Tomorrow, I'm going to try to write Laurie. Crazy me. And finish off this Justus + Unit fic.
Try is the operative word here.
Writing Only, October 16
So it's time to start writing again. Going with the random prompt technique, as it seems to wrok so well for me. This time, we're going to write about the work Red Wolf does. It didn't take as long as I thought to pull out "Rearranging Assets," though it was far too clinical a piece for my tastes. :shrugs: I'll have to do better at storyizing the rest of them on this topic. For now, I skipped to a different prompt: the hug for Anna from her husband about her parents. That piece went well and quickly.
Then, I moved to the idea of Shift stopping by Justus' workplace. Behold, the sprawl! Nevertheless, in my first session before break was up, I got 875 words in one and a half scenes and I'm watching the team come together, which is exactly what I needed to see.
Coming back to this on my next break, let's see what we can do. :skimming work already done: Gets a handful of words done before break over.
Evening time now. Couldn't get settled down to work again, so calling it for the night at 938 words.
Count
- Fiction: 1727 words - Month to Date: 21,030 words
- Blog: 220 words - Month to Date: 6,950 words
365 Challenge
- 224/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Rearranging Assets – 387 words
- 225/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Would That It Were – 402 words
Reading and Writing, October 15
I am highly tempted to do Lovemark the Seasons for NanoWrimo, but I'm still not sure. Anyway... To writing.
I should say, I've been trying to get my brain pointed toward writing and nothing's happening. Let's switch to the random technique. I was asked for hugs for Rett and Meld. Those ficlets went well. Now, what? Lightsculpt needs to meet his parents. Okaaay. Who are they anyhow? So that worked. And the next random prompt—not without you—fed right into it.
Since I was on a roll, I went ahead and read and commented on my to-read ficlets. So it ought to be back to writing. Since the random prompt technique is working, let's go with what ain't broke.
So I burned through a bunch of ficlets this evening. Let's call it a night.
Count
- Fiction: 2674 words - Month to Date: 19,303 words
- Blog: 218 words - Month to Date: 6,730 words
365 Challenge
On this day 288/365, I'm on written piece 223/365.
- 216/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Tell Me in the Morning – 616 words
- 217/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Soon – 293 words
- 218/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Worth Something – 428 words
- 219/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Working Up the Nerve – 160 words
- 220/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Something Other Than Smoke – 314 words
- 221/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: The Leash – 310 words
- 222/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Moral Support – 331 words
- 223/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: In the Business – 222 words
Reading and Writing, October 14
Stage One: Assess
So today, I wrote a blog post before getting to other writing. A lot of stuff about fandom and original fiction has been hammering in my head lately and that gorgeous piece of early Yuletide goodness put me over. Of course, now I owe a Laurie fic back and that's mulling in the percolator. In the meantime, there's what to write for Nano to consider and how many ficlets I can plow through today running on a late start, to say nothing of the three I haven't read yet from thecatisacritic.
Submissions
Got a rejection letter late in the day. It was a good rejection letter and very helpful. I do have a strong tendency to write vignettes, and I'm not entirely sure I'll ever be cured of that, though curiously, this fic isn't actually a vignette. Nevertheless, the comments gave me some great ideas on where to go when I'm ready to flesh out Alliance more, as my first angles were fizzling badly (I'm apparently not that into school fic, I just thought I was), and it also made me realize something: I have come to expect rejection. I never actually want to see the response to a submission. That's a very odd thought.
Stage Two: Work
I tried to make some progress on "Everything is Blood" and I did make some, but I wasn't impressed and it's still not coming together for me, so I decided to hit Kingdoms and Thorn again instead. And there goes 184 190 198 words on Lovemark the Seasons. I was actually thinking ficlets, o muse o' mine. Please?
Oh, bother it. Sorry, thecatisacritic. I'm going to bury myself in Lovemark.
Stage Three: Count
- Fiction: 1,187 words - Month to Date: 16,629 words
- Blog: 822 words - Month to Date: 6,512 words
365 Challenge
Speaking of the challenge, what day am I on and how's the overall progress going? I'm on day 287/365 and written piece 215/365.
