Writing with Zette

Yes, busy as usual!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:19:14 GMT

That's a nice little American Goldfinch picture I took last month. He hadn't quite gotten all his breeding plumage in yet, so he looks more like a little chick than a bird. Cute guy, though.

Today, I turned my attention to the notes and background work for Draw the Line again. I've been working on this one, off and on, for months already. Every time I pick it back up I get excited about it -- and realize how much work I still have to do. This is a major project, and though I have pages of notes, most of them are notes directing me to do more research and new note taking.

I love projects like this. There is no guarantee that the book itself will live up to the amount of work I'm putting into it, of course, but if it falls short, it won't be because I didn't put as much into it as I could.

I just finished a major rewrite of a short story. I need to read it again and then send it off. I love doing the occasional shorter work. It's like taking a photo instead of making a movie. There's an art to it, but you aren't going to dedicate years of your life to getting it put together properly.

I've been active over at ArtZone lately -- nice to expand my horizons a bit. (grin)

Next big project is to get the house cleaned again. It's not bad, but the cats are shedding something fierce this year -- seems to be much worse than previous years. I think it's this yo-yo weather we've been having. I've been brushing them out as much as I can, but it doesn't seem to have helped much.

And now, I think I'll go back to typing in more notes, at least if I can get Zaphod off of them!

And back for another Monday -- barely!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:31:16 GMT

Hello!

Yes, it has been busy. Nothing new there! But to make certain I didn't have any time at all, I've been doing the story-a-day challenge at FM. It's not really meant to be story-a-day, but I've been managing it for the first four days and I'm working on my 5^th story tonight. Probably won't for much longer, though. I have more work headed my way.

I've been having great fun with the writing side of things, though -- especially with the new stories popping up for this challenge and rewriting some older material as well. The great thing about being a writer is the ability to let your imagination run free and write whatever you want to write, and challenges like the one at FM are a great way to step outside the norms and try something new. The more you write, the better your chance of selling something. And because there are so many wonderful markets out there, the more diverse your writing, the more of a chance you have to sell the material.

Oh! And here is something really nice!

http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=217&rn=404&action=show_detail

Yes, a bundle of three of my novels, the two 2YN Books and the Vision workshop book, which includes both material by Holly and me! I'm so glad to see it all available in one group like this! Holly surprised me with this one.

So, that's it for my week. Didn't get the lawn mowed because I can't get the lawnmower to start. We're looking into hiring someone instead. I've been a bit lazy around the house, too. I'll need to get back to work on that cleaning stuff again.

But mostly, I've been writing and enjoying the freedom to let my imagination play wherever it wants. You can't ask for a better life than that!

It's Monday!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:43:12 GMT

Yes, it is Monday and I'm actually here! What a surprise!

It's a busy time right now. End of the month with an issue of Vision due and updates to Forward Motion to do. I don't mind being busy, but the last few days of months like these drive me nuts. I have everything done ahead that I can -- or at least most of it -- but there are still a few last things I'm waiting on.

And not to mention the work for the DAZ newsletter and all.

But you know, things in general are pretty good. I've had three book releases in the last month or so, and sold a short story. There's nothing quite like the feeling of having a novel accepted by a publisher -- knowing that you have already entertained that person -- and seeing them willing to invest time and effort to help you reach others. Of course, there's always a lot of work left to do on my end. Now that the entire Dark Staff series is out, I need to go back and push the series.

And the re-release of Silky, with two more novels in the series to follow, is going to be a lot of fun!

"Exciting, complex and richly textured, with a world you'll believe
and a protagonist you have to cheer for -- Silky is wonderful." Holly Lisle
(Quote from original 1998 Embiid Publishing release.)

This is an edited and slightly updated version of Silky, released in preparation for the never-before-released second and third books in the series. I've been editing and writing, and enjoying the work. The third Silky book brought an unexpected surprise in the story line, and one that I'm having a great deal of fun exploring. The notes are starting to get a bit messy and I may have to sort them out before I go much farther in the story. I love the surprises like this one.

And that reminds me of something. I often see people say that outlines kill their creativity. For me, it's just the opposite, especially with a 'light' outline (a line or two per chapter or scene). Once I have the basics of the story down and I no longer have to worry about how the big pieces fit together, I find that my mind opens for all the extra things that make a story so interesting.

