Category: Weekly Writing Check In

Weekly writing check-in: cover reveal!

So, amazingly, my interior and cover files went through the CreateSpace checks like a champ, and I only had to order a single proof before approving the book.

So that means it’s time for the cover reveal!

I’m pleased with the way the cover turned out.

This week I’ve been working mostly in Photoshop and on launch activities (speaking of which, you can totally enter the Goodreads Giveaway–see link below). I had a brainstorm for giving Coffee & Ghosts a refresh, and I think it’s turning out. I only meant to work on it yesterday morning. But then I glanced at the clock and realized it was close to 8:30 in the evening*.

But earlier in the week I did do some work on the fairy tale series. One rejection, but I haven’t turned that around yet.

I anticipate next week will be lots of launch activities and some more Photoshop, but I hope to get some fairy tale work in as well.

*In all fairness, I did do other things, like take my daughter to dance practice and her job, but really, I was on a Photoshop tear.

 

Goodreads Giveaway link

Win a Kindle copy of the book!

Weekly writing check-in: late check-in with an almost cover

Checking in late today. I’ve been busy trying to get the cover ready for Straying from the Path. I think, think, it’s there, or at the very least, almost there.

This means I’ll be doing a cover reveal pretty soon, not to mention having the book go on sale.

In other news, I sent out two submissions this week without receiving any rejections. I did some additional work on the fairy tale series. But mostly it was a week of Photoshop and Vellum (for the interior layout).

So now I send the Kindle file to my e-reader and wait on CreateSpace* to either accept or kick back the print cover and interior. I’ve found that staring at my inbox does not make the fine folks at CreateSpace work any faster, so I think I’ll do what I did last week and curl up with a book.

*My spell checker wants to change CreateSpace to meatspace. I find this hilarious.

Weekly writing check-in: quick check-in for a busy week

Busy week, busy weekend. It’s studio dance competition season, once again. So, yesterday was taxes and Girl Scout cookie selling, today was the first competition.

I’m letting the novel I completed last week “compost” for a bit, so I started working on another (longer) fairy tale. If I can pull this off, I should (should) be able to start publishing two new series this year.

Also this week, six rejections! Some are leftover from last year. I did send one back out again, but I suppose it’s time to start looking at a few more markets.

I also worked through some graphic design classes as well. And that’s it. I’m just feeling amazingly accomplished for getting the taxes done that I may have to curl up and spend the rest of the day reading.

Weekly writing check-in: back with a completed novel

I’m back! More or less. So, what have I been doing? A little this and a little that, and I finished the draft of my novel.

This past week I wrote 6,000 words, which put me over 68,000 and got me to the finish line.

That means the first in the Coffee and Ghosts spin-off series is a thing. I like that it’s a thing; makes it more real. It still needs some work, still doesn’t have a title. Actually, the series itself doesn’t have a title. So I have a few things to tidy up.

In other news, I’ve sent out six submissions so far this year and have three rejections to show for it.

My fairy tale compilation is almost ready to go. The manuscript has been proofed, I have the interior layout done minus some tweaks.

What do I lack? Why a cover, that’s what. I hope to have that settled within the next two weeks or so.

That’s it for now.

Weekly writing check-in: Keeping Time in the New Year

I’m going to switch things up a bit for the New Year. When I started my weekly check-in, I was spending the year doing a write one/sub one with short stories. That was a great year. It got me back into writing on a regular basis and reminded me why I love writing to begin with.

But I’m not writing as many short stories as I did that first year. Or rather, I tend to binge-write them. Also, this year, I hope to focus on longer, series work. (Now that I’ve stated that, just watch. I’ll end up on some sort of short story tear.)

So I’m going to change my check-in a bit, just covering what I did the previous week. I’ll still log submissions made, stories sold and published, but the format will be more free form.

Without further ado, I give you my week:

This week

Writing: ~3,500 words, plus outlining and structure work. I can see the end from here, but I’m not quite in the home stretch. Almost though. And I may be closer than I suspect.

Published: Keeping Time is in audio over at The Centropic Oracle. They’ve done a fabulous job with the production, and the narrator is marvelous. She brings so much to my little story. If you have seven minutes to spare, go give it a listen.

Weekly writing check-in: year-end wrap up

It’s cold here, so very, very cold. Even with the sweater, coat, and booties, Oscar was in no way inclined to stray outside.

We had a nice, quiet holiday. I spent some time doing behind-the-scenes sorts of tasks to get ready for the new year. And I took a peek at what I did during 2017 as well.

