Friday, June 28, 2013

Free Fiction Friday: The Risen Queen

UPDATE: The story "The Risen Queen" was here for free for one week. Now it is gone a new story will eventually replace it. Revisit this link for further updates on the story's ebook status.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Free Fiction Friday: Midwinter Light


The story "Midwinter Light" was available for free for one week. Now it has been replaced by another short story. Please check back at this link for updates and for links to where you can purchase this story as an ebook.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Free Fiction Friday: The Beast Of Mern


UPDATE: The short story "The Beast Of Mern" was here free for one week. Now it is gone and a new story takes its place. Check back to this link for updates on the status of the story as it will likely appear as an ebook. 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Dear Writer: Writing Plans


"The work never matches the dream of perfection the artist has to start with." 
~William Faulkner
I've been over this many times already. I've made plans about the books and stories I planned to write during a given period of time. None of those plans have panned out. Right now, I'm contemplating the formulation of another plan and also wondering if it is all for naught. (Yeah, just a bit of melodrama in my choice of words, I know.) But, I'm still going to make another plan. I recognize the importance of having some sort of plan even if it isn't a detailed one. It's something that many writers agree about at least in theory though often those plans never get past the first thoughts had about them.

I think one of the reasons I keep thinking in terms of plans is that I am also an indie publisher. Publishers have plans and schedules for publications that need to hit. Meeting deadlines is even more important when you're trying to build up an inventory of titles. Publishing imprints have regular monthly releases. This present a unique set of challenges for a writer who is trying supply the new books and stories to fill that list month after month.

I have not established any reliable schedule of writing to get that new material published, but I am well aware that it is exactly what I need to be hard at work doing. If I were able to make a realistic plan for writing new books and stories, I would be able to make measureable progress towards publishing goals too. I want the viablity of an imprint that is releasing titles regularly. The more titles that are up and available for purchase, the more likely I am to approach earnings that constitute a viable living.

If there is one thing I've learned as a freelancer it is that having multiple income streams is a far safer way than being totally reliant on a single income source. Relating this fact to writing plans it is clear that if I plan to produce a certain amount of stories over a given period of time I create the chance that those stories will sell in modest amounts, combining those smaller numbers to produce a decent amount of money each month.

Is this guaranteed money like working for a wage would be? No, not exactly. You are beholden to readers to buy those stories. I am not saying that traditional jobs are just more secure than freelancing and indie publishing are. They often are not anymore stable. Employers can hire one day and then fire or layoff the next. You can't count on an employer to always be there.

The bottom line is that nothing is ever certain. The same is true of any plan. Plans do not always go off without a hitch. More often, they fall apart when you get started making reevaluation and improvisation the norm. Does these facts mean that you should just skip a writing plan? No. I don't think so. It is always good to have a working blueprint of how you'd like things to go. Sure, life will get in the way of those carefully crafted plans, chew them up, and spit them out. But you can always draw up new ones and keep going. Better yet, have contingencies so you're prepared for failures. They will happen. If you can hit the ground running with a new plan, you minimize how your writing production is impacted.

Writing plans allow the writer a level of flexibility that they do not always afford themselves when lost in the white heat of creation. Some writer (this writer included) don't do any real planning when it comes to writing stories so any writing plan has to account for that and focus on general principles like how many stories to shoot for during a given timeframe.

So what is next for me, Dear Writer? Well, I think I need to make a new writing plan. Wish me luck. I wish you the same in all that you do.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Dear Writer: It's Okay Not To Write Sometimes

"I advise writing to oneself. If you don't want to read it, nobody else is going to read it." ~ S.E. Hinton

Dear writer, if you read my last message, you know that sometimes life gets in the way and you experience what is called a "life roll." It's bound to happen at one point or another. If ones takes over and you found you haven't written for some time, or at least not written to whatever level or standards you declared to yourself, you might feel guilt or disappointment. It is easy to blow things out of proportion. After all, most fiction writers are drama queens to one level or another. It's a bi-product of making things up all time in the stories we write.

Even if the events that sent you off on that life roll are now over or you're adjusting to a new paradigm, you might be wondering why the writing hasn't bounced back. You might be wondering, 'why haven't I gotten back on that old horse and resumed the pace I had set?' I don't know your reasons, but I have a few reasons besides the adjustments I've been making since I had to take on a part-time job.

I've been second-guessing myself and evaluating what I really want to do as a writer or maybe as a storyteller. I am really thinking about the subject that the quote at the beginning of this post mentions. I am not writing because I really am not sure whether I'm writing to myself or getting caught up in the idea of writing to readers or to some market in particular. The expectations that this can foster affects whether I am going to produce something or not.

I forget that I need to write stories that I find interesting and entertaining, first and foremost. All of the other considerations have to come somewhere beyond a distant second. I need to enjoy the stories I'm spinning. Otherwise, I have to wonder what it is I'm doing. I've said before that writing has to be fun or just won't do it. That basic philosophical point is a hard one to swallow at times. I believe it, but putting the ideas into practice can be difficult.

I do believe that if I'm not writing something that touches me on these kinds of levels that, ultimately, they will not be enjoyed by readers. What do you think, Dear Writer? Do you agree with me or no?

It's okay not to write sometimes. Especially when you just don't know whether what you've tried to write just isn't fitting that important criteria of being fun and entertaining. There no reason to beat yourself up about not putting down new words, if those words aren't ones written first for yourself. Just give yourself some time, seek out the stories that are fun for you and that speak to you. Then you'll be amazed at what might happen.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Free Fiction Friday: Winds Of Fate


UPDATE: There was a short story called "Winds Of Fate" here to read for free for one week. It's been replaced with another story. Check back to this post for future links to the story when it appears as an ebook.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Free Fiction Friday: Death To The Messenger

UPDATE: The story "Death To The Messenger" was here for free for one week but now it has been replaced by another story.  Check back at this post for links to the story when it is published electronically.