In the world of real life -- whatever that might be -- the weather has gotten better (as long as we ignore that mention of snowflakes possible next Friday). I'm waiting for it to hit 60 again before I go out and mow the lawn, though. It's just too cold still, and I've been fighting miserable colds all winter, so I'm not going to take a chance at getting another one. Two of my cats have colds. It's been that kind of spring.

Ah, this isn't Monday

zette@longlines.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:59:15 GMT

I missed Monday. No, really -- I missed Monday. I slept through a good part of it, and it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I realized it's Tuesday and I needed to get the trash out. Ah, the life without ties -- it's so easy to lose track of days!

Okay, so I was never very calendar-conscious at the best of times. Still, it's a good excuse.

I have turned Silky over to the publisher. Today I wrote a very short blurb for it and sent that on as well. It should have been done on Monday but... well, you know. I have finished the major pass through Silky 2, but I saw some points where I need to expand, explain, and improve again. I'm letting it sit for a few days. Then I'll be back to work on it and we'll see how it goes!

Right now I'm working on major notes and worldbuilding for Draw the Line, an sf novel I hope to write later this year. Much of it is falling together well, and I think it's going to be an intricate, interesting world when I finally lay it all out. I spent a good amount of today sorting out notes and getting some more of them typed into SuperNotecard. The program works great for me.

Creating a complex world takes time and effort, and attention to details. I know that sounds obvious, but sometimes people really don't think about it. They get the wouldn't this be neat idea and run with it for a while -- without really contemplating the full implications of what the idea means to the rest of the world around the character and you sit there thinking but, but -- if he did that then THIS should hold true for everything else! Luckily, this is usually caught in professionally published books -- but not always. There have been some really interesting 'work arounds' for big problems.

I see the problem quite often the kind of first draft stuff, mine included. I'll read along and suddenly realize that if (for instance) the nobility are limited in the number of children they can have, then the fact that this child was born to a slave is a really big deal and it's time to rethink that part as something more than giving one of the characters an interesting background. It has ramifications in other areas, including who is heir to his father's estate.

And if an heir is disinherited, the noble has to find someone else to take that place, especially since such an occasion would probably come late in life when the heir proves to be incapable of doing the work needed. Since, in this world, magic is an essential part of the nobility, and since magic is virtually unknown out side the noble lines, that means the person would have to adopt from one of the other noble families. But if they are limited in the number of children as well, are they going to want to give up one of their own? Would you adopt a current lord's sister's child? A child farther out along the line -- the uncle of the current lord had two children, and one of them has two children, so you adopt one of them?

And this does not take into account politics, which is a big dividing line in the book.

But that's a relatively simple problem to deal with, of course. Something obvious. It doesn't even take much thought. However, lately I've been seeing even this kind of simple stuff slipping by some of the stories I'm reading online. I sometimes wish people would take a little more time, rather than just jot something off and shove it up somewhere. A little more time people -- really, take your time and write something and go over it, and get it right. It doesn't matter how you are publishing it -- don't be in such a hurry. You'll only hurt your reputation as a good storyteller if you get in too big a hurry. If you want readers, give them the best you can create, not the fastest.

And sometimes that means doing some background work and finding the problems before you are halfway through a novel and then, rather than going back and reworking things, creating a 'work around' that makes the story weaker. This doesn't mean that any of us are ever going to catch everything, but it does mean you are more likely to catch some of the problems before you're asked by a reader 'If Sally goes crazy at the sight of yellow, then how can she drive down the road or have eggs for breakfast without going into berserk mode?'

So there's my lecture. (Laughs)

And now, back to notes on Draw the Line.

Marking Things off the List

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:44:44 GMT

There's something rewarding about scratching out lines on a long list and knowing you have at least that much done. I've had about three days like that, just working through list after list of things. I write a new list each night before I go to bed, moving over anything from the previous day's list that didn't quite get finished and adding in whatever new things have popped up. Some days I do well, and some days -- like yesterday -- it seems like I don't get anything done at all, even when I mark a couple things off. But even so, it's good to mark any of them.