Submissions

I submitted to ~46 short story markets this year. (I think it’s about 46, but it could be a few more since I sometimes forget to log a submission).

Sold

I sold five stories this year:

  • Straying from the Path (reprint in audio)
  • The Saint of Bright Red Things
  • A Knight at the Royal Arms
  • Keeping Time (reprint in audio)
  • Steadfast

Published

I had three of those stories published:

Steadfast in Flash Fiction Online

A Knight at the Royal Arms in Pulp Literature #15

Straying from the Path at The Centropic Oracle

I also wrapped up the Third Season of Coffee and Ghosts.

Writing

I’d really hoped to start publishing a new series this year as well. That didn’t happen. There were a few reasons for that.

One, I was contacted by an editor from one of the big(ger) publishing houses to audition for a work-for-hire project. I decided to give it a try, not so much for the traditional contract but simply to see if I could do it. The editor sent me a three-page synopsis, and from there, I worked up three sample chapters of about 6,500 words. That was back in May. And no, I haven’t heard anything yet. I actually don’t expect to.

That’s okay. I’m pleased with what I wrote and the fact I could take an idea and make it my own. Plus, the research I did for this project led me directly to one of the new series I’m writing now.

So it all works out.

Oh, and how did this editor know to contact me? She didn’t say, but my guess is Dating on the Dork Side, and one of her books were in each other’s Also-Boughts on Amazon.

If I didn’t get all the writing in that I wanted to, I did some amazing writing-related things this year:

  • I spent a wonderful weekend at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. I cannot wait to return this coming summer, and I’m going to make that happen if at all possible.
  • I took a couple of very helpful classes, including one on Flash Fiction from LitReactor. (Two weeks, seven stories, and I’ve sold one already–Steadfast.)
  • Some deep, story structure work via John Truby.

On the business side of things, I worked on graphic design (Photoshop in particular), and finally took the plunge and signed up for Mark Dawson’s Ads for Authors course.

In terms of sales, I had my first four-figure month and I’m ending the year at five figures, which isn’t too shabby for my part-time self-publishing business. Not only that, but Amazon selected Dating on the Dork Side as part of their Prime Reading list over the summer. That didn’t hurt.

So, all in all, not a bad year. I always think I can do more. But sometimes it’s good simply to do a little bit each day. It adds up.

Weekly writing check-in: quiet holiday reading and writing

Things slow down once school is out for winter break, and the dance team is on a break as well (that sound you hear is my sigh of relief). So it has been a quiet week.

Well, except for the cat, that is. It took her until the 22nd, but she finally claimed the tree. She didn’t stay long. I suspect now that she’s older, it isn’t as much fun.

I did get some writing in this week and made progress on the fairy tale project. Plus, I hit 90 books read for the year (so far). Even though I’m on vacation, I’m not sure I can make it to 100 books by the 31st. That being said, I think I’m going to try.

Writing work:

  • Series work (structure, brainstorming, research)
  • Truby masterclass
  • Fairy Tale Project
  • Writing ~4,300 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: Even more writing and dancing

Even more dancing this week. There’s one more meet on Tuesday, and then that’s it until January. Whew!

I did get some writing in, +5,000 words or so. And my story, Steadfast, in Flash Fiction Online, got the most amazing review here.

And now I need to go figure out Christmas, or at least wrap some presents before the tower of Amazon boxes in the front hall tips over and crushes someone.

Writing work:

  • Series work (structure, brainstorming, research)
  • Mark Dawson’s Ads for Authors Course
  • Writing ~5,000 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: Writing and Dancing

It’s been a busy week, what with some snow, a dance meet and an invitational, some ads classes, some writing, and some extra-long commuting thanks to the snow mentioned earlier.

And hey, it’s snowing on WordPress, too!

This is what I worked up in Photoshop this week, a quick cover for two of my short stories. The rights have reverted back to me, and I can do anything I like with them. So. What I would like to do with them is send them along as a free read to my mail list.

In this bundle:

  • Knight at the Royal Arms (published this summer in Pulp Literature)
    About a modern-day damsel in distress
  • Simon the Cold (published in Frozen Fairy Tales)
    About a woman who meets the mysterious Simon and must help him save the world

(And you can sign up for my mail list by clicking the Mail List tab at the top of the page if you like.)

Writing work:

  • Series work (structure, brainstorming, research)
  • Mark Dawson’s Ads for Authors Course
  • Graphic Design/Photoshop tutorials
  • Writing ~3,000 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None