A bit of a departure this morning, since I've not really accomplished much on "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" today. Still trying to decide how to do something. The "fiend" is going to contact Stefanie, but I'm not sure how just yet.
Anyway, the departure: how I name and develop characters.
Jack Watson: Oddly enough, when I began writing "The Dreamer Gambit," the private detective was meant to be a secondary character. I decided my main POV, Tabitha, should find him attractive, but he would want to stay purely professional. The next question was why, what motivated him. Thus began background development of the detective--stuffy upbringing, strong on ethics, recently divorced, disastrous marriage. He started to interest me more, and about the same time, I found that making him a POV would help to take the reader where the action is and could set up some tension in certain scenes. Why Jack? I don't know. The name popped into my head. Why Watson? His full name came out to be John Holmes Watson, Junior, but I wasn't even thinking of a Sherlock Holmes connection when I found the name Watson on a website of surnames. Then it fit. Make him an ex-cop and let his old connections tease him about Watson the Private Eye. With "The Changeling Kill," Jack sort of took over the series.
Tabitha Solo: Since the story of "The Dreamer Gambit" revolved around her, hers was the first name I had to come up with. The inspiration for "Dreamer" came from the dream sequence, and for no reason I can really explain, it started with Scott's voice calling Taaaa-bith-aaa. Her surname was Solokowski, which seemed like a good name for a Chicago girl, and HONEST, I SWEAR, I didn't think about naming a singer "Solo."
Tracy Wiley: Okay, I confess on a little word-play on this one. Once again, the name Tracy just popped into my head, but I chose the last name as applicable to her tendency to crack jokes.
Elena Griegos: Tracy's Doppelganger in "Two Faces, Two Faced." I wanted a name that sounded exotic, foreign, but perhaps not definitely indicating one country or another. Didn't want to target another culture or fall into any cliches about countries. The other consideration was that it be easy to pronounce. I don't want readers to struggle with the name every time they encounter it. The resulting name could come from a number of countries, but in the end, the character came from none of them!
Christian Roosa: Believe it or not, the sexy police detective of "Game Faces" and "Stranger Faces" was about to be called Jefferson, short form, Jeff. A friend of mine who could hardly wait for a followup to "Two Faces, Two Faced", didn't like it, and I wasn't all that excited about it either. Then I thought of Christian, which is kind of an antonym because the character is a womanizer. His last name? I once worked with someone with the last name Roos and was told it was Dutch. I remembered this as I passed a street on my regular route to the grocery story--Roosa Lane. Bingo! The detective has a last name!
Stefanie Durant: When I first wrote "Dabblers," some of the names were different. Stefanie's last name had to say "French" because of Paul and I chose Devereaux. Her friend Amy's maiden name was Parker, and her husband was Nathan. Then some good friends turned me onto the TV show "Leverage." It had characters named Nathan Ford, Sophie Devereaux, and Parker. Oops. Purely coincidence. I looked up French surnames on a website and found Durant, which means enduring, and I liked the underlying meaning for Paul. Amy's husband became Adam, and I changed her maiden name too, but it only gets mentioned a time or two and isn't really important in any way. By the by, I spelled Stefanie with an "f" instead of a "ph" because people call her Steffie, and it's easier to make the mental connection by sticking with the "f" all the way.
Today's Gotcha: Envelop/envelope The first one's a verb meaning "to surround." The second is a noun, meaning something that surrounds. The trick? Past tense of the verb is enveloped.
Showing posts with label Two Faces/Two Faced. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Two Faces/Two Faced. Show all posts
Friday, March 8, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Pantser
Added a few more pages to "Seer Tyro Fiend" today. I've also solidified the sequence of events going forward. And still I don't know exactly how the final scene goes. Having talked to a few authors at LIM, the term they use is "pantser" as in seat-of-the-pants writing. I was quite surprised at how many authors are in the same camp. One of them said it's more fun that way, discovering what your character will do moments before he/she does it.
My author's copy of "Two Faces, Two Faced" is on its way. "The Changeling Kill" is one step closer to being a print book too. Very exciting stuff. Now I need to find time and inspiration to do more promotional activities.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my new followers on Twitter and friends on Goodreads. It's really great to connect with readers and writers -- lovers of fiction. Since I also started putting these same posts on Authors Den, those blog entries have been getting a huge number of hits. To all you who read my blog posts, I'll try to keep the info coming and interesting, even in light of less time to devote to it for the present.
My author's copy of "Two Faces, Two Faced" is on its way. "The Changeling Kill" is one step closer to being a print book too. Very exciting stuff. Now I need to find time and inspiration to do more promotional activities.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my new followers on Twitter and friends on Goodreads. It's really great to connect with readers and writers -- lovers of fiction. Since I also started putting these same posts on Authors Den, those blog entries have been getting a huge number of hits. To all you who read my blog posts, I'll try to keep the info coming and interesting, even in light of less time to devote to it for the present.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Whirlwind
"Two Faces, Two Faced" is ready for print edition. "Stranger Faces" is out on numerous vendor sites. I have a contract to complete for print edition of "Dabblers". "The Changeling Kill" print edition has been proofed. "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is about half done. The developments keep coming so fast, I can hardly keep track of them. But it's great. I'm certainly not complaining, unless it's about not having enough hours in the day to work on it all.
One memory from Love Is Murder keeps coming back to me. Last Saturday night, between the last session and dinner, there were tables set up for authors to talk to people and sign their books. One woman came up to me and said she had bought three of my books at Barnes and Noble and asked if that had in any way "messed" me up. I assumed she meant since I had copies of "The Dreamer Gambit" in the LIM bookstore. I told her no worries. My publisher get my books out for sale at lots of places. But she bought three of my books! How cool is that?