My life is ruled by what I call The Neverending List from Hell. Sometimes I print out week long lists of things that need to be done, but they start looking too overwhelming, so I generally go with a few scratched notes on paper each day. Today's list started with nine items and is down to four. That doesn't count any writing, which is at about 200 words right now, so I need to get back to that soon. However, since I've been pretty good about work today, I thought I'd stop and write up my journal.

I have finally sent off the edits and cover art for Silky. I admit it -- I was just messing around with both the book and the art by the end, and for some reason was having a hard time letting go. I don't know why. It's not as though I'm never going to work with the characters again, after all. In fact, my main work right now is the sequel to the book. I don't know why I kept lingering over the first book.

But it's done, and I'm feeling much better about that right now.

The rest of today's work will mostly be more Vision stuff. I finally got the Interview off to the author and the copies of articles off to the copyeditor. Next up is the contracts, which really won't take long at all. The great thing is that I have enough articles for almost two full issues. I can't remember the last time I had so many great articles!

After that, I will go back to writing for the rest of the night. It's early, by my standards, and I should have a good run at it tonight since I'm getting all the rest of this stuff done early. Writing, of course, is the thing by which I measure my days. I don't keep an Excel sheet listing number of items marked off of lists, after all. But I have kept Excel sheets since 1998 listing how many words I've written each day. I have some handwritten journals going back farther, too.

There is no excuse not to write, at least in my world. Worldbuilding, outlining or writing the actual story -- there is always something to do. It's a good thing I love this work.

And now I'm off to celebrate finishing all the work on Silky!

The Joy of Being a Writer

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:15:00 GMT

First the really good news -- Darwin A. Garrison accepted my short story, Professional Choice, for Darwin's Evolutions. I've returned the contract and he's already paid me. I can't wait to see the ezine come out, and not just because of my story. I think he's going to do an excellent job of pulling this together and creating an interesting collection of stories to read.

Professional Choice is a fun little story, really. Writing it -- and having it accepted for publication -- reminds me of why I really enjoy what I'm doing. Stories that you love to tell (not just 'fun' stories, but any story that gives you a rush of feeling while you write) make writing worthwhile. Not all stories can be that way -- but sometimes you have to write the lesser ones with the more powerful one, because you need to see what works. Writing is an art and takes practice, just like everything else. Not everything will be something you'll want the public to read, but you can learn from everything you write -- as long as you're willing to learn, of course. It makes being a writer kind of an odd combination of creativity and good work habits.

I did fine at real world jobs, from taking care of kids, to factory work to running bookstores for years and years. I kept at writing all through those years, too, and finally reached the point where I could write full time and not have to go to work. I love it. And do you know what the best part is?

This isn't a 9 to 5 job. I write every day and have for decades -- when I had an outside job and not. But I know that my creativity isn't tied to the mundane world of business hours, and once I escaped them, I felt creativity expand to fill the time. I don't believe in the 'my muse has to come to me first' school of writing -- however, I will never, never let this become just another job where I have to sit at the computer because it's required of me, rather than because this is where I want to be. Even with contracts, I work to my own schedule. I give my mind time to work on inspiration, and to process ideas into stories, so that I'm not just sitting down and pounding out words to fill some quota.

And that means that some days I work better than others. Today, so far, has been a good day. I have major work done on two different projects, plus a bit of art work thrown in and some housekeeping. I'm trying to create a 'housekeeping as art' attitude, and maybe it's even sinking in a little. Housework has never been my strong point.

I am also not a morning person and never have been. I work best late at night, when the rest of the world has quieted and the distractions of sounds and sights outside my office window have mostly disappeared. I love working at night, but the only reason I can is because this isn't a 9 to 5 job and I don't have to worry about when I'm getting up the next day.

Now I'm dealing with another big change -- Russ going to New York to work. I now have absolutely no ties to time or even day for that matter. Creatively, I can't say that it's made a big improvement because I generally work the same as I did before. Lifestyle-wise, it has certainly added some interesting moments as I try to figure out 'when' I am. And it has made remembering to update this on Mondays a real challenge. But here I am anyway. I may be getting the knack of this time and date stuff finally!

I love the dawn and I see quite a few of them, but that comes from still being up rather than getting up. Sunsets have always been my favorites, though, and you can tell that from my photography. I love night storms and hope we get some nice ones this year, and that I get luck with the camera again. It is mostly luck, because where I live makes it difficult to get a clear view.