Posted in Publishing, Writing
Tagged change of plans, writing process
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A Fandom-Original Writer: Markers of Success
A while back, Kristine Rusch wrote about markers of success, which are entirely dependent on goals. Recently, I exchanged some dialogue on beta readers with Elle Casey and came to the realization that our goals were quite different. Her goal is to build a readership; mine is to build a fanbase. She didn't really understand the difference.
I have a pen name, my most successful one, where the goal is to sell books. The way to reach that goal is simple: write and publish more stories fitting the brand. It works. It pays my utilities bill when I get the payout.
Her goal is to draw in many new readers with each successive book. This means she'll probably have more reviews and sales overall than I do and each book probably should go through a new to her reader, as she suggests, to see how it'll go over with new-to-her readers.
My goal with Liana Mir comes straight out of fandom: I want fans. I want to write what I love and what fascinates me and know others feel the same way. That means I don't need many new readers with each release; I need to hold onto the ones I have, to make them feel something. It means that my ideal beta reader is both active in fandom and someone who becomes invested in my storyworld and can react like a fan, pointing out problems as they arise, such as the failure to sufficiently characterize Pieter. Important stuff, this. One of my favorite TV shows ever, Awake, had a relatively small viewership, but it had a devoted fanbase. I'm perfectly content with that sort of result. In fact, that's what I want. I want fans, who may or may not ever review and may be small in number but are high in engagement.
That said, my markers of success are:
- Have readers who ask questions and want more.
- Have fanwork created for my worlds.
- See an in-depth review or piece of meta from someone I don't know.
- Have readers I don't know who ask questions and want more.
- Have fanwork created for my worlds by someone I don't know.
These are my personal goals and benchmarks. I've got number one with Kingdoms and Thorn and Faeology got interest and wanting more from strangers (though I've yet to deliver, having gotten sidetracked). Number two has happened for Vardin (fix-it fic) and I got that gift from my beta in Kingdoms and Thorn. The rest haven't happened yet, which is fine as I haven't actually gotten as much into the world yet. These stories are created for my fangirl side. I actually care about canon, so if it's not quite right, it doesn't get published.
I don't pretend everyone wants this, but it's what I want. To create something that rich and awesome that if it were authored by someone else, I would fangirl it.
What are your markers?
Posted in Fandom, Publishing
Tagged plans, writing process
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Reading and Writing, October 13
Started off the day on a nice foot: I finished crossposting the last 52 chapters of Whispers from ff.net to AO3. Because someone asked me to. Always the best kind of fanfic work.
As part of prep for NaNo, I want to get Kingdoms and Thorn into Scrivener. I forgot I had created my own continuity template, but right now, I am supremely pleased. All that work, already done. :grins:
I'm mixing up scribbling, reading, recording an audio project, and other busywork all together. Getting some decent stuff. Okay, I've got other stuff to do, so done for the night.
On the reading front, I got an early Yuletide gift—a Rachelle ficlet from in_the_blue. I officially consider this my second piece of fanfic ever and it is awesome.
Count
- Total Fiction: 1561 words - Month to Date: 15,442 words
- Total Blog: 100 words - Month to Date: 5,690 words
365 Challenge
- 210/365 - Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: That'll Work – 177 words
- 211/365 - Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: We Can't Have That – 208 words
- 212/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Gratitude in an Off Note – 197 words
- 213/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Reality Check – 303 words
- 214/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Anywhere But Here – 349 words
- 215/365 – Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Wedding Gift – 327 words
Posted in Writing
Tagged nano 2013, scrivener, writing process
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Reading and Writing, October 12
So I signed up for Nanowrimo, and ONLY because there's a 50% off Scrivener attached to winning. Am I pathetic or just greedy for Scrivener?
Ahem. Anyway...
So got Scrivener all set up on my machine, replied to a couple comments, noted I really ought to peek at the hundreds of spam notifications in my email, but decided not to. Thought I'd write more off the computer, but percolated instead. While I did get something written, it was short enough to lump it in with when I actually finished the piece.
