Potpourri

Received my copy of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" in the mail yesterday, and it was just as great a thrill as the others. Hopefully soon all of my published novels will be in both ebook and paperback, and I can hardly wait to order up for my coming library events.

I did resolve some issues I was having over "Where Power Lies." After a bit of research, my doubts about the cataclysm which sets the scene for the future world proved unwarranted. I don't include a lot of facts and science in the narrative, but I had to make sure that what I wrote would be believable. This morning, I checked part of the ending because I feared I had repeated something I used in "The Changeling Kill," but that concern was unfounded, happily. I also had another cover art idea, but I'm not sure if I can execute this one either. I hunted up some images on Google, so maybe I'll give it a shot. Kind of hate to break my cover-designing streak.

Finished the book I am slated to review for Windy City Reviews. I found I couldn't stop reading it yesterday and wound up pushing right on through to the end. This morning, I drafted my review, too, with great enthusiasm. I'll go back to it in a day or two with fresh eyes.

I'm thinking to maybe start on the new Windsong Lake book, working title "The Treasure of Mongan Manor."

Progress and Updates

Good news! More paperback editions of my books are underway. I hope I'll be ordering bunches of them to take to Glen Ellyn Bookfest in September, and to Author Fest in Joliet in October. I've made some inroads to updating my handouts and brochures for those events, and I've developed my 60-second elevator pitch for Bookfest to promote sales of "Dabblers," which I think will be ready in paper edition so I can hold it, and "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" in my hands when I pitch. 

Polishing work continues on "Where Power Lies," and I'm liking the results. My current pass is to check for voice discrepancies, where narrative and dialog for Dee don't match up. I also started fiddling with cover art and a blurb. More passes are on the horizon before I even get to the spell checking, grammar checking, format checking, and word repetition stuff. 

Having signed up as a volunteer book reviewer for Windy City Reviews, I am eagerly waiting to receive my first book from an author who chose me as a preferred reviewer. I've written reviews of books on Goodreads before, and I always have an issue with what attitude to take. I really want to like the book I'm reviewing and not be too hard-line about format and editing stuff. It seems nit-picky. If it's a good story, reasonably well written, I want the writer to have a chance and not have people dismiss those good qualities just because of technical faults. 

Trying to Stay Focused

Taking another pass on "Where Power Lies," but my efforts are less tactical than I had planned. I wanted to go through the entire manuscript to make sure information about the state of things in my imagined future are clear, timely, and not repeated too much. Instead, I keep finding little things to change, tweaks to wording and such, and thinking of details to add in places.

I'm still troubled by a long passage in Chapter 2 in which Dee considers how things have changed in the world in the last twenty years or so, which of course provides the opportunity to describe what she's comparing them to, thus laying out how those changes came to be. I'm thinking that passage is too long and perhaps should be scattered around a bit so it doesn't read like a documentary narrative. Too much like an aside to the audience, taking the reader out of the story. Gotta work on that.

I had some new ideas for cover art and played around with some images here and there. This in addition to updating my various websites with the news about "Seer, Tyro, Fiend." And I made some notes about the next Windsong Lake book and did some research. That project is really starting to pull together with some scenes already "written" in my head.

"Seer, Tyro, Fiend" On Amazon!

Big surprise! "Seer" showed up on Amazon.com in paperback. "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" on Amazon.com

Updates and Stuff

I completed checking of the revised galley for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" this morning, so it should be ready to go. My publisher says the ebook should be released in September! Print edition date is December, but advance copies should be available as soon as the POD files are uploaded.

Well, it's official now. I'm a reviewer for Windy City Reviews.This site is where writers help other writers by reviewing their works for free. I volunteered because I know first hand how hard it is to get reviews on a book, and because "Dabblers" was reviewed here. The only requirement is that the author be a Chicago Writers Association member or have some other connection to Chicago, i.e., a Chicago-based publisher. Rules for submission are on the site. Writers looking to submit go through the list of reviewer profiles and choose someone who is interested in the type of book they wish to have reviewed. Then the submission goes to the coordinator who facilitates the process. I'm eagerly awaiting my first reviewer assignment!