So in many respects, I've got things pretty good. I would prefer to have Russ working closer to home, and we both think that's going to happen soon. And then will I have a better connection to the day? Probably not. (grin) It wasn't as though I was very good at it before he took this job.

It's a good life in many ways. I'm lucky. And I'm having fun. You can't ask for much more than that out of life.

Things are looking good!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:37:19 GMT

First, the good news that I've been hoping to post for quite a while! The last two books of the Dark Staff series are finally published and available at Double Dragon!

Book Seven: Gathering http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-559-2

Book Eight: Hope in Hell http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-560-6

This series has taken me a long time to complete -- so much so, that I can see a change and improvement in my writing from book one to book eight -- but then, I suspect that happens to anyone who is willing to keep learning and who has a long term project of this sort. I'm quite happy with the last two books, and thrilled to have the entire series finished. If I hadn't gotten so bogged down with work on Dragon Tooth Fantasy Books and Forward Motion, I probably would have had the series done a couple years ago -- but there it is, finally.

I also had the opportunity to do the cover art for these last two books, which proved to be really fun and demanding. I've done other cover art, but not much for my own work, and certainly nothing lately. I don't get to do art like that very often. Here is a picture of the original art, without the lettering:

http://artzone.daz3d.com/index.php?mode=photo_album&act=view&pho_id=140256&p_id=885

I also received a contract from a British publisher, Studymates, to do a print book on writing science fiction for them. I apparently do well at writing books about writing. (grin) This one is going to be a nice challenge and I'm already about 6k into the book of around 60k or so. It will be slower going than writing fiction, of course, but I have done enough nonfiction writing books that I have something of a feel for them. This one is due to the publisher in the first week of September, so I need to stay focused on it. Having fulfilled my contract to DDP means I have less to draw my 'this has to be done now!' attention, though. I do have three other books still due to another publisher, but one of those is pretty much done and I'm half way through the second.

I have turned in my chapter on contemporary fantasy, too. Another thing off the list!

So things are looking pretty good, really. I have a few things to get set up for the next month at FM, but other than that, I think things are looking good from the writing point of view. Now if it would just warm up and stay there, rather than getting now every other day, I would be really happy!

Oh yes, I am busy....

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:53:26 GMT

Edits, rewrites, updates -- various publishers asking for various things. It's been a busy few weeks and I think it's going to get worse at least until April and probably for a long time afterwards. I don't mind busy, of course. At least most of the time.

What I do mind are people who just straight out waste my time. I offer to help anyone who is interested in the world of publication, and I often point them to other people who know more than I do. I've been having an ongoing email conversation with an old friend about the publishing world and that's been a lot of fun. But yesterday I had a round of emails from someone who was not only clueless, but rude. 'But (person I will not name) told me that publishers are all evil and stealing work and money. Why should I trust them?

Because, child, if that was really true there wouldn't be a publisher in business today. Do you really think something like that would be kept quiet? Do you think a publisher who did something like that would still be in business? Get a clue.

If you don't trust publishers then go self-publish. It's the only way you'll be happy. But stop bothering me with your stupid paranoia and 'but (person) said that we shouldn't do this.' If you want to listen to someone else, then go plague that person. If you really aren't looking for answers and alternative suggestions, don't come to me.

Oh, and one more clue. If you are going to tell me that copyeditors will ruin your book, make certain that you at least know the difference between there and their, it's and its, and how to write a sentences with actual periods in place. Just a suggestion, of course. (Why is it so often the people who really do need help who have this attitude?)

I spend a lot of time offering whatever little help I can to other writers, but there are days when I have to shake my head and wonder what some of these people really expect. Thinking back on the entire exchange, I have to admit that it was kind of funny. Maybe that's it. Maybe I need to remember the humor in some of this. It is amusing sometimes. The paranoia level ought to be good for a few laughs, right? I mean I'm not paranoid about anything, after all.

Not as funny as Zaphod falling into the sink of dishes a couple minutes ago, of course, but still funny. And look, now he's dripping water all over my desk and notes. Isn't that cute? (Ack.)

