A simple update about complex things
I wish these hiatuses of mine indicated some great, fiery period of productivity, but really, how little I commit to this blog has nothing to do with how active I'm being otherwise.
I did start the novel, successfully turning NaNoWriMo into NaNoStarMo (see what I did there? magic). I'm ten thousand words in and mostly happy with what those words are, their order and arrangement. Working with a friend in his scene shop at his theater, I was holding a screw gun, staring down at a nailed together structure that would, once install and painted, be the wall of a set and realized that we do sort of the same thing. Emphasis on sort of. There's a handy manual filled with useful knowledge like invincible knots and saw horse designs and how to hang something from the ceiling so it swings, doesn't swing, or can even raise up and down after being affixed. For writers... well, I guess you could say the book hasn't been written yet, ironically.
Like today at work I saw a flyer, approved to be hung on the announcement board, for a book signing. I work at a school, so, the fact that the book was obviously sci-fi impressed me into doing some research. And I hesitate before using negative phrases, but something is to be said for the kind of places that will prey on young authors and work with them in a limited fashion to produce something that could stonewall one's career. Not that the book on the flyer I saw was one of those stories, but I did find several places where the publisher was being badmouthed, and the company's site itself is bereft of thorough or even moderate proofreading. There are signs, and then there are omens. I'm set to be in place, earning my pay check during the hours in question, but I wonder if I'll be able to make some time to go to the person's event. I'd want someone to come to mine, after all.
Something else that's news that has little to do with my recent efforts is that I got a mock-up for my release that should (barring setbacks similar to my previous, still slowed, release) be out in March. It's interesting how a visual of something can make it more real. Honestly, up to that point I had never considered the book as much of one until I saw what might be the cover for it. Of course, I annoyed the nice artist over the course of half a dozen emails, asking that the letters be moved just so, or the background be cropped differently. Currently though, I have an email praising her efforts and giving the latest draft my blessing saved, just waiting to be sent. So that was fun.
Also, because I have the kind of awesome people that push others to achieve as friends, I found myself on a more professional looking sports writing consortium type contraption and recently, published this article. Admittedly, it was an older piece which I threw into the mix just to see how the system worked, but I got some good feedback from honest to goodness editors. It doesn't pay, but the story got more hits in a day than anything I've done to date. And three tweets, whatever that amounts to.
So I haven't been as productive as I could've been, but I also haven't been slacking entirely. I think the commitment I'll make is to double the writing I currently have done before the end of the month. Ready, set, procrastinate.
I did start the novel, successfully turning NaNoWriMo into NaNoStarMo (see what I did there? magic). I'm ten thousand words in and mostly happy with what those words are, their order and arrangement. Working with a friend in his scene shop at his theater, I was holding a screw gun, staring down at a nailed together structure that would, once install and painted, be the wall of a set and realized that we do sort of the same thing. Emphasis on sort of. There's a handy manual filled with useful knowledge like invincible knots and saw horse designs and how to hang something from the ceiling so it swings, doesn't swing, or can even raise up and down after being affixed. For writers... well, I guess you could say the book hasn't been written yet, ironically.
Like today at work I saw a flyer, approved to be hung on the announcement board, for a book signing. I work at a school, so, the fact that the book was obviously sci-fi impressed me into doing some research. And I hesitate before using negative phrases, but something is to be said for the kind of places that will prey on young authors and work with them in a limited fashion to produce something that could stonewall one's career. Not that the book on the flyer I saw was one of those stories, but I did find several places where the publisher was being badmouthed, and the company's site itself is bereft of thorough or even moderate proofreading. There are signs, and then there are omens. I'm set to be in place, earning my pay check during the hours in question, but I wonder if I'll be able to make some time to go to the person's event. I'd want someone to come to mine, after all.
Something else that's news that has little to do with my recent efforts is that I got a mock-up for my release that should (barring setbacks similar to my previous, still slowed, release) be out in March. It's interesting how a visual of something can make it more real. Honestly, up to that point I had never considered the book as much of one until I saw what might be the cover for it. Of course, I annoyed the nice artist over the course of half a dozen emails, asking that the letters be moved just so, or the background be cropped differently. Currently though, I have an email praising her efforts and giving the latest draft my blessing saved, just waiting to be sent. So that was fun.
Also, because I have the kind of awesome people that push others to achieve as friends, I found myself on a more professional looking sports writing consortium type contraption and recently, published this article. Admittedly, it was an older piece which I threw into the mix just to see how the system worked, but I got some good feedback from honest to goodness editors. It doesn't pay, but the story got more hits in a day than anything I've done to date. And three tweets, whatever that amounts to.
So I haven't been as productive as I could've been, but I also haven't been slacking entirely. I think the commitment I'll make is to double the writing I currently have done before the end of the month. Ready, set, procrastinate.
Comments
Post a Comment