Earlier this evening, I was talking about some serious stuff with my husband, things about our individual childhood years, and it struck me at the time that part of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is about that for Stefanie, and perhaps for me as well. My childhood was nothing like hers, of course. If my childhood were written up as fiction, it would probably be about as interesting as reading a telephone book from cover to cover. A Chicago telephone book. Or maybe New York. Anyway, I heard myself say something to my hubby that could have come from Stefanie just the same. Writing this now, I find myself thinking about other things I heard at LIM, particularly, authors in panel discussions of various subjects, talking about how real-life people inspired their characters. I've never done that, but I guess, in light of all the above, that my characters are somewhat based on me. Perhaps that's an inescapable fact for authors, because facets of each fictional person will come out of the writer's imagination and so must represent some part of them. I think that may be so even for characters based on real people.
Or am I the only nut case out here?
One memory from Love Is Murder keeps coming back to me. Last Saturday night, between the last session and dinner, there were tables set up for authors to talk to people and sign their books. One woman came up to me and said she had bought three of my books at Barnes and Noble and asked if that had in any way "messed" me up. I assumed she meant since I had copies of "The Dreamer Gambit" in the LIM bookstore. I told her no worries. My publisher get my books out for sale at lots of places. But she bought three of my books! How cool is that?
Earlier this evening, I was talking about some serious stuff with my husband, things about our individual childhood years, and it struck me at the time that part of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is about that for Stefanie, and perhaps for me as well. My childhood was nothing like hers, of course. If my childhood were written up as fiction, it would probably be about as interesting as reading a telephone book from cover to cover. A Chicago telephone book. Or maybe New York. Anyway, I heard myself say something to my hubby that could have come from Stefanie just the same. Writing this now, I find myself thinking about other things I heard at LIM, particularly, authors in panel discussions of various subjects, talking about how real-life people inspired their characters. I've never done that, but I guess, in light of all the above, that my characters are somewhat based on me. Perhaps that's an inescapable fact for authors, because facets of each fictional person will come out of the writer's imagination and so must represent some part of them. I think that may be so even for characters based on real people.
Or am I the only nut case out here?
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Showing Versus Telling
My computer time has been curtailed quite a bit lately for various reasons, but I'm doing my best to keep up with all my contact sites.
The other day, I was jotting down a passage for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend," and I had an epiphany of sorts. Everything I have ever read about writing fiction advises "show, don't tell." Okay, sometimes you do have to tell, such as when information must be given but it is not special or critical enough to warrant a lot of elaboration. Sometimes, you just have to say it and move on.
I had often thought that the first person point of view allowed some latitude on this, since the narrative is the character telling his/her story. One literary agent I worked with said it should be like the character telling it to a best friend. But the way one talks to one's best friend is telling, and it can make for very dry reading, not putting the reader in the shoes of the POV. An example:
"I stepped back to get a viewing perspective of the sketch and got a nasty shock."
Revised:
"When I stepped back to get a viewing perspective of the sketch, I gasped and dropped my pencil."
The difference is obvious. What she did shows her surprise instead of telling she was surprised.
Show versus tell has always seemed a somewhat slippery distinction in my mind, especially in first person, but I think I've stumbled upon a way to overcome. I'll be reviewing the manuscript for "Seer" at some point for just this sort of opportunity to put the reader "in the moment."
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1: "Stranger Faces" in ebook and "Two Faces, Two Faced" in print!
FUTURE: "The Changeling Kill" and "Dabblers" going to print!
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Muse Smiles
The magic of inspiration! While going over my ms. for "Seer Tyro Fiend," it occurred to me that a particular plot device I was using had been used in more than one other of my novels. I knew I had to take a different approach, and voila! A new approach popped into my head with an inspired twist. More revisions required, but the more I tinkered with the setup in earlier chapters, the better the new approach looked. This story is now a juggernaut, moving forward and bringing me along with it. It's as if the story already exists and I am discovering it as I write it.
In this novel, Stefanie finds herself confronting the events in her childhood surrounding her discovery of her unique abilities. I wrote a very emotional scene yesterday and was surprised at how it affected me. The feelings I sought to create stayed with me even after I finished up writing for the day. I hope that's a sign of success in having conveyed that emotion. It still resonated when I reread it this morning in preparation to continue the current chapter.
I've also been doing some reading of other people's fiction, mainly with the idea that if I review other's work, they'll reciprocate. I could really use some reviews of "Two Faces, Two Faced" for the print edition due out in February, 2013. The third book in the series, "Stranger Faces," is also scheduled for that date, as is Love Is Murder 2013 conference. This happy coincidence seems to suggest some marketing opportunities, but the specifics remain hazy. Will have to think on this more.
In this novel, Stefanie finds herself confronting the events in her childhood surrounding her discovery of her unique abilities. I wrote a very emotional scene yesterday and was surprised at how it affected me. The feelings I sought to create stayed with me even after I finished up writing for the day. I hope that's a sign of success in having conveyed that emotion. It still resonated when I reread it this morning in preparation to continue the current chapter.
I've also been doing some reading of other people's fiction, mainly with the idea that if I review other's work, they'll reciprocate. I could really use some reviews of "Two Faces, Two Faced" for the print edition due out in February, 2013. The third book in the series, "Stranger Faces," is also scheduled for that date, as is Love Is Murder 2013 conference. This happy coincidence seems to suggest some marketing opportunities, but the specifics remain hazy. Will have to think on this more.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
The Joy of a Series
Haven't blogged for a couple of days. Friday--company holiday party and then preparing for company at home. Saturday--more prep, company stayed until late, but we had a great time. Now I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday off to do some series writing.
"Stranger Faces" is slated for release February 1! Still have to proof galley when it becomes available. Feb. 1 is also the date for release of "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition. And all of this just in time for Love is Murder.