So there you have it -- my Monday. I have a ton more things to get done tonight, so I think I'll just go leap into that work now. Better to get some of it done yet tonight than face it in the morning.

Must remember to let the water out of the sink, too.

Learning new things for a changing age

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:09:43 GMT

We all know the publishing business is changing -- just as it has changed in the past and will change in the future. When paperbacks hit the stands, people cried out in horror at the loss of the elite right to own books -- because books were hardbound and expensive. Writing books for the plebs -- how awful!

And, of course, we are going through the same thing with the Internet Age of Publishing. People still turn up their noses at ebooks, as though stories somehow change from the computer to paper. I do have a preference for printed books, just like many people, but I have never judged any story by anything other than the writing -- and yes, that includes self-published books. The problems I have with self-published work fall into a couple different categories:

1. Too many people who go this route have no clue what they are doing and don't even understand that their books will not be in stores and that they will have to sell each book themselves. (Sometimes the posts at NaNo are just painful to read.) Added to this is the problem that too many have not learned to write well before they throw themselves into the publishing world, which only diminishes the chances of either selling their current work or drawing readers back for later publications.

Remember, when you self-publish there is no one between you and any really stupid mistakes you make in your book. You can't count on any spellchecker or grammar checker to do all the work -- they are only programs in a computer, and they will fail you at the worst time. If you get someone else to read the story first, make certain that person has more of a clue than you do. Getting the best friend who hasn't spelled an entire sentence right -- let alone written a full, real sentence -- in any email is not the person you want.

Cultivate the friendship of people who write well, as long as they aren't snobs about it. If they aren't willing to help, or if they lecture rather than help, find someone else. This is where writing communities can be a real help. You can peruse the sites without even posting anything, and quite often you will still learn a thing or two. And if you have a question, the people are there specifically to help.

2. The other problem revolves around those who really have worked hard and written excellent work, but are afraid to approach traditional publishers for fear they will be rejected. They won't be rejected, but the story might. This is something that is a normal part of the publishing world and nothing extraordinary, though it can be annoying -- but for fear of it happening, they will give up any dreams they've had of seeing their books on the shelves of stores by their other favorite authors, and of sharing those works with the widest possible audience.

I have spent ten years at Forward Motion helping people to reach a goal of being traditionally published. Some people make it and some do not, but Forward Motion will always focus on helping to reach that goal. That was why Holly Lisle created the site, and it is something she and I both share as a vision for Forward Motion.

But neither of us is stupid, and we both know there are other opportunities out there, if you want to take the chance and if you know what you are doing. There are more than a few people at FM who self-publish, and who have learned a few things at the site that have helped them write the best that they can which should be the most important part of any writer's life, no matter where he or she goes with the work later. However, FM has a specific purpose, and it will continue to maintain that focus.

And that brings us, finally, to Lulu.com.

A few years ago, my husband published a book through Lulu for a very specific audience. The workmanship was wonderful. I was very impressed. Since then, I know of some of the small press publishers who have started ordering print runs though Lulu.com. Some order on a book-by-book case, and some take advantage of the bulk rates and order quite a few copies at once. I have rarely heard any complaints from anyone about Lulu's quality.

And the best part of all, of course, is that they are not a vanity press. In a vanity press, you have to pay the publisher to produce the work. Lulu takes their cut straight out of the sale of each book. You set the price of the work above what they get per book. The amount probably looks high at first glance, but it is a reasonable amount for the work that is put into producing each book -- and it is the best way to get your product out there in the market without any cost to you, unless you take one of their distribution plans.

I have books at Lulu.com through a couple different publishers. I will have more soon, it appears. Right now I'm trying to learn their cover art strictures so that I can turn in the proper material for a couple different publishers. I am starting to think that the wrap-around cover is going to be way too much trouble.

Looking at the site, I see that they are doing picture books now. I'm really tempted to do something with some of my animal photography, just for fun.

I am really fascinated by how Lulu works. I have always tried new things, and Lulu looks as though there could be some fun aspects to it, especially in the reprint and art areas.

Of course, I need the time to do that kind of stuff. Right now I still have several more contracted books to get finished, although one more is in the very last nit-picking phase that I go through before I send something off.

But it's always fun to learn something new, to try new things and to look at possibilities in the changes the world has brought us -- at least if you do so with an open mind and clue about what you're doing and why.