Calling it a night.
Count
- Total Fiction: 0 words - Month to Date: 13,881 words
- Total Blog: 95 words - Month to Date: 5,590 words
Posted in Journal, Writing
Tagged change of plans, nano 2013, scrivener, writing process
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Reading and Writing, October 11
So this morning was one of those mornings where feeling weird and what-have-you, I skipped straight past anything I ought to do and went and read Beneath Ceaseless Skies on my morning work break. It's a double issue. Then I dug through my email and dug up Laurie's story instead of waiting until I was at home this weekend where I already have it saved.
When I feel weird, I read. That's me. When I hurt, I fanfic or write an angsty poem. Otherwise, I write. I wonder what that says about how often I feel weird.
So I finished Laurie's story. Awesomeness. Then I finished editing all 13,574 words of story from inferno goodness—which I only say because it's done. Unfinished stories are not good. They taunt and tease and bother me. This is the first novelette I've written ever. Now, of course, I want to typeset it and publish it, which requires getting a Rachelle-worthy cover which makes me need to buy a stock photo I don't have, which would imply the need for a Kickstarter-type campaign, but this is micro-funding on a micro, micro, micro scale, so…
Thinking.
Maybe I ought to write. Hm. Nope, first I read through the ficlets from thecatisacritic. I'm glad too. I'm still not all that settled down for writing.
Talking with the beta yesterday about maybe doing Nano, which would mean picking a story for it. I'm all over the map on what I'd want to do: Collateral Damage, the Seven Days book, or something in Vardin, or seriously, Lovemark the Seasons. So yeah, on the fence there.
I edited and finalized a story. I'll write more this weekend. Bad me, but it's Friday, so no after-work scribble-time was available anyway.
Count
- Total Fiction: 0 words - Month to Date: 13,881 words
- Total Blog: 291 words - Month to Date: 5,495 words
Finalized Pieces
- "Dowse and Bleed," Kingdoms and Thorn, 13,574 words
Posted in Journal, Writing
Tagged change of plans, plans, reading, writing process
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Reading and Writing, October 9–10
So yesterday was October 9, 2013 and I wrote 513 words of last-second fiction and 84 words of blog post. So let it be noted.
I tend to use leading conjunctions, did you know that? But, and, so...
Onto today...
So. I signed up for Yuletide, wrote my letter, linked it on the Yuletide Livejournal, and otherwise freaked out but ended up feeling serenely as though I achieved something. Ahem. Yeah.
I also did my daily reading of writing/industry blogs I find useful, including Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Rusch, The Passive Voice, Juliette Wade, and others. Then, I tackled the ficlets in my LJ inbox from thecatisacritic. I still need to catch up reading on Laurie's story from in_the_blue and the rest of the Fire and Water books, but alas! That requires some ability to focus. Now, that I'm headache-free again and my leg isn't screaming this might be soon possible.
And then there's writing. I tried to use the lullaby lyrics I had in the prompt bin to write about Watcher and Shift, but I hated it. I tried a few other snippets, but the words aren't coming. I need a different angle.
Hm...
I got back my last set of beta notes on "Dowse and Bleed." Hurrah! Some edits, but they are good ones and all the typos she caught! Ack. Sometimes I wonder how in the world I can have that many words go missing... But anyway.
No scribbling today. Sorry, thecatisacritic. I'm just not really feeling up to that.
Count
- Total Fiction: 0 words - Month to Date: 13,881 words
- Total Blog: 1123 words - Month to Date: 5,204 words
365 Challenge
From yesterday...
- 209/365 – Kindgoms and Thorn Ficlet: Family – 377 words
Posted in Journal, Writing
Tagged plans, writing process, yuletide
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Dear Yuletide 2013
So let's talk Yuletide. I believe this is where I'm supposed to share with you my loves, hates, and dealbreakers of fiction, plus incidental helpful asides on my requested fandoms. As a side note to that, if you write me in these fandoms, I will love you for it anyway.