Sequel to "Dabblers" is progressing well, socializing notwithstanding. I had a couple more ideas for the title, but I want to do a search and make sure there are no other books published recently with the same title. Don't want to cause confusion out there.
In regard to the subject for this post, there's a lot of good to say about writing a sequel. It means I get to explore the character more deeply. In "The Changeling Kill," sequel to "The Dreamer Gambit," I got the chance to delve into Jack Watson's past, specifically his hellish marriage. In the sequel to "Dabblers," it's digging into some of Stefanie's unhappy childhood, her early days of dealing with her psychic gift. In both cases, the past is reawakened by current events, so the retrospective angle becomes important and necessary. Applying more history to the character is fun creatively and turns him or her into a more real person, even to me. I get to meet them during their first novel and then we become closer friends, sharing our dark pasts and deep secrets, in the sequel.
Tracy Wiley, on the other hand, did not work out the same way, but that's because her personality flaw, i.e., her withdrawal from people when her mother and brother died, has left some aspects of socialization underdeveloped. Her naivety in that regard is part of what gets her into trouble. Ah, well, if people were all the same, what a dull world it would be.
"Stranger Faces" is slated for release February 1! Still have to proof galley when it becomes available. Feb. 1 is also the date for release of "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition. And all of this just in time for Love is Murder.
Sequel to "Dabblers" is progressing well, socializing notwithstanding. I had a couple more ideas for the title, but I want to do a search and make sure there are no other books published recently with the same title. Don't want to cause confusion out there.
In regard to the subject for this post, there's a lot of good to say about writing a sequel. It means I get to explore the character more deeply. In "The Changeling Kill," sequel to "The Dreamer Gambit," I got the chance to delve into Jack Watson's past, specifically his hellish marriage. In the sequel to "Dabblers," it's digging into some of Stefanie's unhappy childhood, her early days of dealing with her psychic gift. In both cases, the past is reawakened by current events, so the retrospective angle becomes important and necessary. Applying more history to the character is fun creatively and turns him or her into a more real person, even to me. I get to meet them during their first novel and then we become closer friends, sharing our dark pasts and deep secrets, in the sequel.
Tracy Wiley, on the other hand, did not work out the same way, but that's because her personality flaw, i.e., her withdrawal from people when her mother and brother died, has left some aspects of socialization underdeveloped. Her naivety in that regard is part of what gets her into trouble. Ah, well, if people were all the same, what a dull world it would be.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Gratification
A link from the Joliet Public Library on its Author Fair coming up in October contributed to 25 hits on this blog yesterday. People who click on my name come here. For a writer with a small publisher, this is how the game is played. I am going to put a link on this page (although not inside this particular post) to lead people from here to there. What goes around comes around.
Not a lot of writing got done since my previous post. Sometimes, life and work intrude. I did start writing one of those short stories I mentioned earlier, and have added a bit to "Stranger Faces" as well, mostly inserting bits in earlier parts of the novel to set up for coming events.
Pretty soon, the Chicago Writers Association will be publishing the next issue of "The Write City Mag" and it should contain an article I wrote for them which discusses some of the things I have learned about editing and getting published. I hope it helps some new pre-published writers along their way. I'm going to add a link to CWA as well. For a writer in the Chicago area, it's a great resource.
With "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition completed, I'm eagerly awaiting galleys for "Dabblers" which I really hope will be available before the holiday shopping season. As soon as I get a projected release date, I'd like to buy an ad on the Love Is Murder site. Really looking forward to the conference in February.
Not a lot of writing got done since my previous post. Sometimes, life and work intrude. I did start writing one of those short stories I mentioned earlier, and have added a bit to "Stranger Faces" as well, mostly inserting bits in earlier parts of the novel to set up for coming events.
Pretty soon, the Chicago Writers Association will be publishing the next issue of "The Write City Mag" and it should contain an article I wrote for them which discusses some of the things I have learned about editing and getting published. I hope it helps some new pre-published writers along their way. I'm going to add a link to CWA as well. For a writer in the Chicago area, it's a great resource.
With "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition completed, I'm eagerly awaiting galleys for "Dabblers" which I really hope will be available before the holiday shopping season. As soon as I get a projected release date, I'd like to buy an ad on the Love Is Murder site. Really looking forward to the conference in February.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
In the Name of Progress
Sometimes I miss the times of heads-down writing, whether pounding out brand new material or refining a draft. There's a lot of satisfaction in the process (of course, or I wouldn't do it). But those purely creative stages are also mixed with an urge, a desire, to get things going and see signs of success in this endeavor.
Flip side: creating publicity materials, monitoring websites and creating content for them, checking statistics, keeping records. These tasks provide a sense of action, moving forward, and yet make me long for the pure creative process. It's a balancing act, to be sure, especially when I factor in a day job, a house to manage and care for, a family which I want to have quality time with, and then the simple human requirements of eating, sleeping, and just relaxing sometimes.
I did cadge some time yesterday to print up brochures for the up-coming Author Fest in October. Doing 30 tri-folded brochures took less time than I would have expected. I have some more stuff to print--business cards, extensions to another handout about my books, signs. I'm holding back on the signs in case I get a release date for "Dabblers" which I could include on them.
On "Stranger Faces," I'm still thrashing around with the final chapters. It's tricky because there are so many characters involved and they all must be brought to a resolution point somehow. Occasionally, I think I should just start writing it and see what happens. I can always go back and revise as necessary. In the past, doing so has sometimes succeeded in breaking the logjam and getting things moving again.
The idea of creating an anthology of my short stories has become increasingly appealing. I have an idea for another story to add to the collection, too. I envision prefacing each story with a few notes about it, like its standing in the Writers of the Future contest or something about the inspiration for it. For the time being, I have the print edition of "Two Faces, Two Faced" and the ebook of "Dabblers" in the pipeline, plus "Stranger Faces" to finish. Guess I've got my own pipeline of projects.