Working on the new book, about half way through the first pass at polishing. It has a long way to go. Still thinking about cover art. Is there some other concept other than the one in my head that would be as good or better? Is there any way I could do it myself or should I look for a real artist? Still unsettled on this one.

I've also had some ideas for the third Windsong Lake book which I need to research a bit. They have to do with a puzzle in an old mansion that Stefanie is asked to solve. First, though, I need to know what the puzzle is about and how to execute it. And I already have an opening scene planned in my head.

A Pacing Quandary

Working on "Resistance" this morning, I'm still in the section where I need to reveal a lot of information. Dee is expanding her horizons, so to speak, learning about a different sort of life that's available to her even as her former life is falling apart. The new life comes with many benefits but new risks.

While all this is interesting and open to creativity, there's a part of my brain warning about the pace slowing down. Laying out these facts behind Dee's opportunity is important groundwork, especially if "Resistance" were to become a series as was originally intended with its first incarnation. Yet the current mystery is somewhat stalled while all this stuff gets out. It's hard to tell exactly what impact it has or will have while writing it in such small pieces from day to day. Perhaps the thing to do is keep at it, lay all the pavement for the next phase of the mainline plot and worry about editing later.

On another front, I have occasionally lapsed into thoughts about another Windsong Lake book, for which I already have some notes about scenes. An idea about the shape of the mystery came to me yesterday, and of course, seeing the story develop in my head always makes me want to start writing. But I know I must have some discipline in my writing. I already put aside Book 3 of the Jack Watson series to do "Resistance." Also, the second Windsong Lake book, "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" isn't even out yet.

More Progress

Another slow day in the writing department for various reasons, but I did add some pages to "Resistance" and will probably do a few more today. While I've been copy and pasting large sections from the previous incarnation of this novel, I find many of them no longer work and need substantial revision to mesh into the new version. I know of a few upcoming scenes where I might be able to take more of the old stuff. I also realized that the final, epilogue type scene will have to be redone.

Eagerly awaiting publication of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" since I sent in the corrections for it. I have one, possibly two library events coming up in the fall and would like to have a nice selection to sell there.

Dark and Gloomy

One full reading of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" under my belt now, and I think I will probably do one more. At first there seemed to be a lot of corrections, but actually it isn't so many, about a page and a half.

Back to work on "Resistance." Strangely, I find I am having to force myself a bit, in spite of all the pent-up ideas I have to go with. Maybe it's partly due to the situation Dee finds herself in--pretty gloomy. She's gone out on a limb to do the right thing, taking a huge risk in her entry into a different world, and suddenly she feels abandoned. Unfortunately, things will get darker before the storm is over. If that's the reason for my mood, then the best thing is to get her through it sooner rather than later. And there's this little voice inside my head telling me to use my feelings to create the emotion in the story.

So whose mood is this, anyway?

Wouldn't Ya Know It

Bursting at the seams with ideas for "Resistance" and guess what happens? The galleys for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" are ready to proofread. I've already started on that. I don't think I'll be able to stop from getting down a page or two in "Resistance" at the same time because all the new ideas are really good. I keep adding notes at the end of the manuscript so I don't forget anything, but I do want to do some actual writing on it.

Over the weekend, I submitted my application for Glen Ellyn Library's Book Fest 2013, so this morning, I made up a packet with a brochure, business card, and a copy of "The Changeling Kill" along with the $25 application fee and took that over to the library. I went to this event last year, but it sounds like there'll be more indoor activities this time around. Not a bad thing for me. Once I receive confirmation, I'll post more details about the event.

One of the events they have at Book Fest is a pitch session. Last year, I didn't prepare for it but joined in anyway. The no-prep option was a bad way to go. This year, I plan to prepare, write up the text, rehearse and time myself. And hopefully, I'll have a lot of books to sell there.

Uh-Oh

Yesterday, in the face of issues with where the story should go next, I paused to make a timeline document, nothing more than a list by day of the major events. In so doing, it became apparent that too much was happening on each day. Maybe not a problem on its face, but my nameless killer contacted a source who contacted a hired killer and the two of them met, all in one day. It comes off as improbable.

I can see I'm going to have to restructure "The Janus Rule" a bit for the sake of realism. Change the order of events, combine them, stretch out over more days, something. Not sure exactly what to do yet, so I'll be thinking about it over the long weekend.

