In other audiobook news: I just have three more titles to have available for you, and then everything I've so far published will be available in audio! "Mr. Pumpkin-Head And Other Poems" is now heading to retail, so should be available soon. Also, I've approved the "Voyage Of The Crimson Sail" fifteen minut sample, which means I'm just waiting for the final version of that now. After that, it will just be "Puppy Poems And Rodent Rhymes" to get produced in audio, which hopefully won't be too long in happening either, but it depends how long it takes to find a narrator I'm happy with for it (it's currently up for auditions, if any narrators are reading this and interested in auditioning). I'll update you on the progress of all three titles whenever there's anything to report.
In the meantime, I'm fiddling with some writing projects, but haven't done as much as I'd hoped to this month. It's frustrating for me that I'm not getting as much writing time as I'd like to, and am used to getting. Even if it is mostly by choice, since I took some time to just do nothing a few days this month, and focussed on other stuff a lot of the time. But I'm getting some writing time every so often - between other things - and slowly adding words here and there to various projects, so, though I am struggling with some guilt for not writing much - despite knowing I really needed those days - at least I'm not in danger of going insane from lack of writing time any time soon. Well, not any more insane than I already am anyhow. *wink*
A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.
~Franz Kafka
OK. Let's see what links I have for you this week, shall we?
Firstly, returning to the subject of audiobooks for a moment... Audible has introduced enhanced listener navigation for your audiobooks - just in case you hadn't heard.
Oh, and with Christmas coming up fast - I mean, it's Halloween tomorrow, after all - ACX have announced a holiday publishing deadline for your audiobook, which doesn't mean you can't finish and release an audiobook later than that deadline, but does mean it might not be on sale in time for Christmas if you miss the deadline. I just thought I should make sure you knew about that, in case it applies to you.
Anyway, as I'm sure you already know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts in just a couple of days. Will you be participating this year? If yes, check out this advice on how to prep for NaNoWriMo, and this checklist for NaNoWriMo. Yeah, I know I'm not giving you much notice. But you still have some time to prep, if you haven't done so already. Or, why not warm up with a few writing sprints? In fact, you could do some if you aren't doing NaNoWriMo too.
Writing sprints or not, if you are doing NaNoWriMo this year, good luck! Whether you complete the challenge or not, feel free to tell me how it goes once November is over. And, if you don't complete it, remember that all writers must fail; it's the fact you tried that really counts.
I mean, what keeps you from writing success? Are you a prisoner of unexamined beliefs? If so, perhaps you should "play" a little, and examine those beliefs. Just a thought. So, break out of the box.
Success is not permanent & failure is not fatal.
~Mike Ditka
If you're struggling with confidence issues, and they're getting in the way of your writing, read this next post, and don't let your confidence issues stop you from writing.
You could even just try some stream of conciousness writing. No. It's not a waste of potential writing time. It's good practice. In fact, here's a post in defense of writing nonsense. In fact, many of my first drafts start out like that. That's why I never let anyone see my writing until I've at least done that first rewrite.
But, later, how do you know your writing is good? Well, I hope someone will tell me when my writing isn't good, but the truth is you rarely get told one way or another. Mostly you just have to write, read, do your best, and hope your best is good enough. But if you think something you wrote really isn't good enough, don't throw away your work, just set it aside.
The hard part of creation is when you're doing it and no one's paying attention.
~Hank Green
Next, this is a post about writerly procrastination - why it happens, and how to break free of it. Because, let's face it, we all need some advice on that from time to time.
But... Ah, yes, to quit writing would be so easy, wouldn't it? But is it really what you want? Probably not. You're probably just tired, or dealing with a lot right now, or... Well, something. So think long and hard before you quit, and don't be in too much of a hurry to walk away.
If your urge to quit is because you're behind on the writing goal(s) you set yourself at the start of the year, and now you're realizing the year is almost over, and you aren't going to meet it in these next two months - I mean, how is it the end of October already anyhow? - this is how to keep writing towards your goal even if you know you won't reach it.
It might also help you to avoid the urge to quit if you write about your passions whenever you can, in whatever way you can make that work.
The writer can choose what he writes about but he cannot choose what he is able to make live…
~Flannery O’Connor
OK, I'm going to assume you aren't going to quit. So, here's how to make time for writing outside your day job, more tips on how to fit writing around your full time job, and even more advice for when your day job 'gets in the way' of your writing time, all of which you can use whether you have a day job or not, because everyone has other commitments they have to consider, we all need to be reminded that sometimes you have to say yes to less (if you want to write more, and any advice for helping figure out how to balance those is welcome, right? I know it is for me. So try different things until you figure out what works, even if the idea of doing so is scary.
Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little.
~Holley Gerth
Like me, you might be one of those people with a long list of story ideas you're trying to work your way through. But, if you're not, here's a bit about where story ideas come from, which will hopefully lead to you finding some to work with.
Right... You have your idea. Now it's time to write it. So... Backstory. Is it relevant information or an inconsequential event? Well, that depends on your story.
No matter what your story's about, here are some ways to invigorate silent beats in dialogue - in case you want some ideas on how to do that.
Regardless of who says what in your story, or how they say it, your story will need an antagonist of some kind. So, check out this post that reminds you of the missing piece - what most antagonists lack.
Whoever's in your story, if you're thinking of writing from the point of view of more than one character - or even if you aren't - here's some advice on nailing point of view, which you might find useful.
So, does your story need more tension? One way to get it is to follow the advice in the post I just linked to.
You should also take a look at these tips for watching out for redundancy in your story. The third one you especially want to watch out for.
Next, here's some advice on the whole writing what you know thing, and the importance of breathing life in to what you "know" using experiences both real and imagined.
Writing doesn't get easier with experience. The more u know, the harder it is to write
~T O'Brien
OK, if you're book is written, and you're ready to think about marketing and publishing it, you might want to take a look at these tips on writing a book blurb that actually sells, so you can figure out how to craft an awesome blurb that will hopefully result in plenty of sales. Of course, nothing's guaranteed when it comes to book sales, but the better chance you can give your book, the better it is for your chances of sales.
Also, check out this advice for doing radio or podcast interviews and interviews in front of a camera, in case the opportunity to do one of those presents itself. You never know, and don't want to waste the opportunity if it does.
Words are containers for power, you choose what kind of power they carry.
~Joyce Meyer
Finally, if you're a blogger, here's something to think about if you almost gave up blogging, and a reminder that it's OK to just do things at your own pace, and focus on enjoying your online interactions. A reminder I needed, if I'm honest.
2 comments:
I wish NaNoWriMo was in February or March instead of November, which is always a bit of a crazy month for me. I haven't had all that much time to write as is! Hope you do it and do well!
Jeanie:
You could do with entering CampNaNo or something. It's in April, I think. Or you could just set your own challenge in February. You could call it MaGyNoWriMo (Marmalade Gypsy Novel Writing Month). ;)
I'm not actually doing it. I did consider it, but in the end decided I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be doing something like that right now. I think I need to keep on as I have been throughout October, and focus on getting in my down time while just slowly working on writing projects.
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