Flip side: creating publicity materials, monitoring websites and creating content for them, checking statistics, keeping records. These tasks provide a sense of action, moving forward, and yet make me long for the pure creative process. It's a balancing act, to be sure, especially when I factor in a day job, a house to manage and care for, a family which I want to have quality time with, and then the simple human requirements of eating, sleeping, and just relaxing sometimes.
I did cadge some time yesterday to print up brochures for the up-coming Author Fest in October. Doing 30 tri-folded brochures took less time than I would have expected. I have some more stuff to print--business cards, extensions to another handout about my books, signs. I'm holding back on the signs in case I get a release date for "Dabblers" which I could include on them.
On "Stranger Faces," I'm still thrashing around with the final chapters. It's tricky because there are so many characters involved and they all must be brought to a resolution point somehow. Occasionally, I think I should just start writing it and see what happens. I can always go back and revise as necessary. In the past, doing so has sometimes succeeded in breaking the logjam and getting things moving again.
The idea of creating an anthology of my short stories has become increasingly appealing. I have an idea for another story to add to the collection, too. I envision prefacing each story with a few notes about it, like its standing in the Writers of the Future contest or something about the inspiration for it. For the time being, I have the print edition of "Two Faces, Two Faced" and the ebook of "Dabblers" in the pipeline, plus "Stranger Faces" to finish. Guess I've got my own pipeline of projects.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Joliet Library Author Fest
Saturday, October 13, I will be at the Joliet Public Library's Black Road branch selling my books--ebooks as well as signed paperbacks of "The Dreamer Gambit." I look forward to meeting people there and talking about my books. "Dreamer" will be sold a special reduced price, and purchasers will receive a free chapbook for "The Changeling Kill", i.e., the first three chapters.
I'm going to try my hand at printing business cards myself. The forms were readily available at WalMart. I have the ink jet printer. Printing my own has the advantage that I can print a small number at a time and then be ready to update the content as needed. Can't do that very easily with business cards from an office store, where you have to buy hundreds of them at a time.
Finished second proof of "Two Faces, Two Faced" for the print edition. Only 12 changes, and they are very minor--some lost italics, a couple of misspelled words, a couple of word changes to prevent confusion to the reader. I've gone over the cover art several times. I think I'm done.
Hope "Game Faces" shows up on Amazon soon. Work on "Stranger Faces" has temporarily taken a back seat to other stuff, like promotional activities and proofreading. "Dabblers" galley should be ready in a few weeks, and I'll get to work on that.
I'm going to try my hand at printing business cards myself. The forms were readily available at WalMart. I have the ink jet printer. Printing my own has the advantage that I can print a small number at a time and then be ready to update the content as needed. Can't do that very easily with business cards from an office store, where you have to buy hundreds of them at a time.
Finished second proof of "Two Faces, Two Faced" for the print edition. Only 12 changes, and they are very minor--some lost italics, a couple of misspelled words, a couple of word changes to prevent confusion to the reader. I've gone over the cover art several times. I think I'm done.
Hope "Game Faces" shows up on Amazon soon. Work on "Stranger Faces" has temporarily taken a back seat to other stuff, like promotional activities and proofreading. "Dabblers" galley should be ready in a few weeks, and I'll get to work on that.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Updates and News
After the Glen Ellyn Bookfest in June, I joined the Chicago Writers Association, and my membership may have just paid for itself. I received an email from them with an invitation to participate in another event held by the Joliet Public Library. They are hold an Author Fest in mid October, and I will be attending. I still have copies of "The Dreamer Gambit" to sell--at greatly reduced prices--as well as an abundance of information for the rest of my books. And participation is FREE! (I like free. Anything that furthers the sale of books that costs me little or nothing is like a gift.) I've already started updating promotional materials to include "Game Faces." I'll have a table where I can sell my books and talk to people. Very exciting.
Still proofing galley for "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition, but the second reading has not unearthed any more changes so far, and I'm up to Chapter 5.
Looks like "Dabblers" will get into the next phase in a few weeks. I sent the cover art to go with the manuscript. Sounds like it will be released in 2012. Three books in one year!
"Game Faces" is starting to show up on other vendor sites, which is great. I also revamped and funded my Google ad.
"Stranger Faces" is progressing, but I'm still struggling/tinkering with that final big scene. I want to try to lighten things up a bit since I just finished a very dark passage. Tracy has reached her turning point, where it's time for her to fight back. I thinking to bring all the different factions together for one final chaotic showdown, and I'd like to do it with a touch of humor.
What comes after "Stranger Faces"? So many possibilities. A third entry for the Jack Watson series? A sequel to "Dabblers"? One of my old manuscripts resuscitated? There are a fair number of those to tap into. Ah, if only I could spend all my time writing . . .
Still proofing galley for "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition, but the second reading has not unearthed any more changes so far, and I'm up to Chapter 5.
Looks like "Dabblers" will get into the next phase in a few weeks. I sent the cover art to go with the manuscript. Sounds like it will be released in 2012. Three books in one year!
"Game Faces" is starting to show up on other vendor sites, which is great. I also revamped and funded my Google ad.
"Stranger Faces" is progressing, but I'm still struggling/tinkering with that final big scene. I want to try to lighten things up a bit since I just finished a very dark passage. Tracy has reached her turning point, where it's time for her to fight back. I thinking to bring all the different factions together for one final chaotic showdown, and I'd like to do it with a touch of humor.
What comes after "Stranger Faces"? So many possibilities. A third entry for the Jack Watson series? A sequel to "Dabblers"? One of my old manuscripts resuscitated? There are a fair number of those to tap into. Ah, if only I could spend all my time writing . . .