Also anticipating galleys for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" soon, which I will then begin to proofread. I already have some notes about errors I found in casual reading of it.

And I'm reading a novel at the same time, a mystery that came to my attention through Twitter, which I will review on Goodreads and Amazon when I'm done. I figure if I review books, maybe more people will reciprocate with reviews of my books. At least, I hope so.

Back On It

After a tumultuous Friday, I am back on track. I spent the better part of Friday in the Emergency Room with a minor health scare, but the doctors assured me I am fine. Due to that, not much work got done on "The Janus Rule," but I hope to get some more pages done today. 

Proofing for the print edition of "Dabblers" is more or less complete, and after a few blips along the way, the cover looks ready also. I'm anxiously awaiting a review that should be coming out soon. 

"Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is now a step closer to publication, I suspect as an ebook first because that's how the others have gone. Still no ETA on availability, however. 

Now that I am no longer encumbered by a cast and I have a car at my disposal, I'm giving more thought to investigating some promotional opportunities. I'm thinking of sending some letters to local libraries in the hopes of making some appearances to promote my books. I've also started reviving the idea of that sideline in editing/critiquing for unpublished writers, but right now, there are a lot of other demands on my time, so it will probably have to wait for a bit. 

New Look

I decided to freshen up my blog page with a new background. I found the gently rippling water serene and soothing. Comments on the change are most welcome, or on any other topic on this blog. I'll also take this opportunity to invite followers to this page. While it's gratifying to see the page view counter move upward, sometimes in surprising jumps, I greatly enjoy getting comments from readers.

This morning, I started proofing the galley for "Dabblers" the print edition. I don't know the exact date when it will be available, but I'm hoping to have another print book to sell at the Author Fair in Joliet in October. And "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is also in the works, so it's arrival could be just as timely.

Unfortunately, "Janus Rule" will go on hold for a few days while I work on "Dabblers," but I have a lot of the next segment in my head. I've been debating on whether or not to use an actual restaurant I know about as the setting for it. The Twisted Spoke is sort of an upscale biker bar in Chicago which was reviewed on the PBS show, "Check Please." It has the sort of quirky atmosphere that goes with one of the characters in the scene, just the sort of place he'd pick for a dinner date with Angel. I always wonder how businesses react to having their names appear in fiction. Presuming I write that the characters like it, there should be no worries. A lot of times, I wind up bypassing the reality and make up a restaurant. I suppose I could describe the restaurant, where I've never actually been, but not use its name. Then I can always mention it later in another post.

Plot Coming Together

"The Janus Rule" progresses, at least in my head. I had a busy weekend with various car issues. I did have some think time and made some notes, which I hope to jump into today.

Some of the ideas I came up with require going back into the already-written stuff and making some revisions. New information is about to change the picture of who the shooter is and who the target is. Also, my notes contain an explanation of the scheme that led to the case Angel is working on. Some of that continues to evolve, however, as I tackle the old question of how big it should be. Jack Watson, being the ethical ex-cop he is, believes that any proof of illegal activity he finds while investigating should be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. He won't try to solve them himself, although he usually ends up being the one to figure it out anyway.

I had an interesting cover concept come to mind too, but I'm still playing with the image in my head. The first two Jack Watson books had some sort of inverted image on it, i.e., the chess piece and the masks, so I'll incorporate that motif again. Given the title on this one, I'll have to work the two-faced aspect into it as well. I don't really want to use a mask-type representation of Janus, because that's too much like the "Changeling" cover. I'll be thinking about it.

In other news, as they say, "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is in the works, too, so I'll be expecting galleys on it soon. I'm also waiting on pins and needles for a review of "Dabblers" that's coming from Windy City Reviews. The reviewer has told me already she liked the book and asked if there would be a sequel. At least it should be a favorable review.

Updates and Progress

I did some updating on this blog site yesterday, adding a page for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend." Added the same to my Google site, Kathryn Flatt, Writer . While I don't have a firm date on the book release yet, I thought seeing more about the sequel could induce some people to read "Dabblers" first.

