if you’re not immediately good at this why bother?” part that I grew up with and knowing it takes time and practice. A particular line from Firefly comes to mind:

“She understands, she doesn’t comprehend.”

Firefly “Objects in Space” River Tam

Writing escaped a lot of that because I kept it secret and private. It was my little playground for a long time where I could be as messy and as bad as I wanted. And most importantly, no one could tell me how bad I was.

It’s not like I haven’t been writing at all. I’ve been toying with other projects that will never see the light of day. My scratch pad where I can play to my heart’s content. I just need to figure out how to apply that to other things.

Anyone else ever hesitate or pause on a project because of fear?

New year, new um… #IWSG

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions. Not sure why, but they just never worked for me.

A draft of book 7 is waiting for me. I decided to take at least a month away from it before coming back which is really weird because I usually dive right into editing in December. In the interim, I’ve been poking at some side stuff, trying to figure out where things are going post. Things that will actually help me edit the book itself.

I swear it makes sense. Maybe only to me, but it does.

This year I’d like to pick up some other things that have fallen by the wayside. Nothing I would constitute as a resolution, but I’m going to get back to drawing. I should probably find an accountability partner for this. For now, I need to learn Procreate.

I also need to get back to figuring out what to do with my website. While I map out the sections, there will likely be a lot of blank pages until I go back and fill in.

Book 8 is stewing in my mind also. I hadn’t wanted to do two background stories back-to-back so I held off. Then there’s all the other writing projects and concepts that have been collecting dust.

I know I won’t get to it all. I’m not sure how much I can get to. What do I choose to put aside for the time being (possibly again)? Eventually I’ll figure it out.

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Writing joys and woes #IWSG

NaNoWriMo is over and the year is quickly coming to an end. I’m not sure what to make of it all. There has been so much going on that it’s been hard to keep track of.

I’m not even certain what to write at this point. About as much as my brain wants to work right now is to look at the calendar and see how soon the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV drops. I’ll be happily indulging myself in Endwalker’s story.

December’s optional question: In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you?

Plenty of stressors in writing. From having no idea where the story is going while I’m getting a draft down to how it’ll be received. This year’s NaNo project definitely had me pulling on my hair. It would not work last year and after bouncing some ideas with my alpha reader, I managed to push through this year. I haven’t gone back yet to see how bad it is, but he got his hands on it while I was still writing and it sounds promising.

But that happens a lot. I do, however, take delight in seeing it all come together. Not to mention the kind words I’ve received from people over the years who have enjoyed my series. Though I’ll admit, I’m afraid to ask specific questions on what in particular they like. And it doesn’t help that I am the keeper of all spoilers.

Sorry this is so short and disjointed. Usually I’ll have pulled up the project already and started making sure everything is lined up since I’ll change my mind on the fly and not go back to edit because, well, NaNo, but I think I’m going to let it sit for a little bit. Maybe poke at it again later in the month.

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I forgot… #IWSG

Uh… oops. It’s been chaotic and I’ve kept missing IWSG days and am running late on it today, but at least it’s still today. And yet somehow I’ve remembered during NaNoWriMo.

November IWSG question: What’s harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

The blurb. The blurb is the bane of my existence. The “let me tell you about the book without spoiling anything” ends up going through so many rewrites. I always have a number of people looking it over.

The title? Usually I was giggling coming up with random titles and then picked one to see if it would stick or not. Some did, others didn’t. Once I’ve settled on one, I make sure I work it into the story somewhere at least once. I think I got Shattered Illusions in a few times (though it may have been slightly altered on some).

I kind of wish I had kept the list of all the goofy names Brandi and I came up with while trying to title Mortgaged Mortality as a NaNoWriMo project. There were at least two dozen title ideas.

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Quit? #IWSG

IWSG question of the Month: What would make you quit writing?

I may take breaks and walk away for a while, but I don’t think I could ever quit. I’ve recently been rereading an old file. The one that I figured out that if I wanted to tell that story I needed more world building and then my current series was born. It’s funny what I forgot was in there that eventually made its way into the series. Ideas that have been brewing for years. (No, I’m not sharing, my writing was horrid.)

So, while projects may never be seen, I doubt I’ll ever stop. Writing is too much a part of me. It started as a means of escape and evolved from there.

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Divine and Conquer

Time is still a funny thing, isn’t it? Suddenly we’re a week out from release of Divine and Conquer and I still haven’t done any sort of announcement or cover reveal. I really did lose track of time with that.

Granted, I’ve been waiting to also get the files for bookmarks and FB/Twitter covers, but that’s not much of an excuse.

This will be the last one in this series for a bit. It’s a good pausing point where I can turn my attention to other projects. Currently Divine and Conquer is available for ebook preorder on Amazon and will be up for preorder (both print and ebook) with other retailers in the next few days. Print on Amazon will go live on the 21st and as for the copies I keep on hand… well, I’ll be ordering them on the 21st. I’ll announce when I have them.

A little risky #IWSG

In more ways than one. I might’ve overloaded my plate, but I’m getting through it and will hopefully not be a sobbing mess curled up in a ball in the corner after the next couple of weeks.

This is the time of year that I kick into high gear for production so I can release on time in June. I’ve got my editing done for book 6. I’ve got it formatted. And soon cover design work will begin. At the same time I’m closing on a house and moving. And you know what? Let’s throw a convention in there that I’ll have a booth at. (I didn’t plan this out very well.)

That’s not counting other personal things going on as well. I worry the risk of juggling all of this will land in something crashing.

IWSG Question of the Month:  Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

I guess? I know I’ll go into sensitive topics, but that’s part of the world I’m in. I’m not going to try to cover up things like racism and sexism among other things. I’ve got ideas for other projects that may push even those boundaries.

I just haven’t found the time to get started on any of them. As it is, I’ll be poking at what exists of the 7th book in the series to see what I can salvage and what I need to do to get the story to take off.

For now, I’m just going to keep pushing through this crazy schedule I accidentally made for myself and see how things go. I’m sure it’ll be fine, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be running in circles in a panic in the meantime.

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Whatcha reading? #IWSG

Where did the time go? It feels like I blink and a month is gone.

Granted, life has been chaotic for the past… I lost track. Recently I’ve been delving back into my side stories for Terra. Particularly a section that could go into book 6 (which is out with one of my beta readers at the moment), but it’s Silver’s perspective and I don’t want to jump like that given that I’ve always stuck to Ketayl’s so far. But it has certainly been interesting to explore this piece through his eyes while she’s not around.

I’d say more, but spoilers.

IWSG Question of the Month – Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

I’ll read most anything. Though you’ll hear me complain about trends in certain genres that just drive me up a wall. Sorry, romance.

But if it’s something that interests me (both fiction and nonfiction), I’ll happily sit down and read through it and my interests change. Sometimes those are determined by what I’m working on. I haven’t been at my volunteer post for roughly a year now (thanks, covid) which gave me access to a lot of local history, but I’ve been poking at other interests as time allows.