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Underway
First pass on proofing galley for "Two Faces Two Faced" is done. Only one page of corrections so far. I might mention that corrections are provided in a table format with the page, paragraph, line numbers plus before and after images of the line being changed. There are 11 changes right now. I'll give it a rest for a day or so and then read it again.
A friend and fellow writer made a post on Facebook about editing her novel and how she's sick of the story already. I hear that. An odd thing happened while proofing "Faces" this weekend. I printed the entire file, but my old HP printer has issues with printing massive files all in one swoop, so I break it up into batches of 50 pages each. Because of the way PDF files show page numbers, I had some instances of missed pages. Anyway, I took a break from reading to go grocery shopping, and although I knew what part of the book I had stopped off at, I could not recall actually proofing the section that came before it even though I actually had. This comes from knowing the story so well by this time, through pre-submission editing to proofing e-book galleys, and now the print edition galley. Even so, I'm glad to say I still like my story and my characters.
On a side note, last night, my hubby and I were winding down in front of the TV, and we happened upon "Remington Steele." I have a special fondness for that TV show, which I did not see when it first aired but caught on DVD years later. When we borrowed it from the library, "Faces" was already underway, but I had yet to define a metal image of Tracy. Then, suddenly, I'm watching "Remington Steele" and Stephanie Zimbalist seemed like the perfect Tracy. Added to that, Pierce Brosnan made the perfect Kevin Fox. Later, I saw a commercial for "The Mentalist" and, voila!, Alex Laughlin had an image in Simon Baker.
Going to be doing some juggling for a while. Between getting the "Faces" print edition going and then the "Dabblers" ebook, plus updating all my publicity endeavors, progress on "Stranger Faces" will be a bit spotty. The final scene I talked about in a previous post is taking shape, but I had the idea that it might be fun to add some humor to it, not make it so heavy and dark. There's been plenty of darkness thus far in the book, and part of what makes Tracy, Tracy is her humor. The final scene will be somewhat chaotic with just about everybody involved, so it will be a challenge to write. But that's the fun part.
A friend and fellow writer made a post on Facebook about editing her novel and how she's sick of the story already. I hear that. An odd thing happened while proofing "Faces" this weekend. I printed the entire file, but my old HP printer has issues with printing massive files all in one swoop, so I break it up into batches of 50 pages each. Because of the way PDF files show page numbers, I had some instances of missed pages. Anyway, I took a break from reading to go grocery shopping, and although I knew what part of the book I had stopped off at, I could not recall actually proofing the section that came before it even though I actually had. This comes from knowing the story so well by this time, through pre-submission editing to proofing e-book galleys, and now the print edition galley. Even so, I'm glad to say I still like my story and my characters.
On a side note, last night, my hubby and I were winding down in front of the TV, and we happened upon "Remington Steele." I have a special fondness for that TV show, which I did not see when it first aired but caught on DVD years later. When we borrowed it from the library, "Faces" was already underway, but I had yet to define a metal image of Tracy. Then, suddenly, I'm watching "Remington Steele" and Stephanie Zimbalist seemed like the perfect Tracy. Added to that, Pierce Brosnan made the perfect Kevin Fox. Later, I saw a commercial for "The Mentalist" and, voila!, Alex Laughlin had an image in Simon Baker.
Going to be doing some juggling for a while. Between getting the "Faces" print edition going and then the "Dabblers" ebook, plus updating all my publicity endeavors, progress on "Stranger Faces" will be a bit spotty. The final scene I talked about in a previous post is taking shape, but I had the idea that it might be fun to add some humor to it, not make it so heavy and dark. There's been plenty of darkness thus far in the book, and part of what makes Tracy, Tracy is her humor. The final scene will be somewhat chaotic with just about everybody involved, so it will be a challenge to write. But that's the fun part.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Hooray for Progress!
The galleys for "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition arrived today. Can't wait to get started proofing, although it is always a challenge to proofread something I have already read so many times before. It's easy to fall into a mode of seeing what should be there and not what actually is.
Something I've tried to practice (although it can be tough) is multiple readings for different purposes. One reading is for close scrutiny of each word, sentence, paragraph to look for spelling and punctuation mistakes. The next round is to make sure the words convey what I intended. Yet another pass looks at formatting issues because the programs my publisher uses to take my RTF document and make it into a PDF file sometimes ignore what the word processor did. Italics seem to disappear, and sometimes paragraph changes vanish too. While I try to make sure my final manuscript is consistent in its handling of these things, stuff happens.
While I only took time for a quick glance at the files I downloaded for proofing, I was uplifted by the first page of the book contents which had some reviews from the ebook version on Amazon.com.
The galleys arrival gave me a sorely needed lift today after a personally challenging week.
Something I've tried to practice (although it can be tough) is multiple readings for different purposes. One reading is for close scrutiny of each word, sentence, paragraph to look for spelling and punctuation mistakes. The next round is to make sure the words convey what I intended. Yet another pass looks at formatting issues because the programs my publisher uses to take my RTF document and make it into a PDF file sometimes ignore what the word processor did. Italics seem to disappear, and sometimes paragraph changes vanish too. While I try to make sure my final manuscript is consistent in its handling of these things, stuff happens.
While I only took time for a quick glance at the files I downloaded for proofing, I was uplifted by the first page of the book contents which had some reviews from the ebook version on Amazon.com.
The galleys arrival gave me a sorely needed lift today after a personally challenging week.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Moving On
I did not realize so much time had passed since my last post. Been dealing with some life issues in the last couple of days.
So I got past the stuck place in "Stranger Faces" and am well into the big climactic scenes. One of them has been written for the most part. I decided on a two-stage climax which might be sort of unusual. The first stage turns the tide, so to speak, by resolving one of the major puzzles that had to be figured out. The second stage will involve getting all the bad guys out into the open and brought down. This second stage is kind of a new direction from the original outline (as much as I outline anything) and is still formulating in my mind. The final chapter, as always, ties up all the loose ends, supplies details, and sets the path for the future. Once I have a full story draft, I'll go back and edit, clarify, revise, etc., etc.