Also yesterday, I sent the corrections for "Stranger Faces" the print book, so that one will also be coming out soon.

Now it's back to "Janus" for a while, at least until I get galleys for "Dabblers" the print book. The big scene I alluded to earlier is written, so the stalker angle is now evident to Jack and Tabitha as a concrete fact. So who fired shots into their bedroom? Someone stalking Tabitha? An old enemy of Jack's? A stalker of Jack? Someone concerned about the case he just started working on? All the characters will have their favorite suspect and motive, and I hope the result comes as a big surprise. That's always an issue for me, of course. I always wonder if I've made it too easy, either by what I put on the page or what is implied. Did I give the real antagonist too much face time and so subtly suggest this person is more important? I know who it is already, of course, and I know what the motive is. Now I just have to make sure the other suspects have equally believable motives.

Day By Day

"Janus Games" making good progress, albeit slowly. While I am now able to type with both hands, all fingers, the cast still gets in the way. Since I have to hold my left arm at an odd angle to make it work, The muscles get fatigued rather quickly and I have to stop and rest. I am grateful, however, that I CAN type at all and that I should be back to normal by mid-June at least.

The other plot line is starting up which will bring in more suspects along the way. Come the first big scene, the introduction of danger, it won't be clear whether Jack or Tabitha is the center of it, so the suspects can come from her celebrity, his past, or his present case. Red herrings everywhere!

I'm hoping that the ebook of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" will be making the scene pretty soon, and I'll be firing up the promotion engine on that. I had planned to make more of an effort on the promotion front prior to my accident putting me out of commission, but alas, until I can drive a car again, it must wait.

Keeping A Good Attitude

Got in a few more pages on the new Jack Watson novel. Up to page 12 now. I also had an idea about the big final scene, which comes pretty early in the game for me.

I did a bit of research into some voice recognition software to help me out while my arm is in a cast, but having read some reviews of it, I'm not so sure it would help. Looks like there's a lot of learning required as well as "training" it for individual speech patterns.With some reports that it introduces computer performance issues, it might be more trouble than it's worth for the few weeks of recovery.

Now that some of the shock has worn off, being out of commission to a degree threatens to bum me out more. Working on a new novel helps, although it's slow going. I think I'd go nuts without Jack's newest adventure to keep me occupied.

"Seer, Tyro, Fiend" will reach the editing stage in a while, and I'll have to break off and tend to that. Really glad I had the cover art done before the accident as working on that would be awfully hard now.

Last Thing I Expected

This will have to be a short post, and I fear it will be riddled with mistakes. On Monday, after finishing all files for submission of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" to Write Words, I took a break to run some errands. On the way home, I was in a traffic accident. I am okay except for a broken bone in my left hand. The cast makes typing rather difficult with only the right hand and one finger on the left hand. Doctor said the cast will be on at least 3 weeks, but I will try during this time to make SOME posts here.

I did send off "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" this morning, and will now start work on a third Jack Watson book. No title as yet. Being my computer skills are somewhat challenged, this new novel may take advantage of being the best outlined and planned thing I've ever done.

Pulling It Together

Ah, editing. While my writing time was limited yesterday by the weather--the Chicago area received anywhere from 3 to 9 inches of rain--I did manage to do some work on "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" and even more this morning.

First, I saved my Microsoft Word manuscript as an .RTF file. This is the format that Write Words wants to receive books in. I also modified it to Times New Roman 12 point instead of the Courier New 12 point I usually write with. I like Courier, a non-proportional font, because it's easier to spot some errors and omissions, like an extra space after the end of a sentence (there should only be one between the period and the start of the next sentence). My draft is also double spaced whereas I need to send it in as single spaced. The reformatted version tends to bring out repetition more since more text appears on the screen at once.

Next, I turned on the feature which displays format marks, like new line or tab. The mark at the end of a paragraph should be the paragraph mark (backwards P with a line through it) and not a new line (left pointing arrow with a corner on it). I find that when the new line mark ends a paragraph, it gets lost when the manuscript is turned into a galley. Just trying to save some work down the road.

I also wrote a blurb, which I think is pretty good.