That said…
My favorite stories to read are rich in worldbuilding or characterization, though I adore funny, fluffy little pieces as well. It's all about the characters for me. Okay, and the world. I love intellectual fic and fanfic, like figuring out how a superpower would logically work, exploring the implications of a speculative element, fixing unfixable canon details, taking something off-the-wall and turning into powerfully plausible within canon constraints, etc.
I admit to being easily squickable. I don't care for humor based on embarrasing situations or body-related humor at all. I'm extremely vanilla het in my romance taste (sorry, the easily squickable thing) and infinitely prefer deep friendship characterization to surface romance any day (there's too little good friendship gen fics anyway). Though deeply characterized romance is fine. Better than fine.
And dealbreakers. I try never to read:
- Excessive swear words (or any if I can get away with it)
- Gratuitous violence
- Gore—at all
- Horror
- Zombies
- Ghosts, spooks, spiritualism, paganism, etc.
And to the fandoms:
Awake (TV)
So this show ran too short! One little season that left me with a zillion questions and so many possibilities. I would adore Emma with Hannah/Michael fic and finding out how things go after keeping the baby. You can AU it and get him out of prison or even just do Emma + Hannah. I'd love to see that. One scene I've been hankering after for forever is when Captain Tricia Harper stole all the brownies when she met Michael, but let him have one when he caught her. But seriously, anything you write me in this 'verse will be HUGELY appreciated.
The episodes are all available from Amazon, Netflix, or iTunes. My favorite episode is the first, but that's followed pretty closely by "Say Hello to My Little Friend."
Divergent Trilogy
I cannot wait for Allegiant to come out, but since it's not out yet, we have fanfic to make up the difference. Right now, I'm particularly fascinated by the Amar + Four relationship, as developed in the two shorts, "Free Four" and "The Transfer," and also thoroughly in love with Natalie Prior. More about Tris' mom would make me extraordinarily happy: her Dauntless background or her falling in love with Andrew or her finding out about the video at the end of Insurgent. Then there's the Jeanine Matthews and Andrew Prior dynamic. They used to best friends. Seriously? I would adore seeing them younger or even their personal interactions as Jeanine starts painting Abnegation as terrible. I mean, this is her best friend's kid she's torturing. And of course, knowing Andrew's mom recorded the video, that was a bombshell I'd also love to see more about. I love and prefer the canonical relationships: friendships, siblings, family.
Onyx Court – Marie Brennan
So the only book of this series I own and have read is With Fate Conspire, though I did read the free short story available on Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Particularly, I love the character of Dead Rick, so I'd love anything with him in it, I'm very interested in that intriguing period where Valentin Aspell was dreaming for a century, and then Benjamin Hodge's childhood and selection as prince OR his picking up life again after the book would be extremely fascinating. Again, I'm pretty good with anything at this point, seeing as I don't think there's any fic in this universe at all.
The People — Zenna Henderson
Ingathering is one of my five favorite books of all time. Within that, my favorite story is far, far and away "Captivity." I missed nominating this one, so understand if you don't want to go here, but I would love to find out what happened to Francher. Did he go back for Twyla? Who was he with his mom? But especially Twyla. Barring that, I'd love to know more about Dita and her ancestral stone wall and finding out what she could do or her parents' and family's reaction and so forth.
Roswell
I'm one of those who loved this series through "Viva Las Vegas." I've liked RoswellianMisha's work that accepts the end of the series as canon, but otherwise try to pretend it doesn't exist. Big on canonical pairings, but I'm particularly interested in Tess/Kyle or Tess + Kyle as sibling relationship. I'd love to see a fix-it where she doesn't kill Alex (which I always thought was an accident, then coverup), or really anything that gives some serious nonbashing Tess character development. She's an underdog: she was raised desperately wanting the Pod Squad as the only family she would ever have, and then they didn't want her and her alien ideas, so she tried to either offer them their alien legacy and simultaneously started learning to embrace her humanity. I want more of that without the atrocity of that murder in there. Please no dupes.
Whoever you are, thank you!