For the time being, I have only "Stranger Faces" to work on. Still waiting for galleys for print edition of "Two Faces, Two Faced." Still waiting for galleys for "Dabblers." Still waiting for "Game Faces" to hit the major Internet vendors so I can lean on the advertising. I had really hoped to get "Game Faces" selling in a big way to bump up numbers for the quarter. I still hope "Dabblers" will make it to market before the end of the year.
So I got past the stuck place in "Stranger Faces" and am well into the big climactic scenes. One of them has been written for the most part. I decided on a two-stage climax which might be sort of unusual. The first stage turns the tide, so to speak, by resolving one of the major puzzles that had to be figured out. The second stage will involve getting all the bad guys out into the open and brought down. This second stage is kind of a new direction from the original outline (as much as I outline anything) and is still formulating in my mind. The final chapter, as always, ties up all the loose ends, supplies details, and sets the path for the future. Once I have a full story draft, I'll go back and edit, clarify, revise, etc., etc.
For the time being, I have only "Stranger Faces" to work on. Still waiting for galleys for print edition of "Two Faces, Two Faced." Still waiting for galleys for "Dabblers." Still waiting for "Game Faces" to hit the major Internet vendors so I can lean on the advertising. I had really hoped to get "Game Faces" selling in a big way to bump up numbers for the quarter. I still hope "Dabblers" will make it to market before the end of the year.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
A Promo Day
Spent some time on promotional activities this morning. First, I sent an email to a reviewer at Windy City Reviews to submit "Two Faces, Two Faced." Of course, I've no way of knowing if I'll be sending it or, if sent, if the review will be positive. It would be great to have a quote to put on the back of the print edition cover.
I made some revisions to this blog page as well, as noted in the welcome message at the top. Now each novel has its own page with a synopsis, reviews, etc., much the same as my Google site (see link at left). Unfortunately, the purchasing links had to go, but the books are not hard to find at the usual places.
Getting ready for the release of "Game Faces" in just a few days. Once it hits Amazon, I can set up a Facebook page and run an ad. I'm thinking I should also do an ad for "The Changeling Kill" while I'm at it. And there's all the other places like Goodreads, Authors Den, and Google. And let's not forget Twitter (which I sometimes do). I should probably tweet more. I recall reading an article about promoting yourself as an author which mentioned that it's easy to spend so much time promoting on the web that you have little time to write. It's a tough balance to strike, but I don't think I'm anywhere near the tipping point yet. Not with two books coming out and two in the works!
I made some revisions to this blog page as well, as noted in the welcome message at the top. Now each novel has its own page with a synopsis, reviews, etc., much the same as my Google site (see link at left). Unfortunately, the purchasing links had to go, but the books are not hard to find at the usual places.
Getting ready for the release of "Game Faces" in just a few days. Once it hits Amazon, I can set up a Facebook page and run an ad. I'm thinking I should also do an ad for "The Changeling Kill" while I'm at it. And there's all the other places like Goodreads, Authors Den, and Google. And let's not forget Twitter (which I sometimes do). I should probably tweet more. I recall reading an article about promoting yourself as an author which mentioned that it's easy to spend so much time promoting on the web that you have little time to write. It's a tough balance to strike, but I don't think I'm anywhere near the tipping point yet. Not with two books coming out and two in the works!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Shorter and Better Than Ever
My latest editing effort on "Dabblers" brings the manuscript in a 79,800 words. It's sometimes miraculous to me how I can look at a novel over and over, reading and editing, and then a new angle comes to me and I see it all differently. This time, it was the idea that it was too long, and suddenly I started to see all the extraneous stuff. I took out snippets of dialog, descriptions of things that did not matter, and rewrote wordy sentences. Things I original wrote as two sentences became one, and I don't mean by connecting them with an "and" or "or" in the middle.
So once again, I'll let the story "rest" for a bit and come back again, but I think it's nearly done. Then I'll see if Write Words wants to publish it.
In the meantime, back to Tracy Book 3. The plot has solidified and more scenes are in my head to be written, so that one should progress pretty fast. But I'll also have to jump into some promotional work as well. I have an idea for revising this blog, but I'll wait until I can add "Game Faces" into it. And there'll be galleys to proof for "Two Faces, Two Faced," the print edition.
So once again, I'll let the story "rest" for a bit and come back again, but I think it's nearly done. Then I'll see if Write Words wants to publish it.
In the meantime, back to Tracy Book 3. The plot has solidified and more scenes are in my head to be written, so that one should progress pretty fast. But I'll also have to jump into some promotional work as well. I have an idea for revising this blog, but I'll wait until I can add "Game Faces" into it. And there'll be galleys to proof for "Two Faces, Two Faced," the print edition.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
News and Updates
I heard from Write Words today about taking "Two Faces, Two Faced" to paperback. How timely with the sequel coming out soon and the "Two Faces" Facebook page up to 91 likes. I think this one's really going places.
Also joined Chicago Writers Association. I heard about them at the Glen Ellyn Bookfest a few weeks ago, and joining sounded like a great way to make contacts and get my name out there.
Registered for Love Is Murder 2013 too, and said I would be willing to be on a panel. Hope they come up with something for me. (At the risk of sounding like a broken record, more promotion opportunities--but hey, nobody but me is going to do it.)
"Dabblers" still in progress. While I would probably put it aside for a while when I think I'm done revising, the decision to do so may be made for me when I must proof galleys for "Two Faces, Two Faced."
Still not ready to give up the day job (although I wouldn't mind if I ended up doing so at a time not of my own choosing if you get my drift).
Also joined Chicago Writers Association. I heard about them at the Glen Ellyn Bookfest a few weeks ago, and joining sounded like a great way to make contacts and get my name out there.