Seer - A psychic. Tyro - A beginner. Fiend - A diabolically cruel person.
When a fledgling investigator comes to Stefanie Durant's Windsong Lake art studio to ask her to use her psychic ability, the Ken, to find a missing insurance beneficiary, she refuses, saying her recently-reawakened talent does not work that way. Yet she cannot stop thinking about Nadine Oberg, a teen who ran away from home and disappeared on the streets of Chicago ten years ago. Driven in part by a recent encounter with a tormentor from her own past as well as an inexplicable obsession about the missing woman, Stefanie undertakes to hone and use her psychic power as a force for justice.  
Her efforts induce staggering changes in the Ken, transforming the pinpoint of light she sees in her visions into a guiding star which will lead her deeper into the mystery surrounding Nadine and the unknown fiend who made her flee. As the intricate web of secrets and deceptions begins to untangle, Stefanie's involvement goes deeper still and more visions portend danger as the fiend menaces her and people she loves. Can her Guide Star lead her to Nadine and the identity of the fiend before it destroys Stefanie's life too?

I've started another reading of it in its final format, and I've found a couple of things to fix. Maybe I'll be sending it off next week?

Nature Intrudes

Short post today because it's raining like the dickens around Chicago. Sump pump has been running and running and running. For the time being, the deluge has stopped, but area roadways are still flooded. We've seen worse...

Of course, with monitoring the homestead, I haven't done much writing today. Been thinking more about the next project, a third Jack Watson book. A couple of titles came to mind, but then I decided they pointed too much to who the bad-guy is and I want that to be part of the puzzle.

Also having some ideas about a third Windsong Lake book. Yeah, right. I haven't finished the second one. At least, not enough to send it out into the world. "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is actually pretty darn close to ready, and perhaps not having a lot of time to work on it today is a good thing, because we get a break from each other.

The most annoying thing that happens, with this or any other novel I'm writing, is that good ideas seem to occur to me in the middle of the night. Then I fall asleep and can't remember them in the morning. I had a couple about "Seer" but of course now they're gone. Oh, well. Maybe when I pick it up again tomorrow.

Don't Be Afraid to Just Say It

Working through the word frequency counts on "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" some more. Yesterday, I started on the word "had" and went from 616 occurrences to 300. Today, I hit on one of my bug-a-boo words: "that". I tend to overuse it, especially when I fear a more complex sentence could be misunderstood. On careful rereading, I usually find the word isn't needed. What really takes the count lower, though, is removing it from dialog. Yes, people use "that" a fair amount, but here too I noticed that (oops! See how it crept in?) I noticed my characters doing the same thing, i.e., constructing sentences the way I do. Now we get into the realm of natural conversation, a topic all of its own.

When I got bored hunting for instances of "that" to change, I took a relative break by going to the end of the frequency list, where the counts are down to two. Tricky thing here is how far apart those occurrences are. Not all of them can be removed or changed, but it's worth it to check.

Per the title of this post, one of the words I take a look at is "said." Not a thing wrong with it, really, but the key is moderation. I'm talking about "tags" for dialog here. A few things to consider:

1. If you can replace the tag (Bill said) with a bit of action that creates an image, so much the better. Example: Bill dropped his knife and fork noisily. "I don't want to listen to your lies."
2. Don't suffer from Thesaurus-itis either. Too many crafty words substituted for "said" draws too much attention. It pulls the reader out of the story with either amusement or annoyance at the obvious avoidance of a simpler word. 
3. Watch out on going with "said" too many times too close together. "I didn't go to the movies," Bill said. "I thought you did," June said. "I already saw the one playing," Bill said. Sort of like the rhythm of  a train on the tracks after a bit.
4. Keep in mind, sometimes a tag isn't needed at all. If you just have two characters talking, the reader is savvy enough to realize the lines of dialog alternate between them. Throw in some action (#1) now and again as a reference point if the conversation goes on for a while, or just an occasional tag.
5. And when people in your book "say" things, remember that editors laugh at you when you have characters do the impossible. She giggled. He snorted. I defy anyone to giggle a response or to snort it. However, either of those two might be considered as replacements for a tag. She giggled. "I figured you would say yes."

On my frequency count list, the word "said" was used 242 times, with the smallest separation being three words. I will look at it, but I won't obsess about it.