Registered for Love Is Murder 2013 too, and said I would be willing to be on a panel. Hope they come up with something for me. (At the risk of sounding like a broken record, more promotion opportunities--but hey, nobody but me is going to do it.)
"Dabblers" still in progress. While I would probably put it aside for a while when I think I'm done revising, the decision to do so may be made for me when I must proof galleys for "Two Faces, Two Faced."
Still not ready to give up the day job (although I wouldn't mind if I ended up doing so at a time not of my own choosing if you get my drift).
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Put It To Bed...
Just sent the documents for "Game Faces," (corrections, blurb, bio) to editor at Write Words. Novel #4 is complete! With an August 1 release date, I'll have to jump into promotion pretty soon, too.
Back to juggling two other novels at the same time. It seems that whenever I do some work on "Dabblers," I suddenly get inspired with ideas for "Faces 3" and vice versa. I think "Dabblers" will be completed sooner, though, as I still don't know how the other one ends.
I have rediscovered the value of proofreading from print instead of the computer screen. Repetition of words seems to jump out more on a printed page. Given my edit-as-I-go approach to writing, it becomes too easy to replace a single sentence and not notice it creates repetition of something nearby. For example, by working off paper, I noticed I used the word "retorted" twice on a single page, and the phrase "a bit more" twice on a page. Those are the kinds of things that are harder to spot on the screen. While I certainly hate to kill a bunch of trees, doing so might save a whole lot of time.
On another note, my Facebook page for "Two Faces, Two Faced" is up to 77 Likes! I am both amazed and humbled.
Back to juggling two other novels at the same time. It seems that whenever I do some work on "Dabblers," I suddenly get inspired with ideas for "Faces 3" and vice versa. I think "Dabblers" will be completed sooner, though, as I still don't know how the other one ends.
I have rediscovered the value of proofreading from print instead of the computer screen. Repetition of words seems to jump out more on a printed page. Given my edit-as-I-go approach to writing, it becomes too easy to replace a single sentence and not notice it creates repetition of something nearby. For example, by working off paper, I noticed I used the word "retorted" twice on a single page, and the phrase "a bit more" twice on a page. Those are the kinds of things that are harder to spot on the screen. While I certainly hate to kill a bunch of trees, doing so might save a whole lot of time.
On another note, my Facebook page for "Two Faces, Two Faced" is up to 77 Likes! I am both amazed and humbled.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Game Faces -- Coming August 1
Yesterday, I downloaded the galley for "Game Faces," sequel to "Two Faces, Two Faced." Cover looks awesome! I am in the process of proofing and writing up list of corrections. I've almost completed a first reading.
I'm also updating various websites to reflect the scheduled release date. Maybe this time, I'll have another go at sending out press releases. I did not get much response when I tried that route for "The Dreamer Gambit," but in most cases, it's free.
Of course, this breaks up writing of the third in the series. Still not sure what the title will be. And there's the rewrite of "Dabblers" which is bubbling under the surface, waiting to come out. Maybe I need to take a week of vacation from my day job and really lean on the writing.
I am also considering a major change to this blog once the new book comes out. Rather than have all the different links listed on the lefthand side, I might just add a link to my Google site. That website has a separate page for each novel with room for lots more detail about it, as well as links. Just an idea I'm toying with.
I'm also updating various websites to reflect the scheduled release date. Maybe this time, I'll have another go at sending out press releases. I did not get much response when I tried that route for "The Dreamer Gambit," but in most cases, it's free.
Of course, this breaks up writing of the third in the series. Still not sure what the title will be. And there's the rewrite of "Dabblers" which is bubbling under the surface, waiting to come out. Maybe I need to take a week of vacation from my day job and really lean on the writing.
I am also considering a major change to this blog once the new book comes out. Rather than have all the different links listed on the lefthand side, I might just add a link to my Google site. That website has a separate page for each novel with room for lots more detail about it, as well as links. Just an idea I'm toying with.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Updates and Miscellaneous Notes
First, a big THANK YOU to all those who have "liked" my Facebook pages in recent days. "Two Faces, Two Faced" is up to 27 Likes. This is great! "The Changeling Kill" comes in next at 9, and "The Dreamer Gambit" comes in last at 2. Really, having lots of likes is quite helpful as it improves chances of my books showing up in searches. I can always use as much advertising as I can, and free is always better.
Got past a stuck place in the newest "Faces" novel, although another still looms ahead. I need to figure out how Tracy is going to ultimately get herself out of her jam. And of course that begs the question of how each of the characters comes out of it too. My ideas in this area are still very sketchy.
Also, ideas for the rewrite of "Dabblers" are coming on strong. A new opening is in my head:
I fall backwards slowly into eternal darkness. Above, a point of light grows ever smaller. It becomes a mere pinhole through velvety black just before I am enveloped in cold. It closes all around me until I cannot breathe, cannot hear, cannot see. But my mind remains active, conscious, reaching out beyond the physical senses to find knowledge, truth, answers...
The flash of dream-memory-fantasy came to me in an instant, and then I returned to the real world, sitting in the car in front of Uncle Hank's old house. The mid-twentieth-century brick ranch had not changed at all since I last saw it more than twenty-five years ago. Nothing about its exterior suggested its last occupant had died in a freak act of nature, struck down by lightning, but the occurrence of the falling vision announced that all was not as it should be in Windsong Lake and I would once again travel the dark road it foretold.
I swallowed hard in a dry throat and hoped my sense of trepidation did not show.
That's sort of a rough draft of the opening. I'm getting very eager to work on this one as the manuscript has been sitting around in its earlier form for some time, and I think it has merit.
Maybe when I get to the next stuck place in "Faces 3" . . .
Still waiting for galleys on "Game Faces."
Got past a stuck place in the newest "Faces" novel, although another still looms ahead. I need to figure out how Tracy is going to ultimately get herself out of her jam. And of course that begs the question of how each of the characters comes out of it too. My ideas in this area are still very sketchy.
Also, ideas for the rewrite of "Dabblers" are coming on strong. A new opening is in my head:
I fall backwards slowly into eternal darkness. Above, a point of light grows ever smaller. It becomes a mere pinhole through velvety black just before I am enveloped in cold. It closes all around me until I cannot breathe, cannot hear, cannot see. But my mind remains active, conscious, reaching out beyond the physical senses to find knowledge, truth, answers...
The flash of dream-memory-fantasy came to me in an instant, and then I returned to the real world, sitting in the car in front of Uncle Hank's old house. The mid-twentieth-century brick ranch had not changed at all since I last saw it more than twenty-five years ago. Nothing about its exterior suggested its last occupant had died in a freak act of nature, struck down by lightning, but the occurrence of the falling vision announced that all was not as it should be in Windsong Lake and I would once again travel the dark road it foretold.
I swallowed hard in a dry throat and hoped my sense of trepidation did not show.
That's sort of a rough draft of the opening. I'm getting very eager to work on this one as the manuscript has been sitting around in its earlier form for some time, and I think it has merit.
Maybe when I get to the next stuck place in "Faces 3" . . .
Still waiting for galleys on "Game Faces."
Sunday, June 24, 2012
BookFest Recap and Miscellany
Yesterday was Glen Ellyn BookFest. I actually sold a book! Also handed out fliers and business cards which I hope will lead people to check out my ebooks and various web locations. I got to meet people and talk about writing with other authors which is always a great experience.
I decided at the last minute to get in on Pitchfest to give a one-minute sales pitch on "The Dreamer Gambit." Because I did not plan and rehearse, it was something of a disaster. I probably should have read the blurb off the back instead of trying to ad lib. And having a one minute time limit adds another layer of stress on top of facing a sea of people. Funny thing is, I managed to do the same thing--give a quick description of the book--to a number of people who came to the authors' tent looking to buy books. Guess I just do better in the one-on-one, which leads me to the conclusion that I need to work on speaking to larger audiences. I've had some experience with that in the past--giving a training class at the City of Naperville many moons ago and speaking to the Lunchtime Rotary Club on the City's Y2K plans--but it's been a long time and I was prepared for those. Perhaps the larger lesson here is to always be prepared. I need to be ready to talk about my work to any audience, from one to a hundred, anytime, anywhere. This is something I had not previously thought much about, and I'm considering it a lesson learned, thanks to BookFest.
While in the authors' tent, I was approached by someone from the Glen Ellyn Library about possibly coming to do a talk of some kind. I hope she did not see my performance at Pitchfest and change her mind. I think I could handle sitting with a small group and discussing my writing experiences and the craft itself. Just being asked was a thrill, another milestone in feeling like a Real Author.
A few more take-aways from the event: I will probably sign up for the Chicago Writers Association which I learned more about at the authors' breakfast. Randy Richardson spoke to the group about it, and it sounds like something else I should get into. Also, I spoke to some people who were at Love Is Murder in February, and I know I have to sign up for the 2013 event. Who knows? I might get another opportunity to be on a panel.
Ahead in July: Kindle Book Review is going to announce the semi-finalists in the Best Indie Books of 2012 contest. "Two Faces, Two Faced" is my entry. If I make the first cut, i.e., my books goes to the judges, I'll have bragging rights on that, which would be great ad copy with the sequel coming soon. Later in July, I should be getting some idea of what I sold in the appropriate quarter (Apr-Jun for Write Words, Jan-Mar for most everyone else). Let's see what my publicity push accomplished!
For the nonce, back to writing.
I decided at the last minute to get in on Pitchfest to give a one-minute sales pitch on "The Dreamer Gambit." Because I did not plan and rehearse, it was something of a disaster. I probably should have read the blurb off the back instead of trying to ad lib. And having a one minute time limit adds another layer of stress on top of facing a sea of people. Funny thing is, I managed to do the same thing--give a quick description of the book--to a number of people who came to the authors' tent looking to buy books. Guess I just do better in the one-on-one, which leads me to the conclusion that I need to work on speaking to larger audiences. I've had some experience with that in the past--giving a training class at the City of Naperville many moons ago and speaking to the Lunchtime Rotary Club on the City's Y2K plans--but it's been a long time and I was prepared for those. Perhaps the larger lesson here is to always be prepared. I need to be ready to talk about my work to any audience, from one to a hundred, anytime, anywhere. This is something I had not previously thought much about, and I'm considering it a lesson learned, thanks to BookFest.
While in the authors' tent, I was approached by someone from the Glen Ellyn Library about possibly coming to do a talk of some kind. I hope she did not see my performance at Pitchfest and change her mind. I think I could handle sitting with a small group and discussing my writing experiences and the craft itself. Just being asked was a thrill, another milestone in feeling like a Real Author.
A few more take-aways from the event: I will probably sign up for the Chicago Writers Association which I learned more about at the authors' breakfast. Randy Richardson spoke to the group about it, and it sounds like something else I should get into. Also, I spoke to some people who were at Love Is Murder in February, and I know I have to sign up for the 2013 event. Who knows? I might get another opportunity to be on a panel.
Ahead in July: Kindle Book Review is going to announce the semi-finalists in the Best Indie Books of 2012 contest. "Two Faces, Two Faced" is my entry. If I make the first cut, i.e., my books goes to the judges, I'll have bragging rights on that, which would be great ad copy with the sequel coming soon. Later in July, I should be getting some idea of what I sold in the appropriate quarter (Apr-Jun for Write Words, Jan-Mar for most everyone else). Let's see what my publicity push accomplished!
For the nonce, back to writing.
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