Working on Silky

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:39:32 GMT

I'm about 100 pages into the edit/rewrite of Silky. There is more reworking than I expected to find, but that's all right -- it's been fun and a wonderful learning experience. If I can concentrate on it, I shouldn't have much trouble getting through the book. I think I might go straight into book 2 after I'm done and while everything is still fresh. That book will take far more reworking.

And I started book 3. I wasn't going to, but I always start a novel on my birthday, and it was the only one that really called to me. I'm taking it very slowly for me -- only a few hundred words a day so far -- while I get through the rest of Silky 1, at least.

In case you can't tell, I'm really enjoying the work. The other work in my life has momentarily eased up -- or maybe I'm just getting used to it. It probably helps that spring has arrived (39f! Yay!), and I can sit in my office without freezing. I really will have to do something about that before next winter. (Yes, I say that every year.)

I've written over 100k words so far this year, which is down from my usual word count, but since I'm doing far more editing than usual, that's not a surprise. I wrote a short story this weekend, but I'm not particularly happy with it. I think, in fact, that it needs to be reworked into a myth and reworked into the canon for a larger work. That might be fun -- writing myths for a larger world, and then incorporating the myths into the stories. That looks like a long term project! But I could do a few more short pieces every now and then. Might make a nice writing exercise. Maybe try to keep each myth down to about 1000 words.

Not that I actually need more to write.

Monday and less snow!

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:38:16 GMT

Hello! And isn't this a lovely Monday? (Except it's cold again!) I can actually see spots of green in the yard. I think we're creeping up on spring.

Vision is done and posted.

Forward motion is updated for the month.

The DAZ newsletter is about 3/4's done -- just waiting on some last stuff.

All in all, it's been a nice, productive few days.

I am also working on the rewrite/edit of Silky. I had thought it would be just an easy edit, but I found some areas I felt really needed clarification, so I've been expanding a bit as I go. It's been a lot of fun, especially since I have the new keyboard, and it is a pleasure to type again without worrying about those missing spaces. I hadn't realized how much it was affecting my willingness to sit down and work until it was gone. It's amazing the things that will slow you up, and you don't even realize it.

The weather is better, too. Well, not great today, but it has been up in the 40's and will be again soon. This is really great news. I can sit in my lovely office without freezing, and that helps me get a bit more creative, too. I usually love winter, but there was far too much stress associated with this one for me to get too comfortable. I think things will be better with the spring.

I have discovered the joy of ordering groceries on-line. I pull up the page, order things, let it sit for a couple hours, go back and order more, change things, remember something else -- there is no stress about 'what did I forget to buy!' and they deliver it right to the door for $15. Since I do not drive, this is a real boon. It helps poor Russ, too, who doesn't have to worry about getting home just because I've run out of cat food. (There, just put an order in for delivery on Wednesday Afternoon.)

And then there is Schwan's. Oh my. I ordered a bunch of things from them a few weeks ago, and it's been hard not to gobble it all down. Wonderful food. I'll be ordering more there, too. I am going to have to get a freezer, though. It's the only way to really make this kind of buying practical.

The food is just the tip of it, but I seem to be getting the knack for this living alone stuff. I figure about the time I really get settled in and comfortable, Russ will get a job back in this area, and we'll be together for more than a day or two a month -- and I am looking forward to that time again. The cats are okay company, but they lack a little on the conversation side.

But I am, finally, able to concentrate on work again and not think about how unfair life is, etc. All in all, I know I have a pretty good life, even though I miss Russ and wish he would find that job here. But.... I don't work outside the home, I have a house all to myself with everything a person could want (Big Screen TV, huge video/DVD collection -- though the last thing I watched was Tin Man when it was on -- December?), lots of music, so many books that we bought the house next door so we could expand the library, etc. (We have had the heat off over there, though, for the winter, so I haven't spent much time there at all this year!) The worst part of this whole mess with Russ working in New York is that I had to scoop the sidewalk. Well, not even all of it because the guy on the other side of house # 2 has a little tractor with a scoop on it, and he cleared the main sidewalk from my house down through his. So I only had to do from the house to the sidewalk on both houses, and out to the street on one so I could get the mail. Poor zette. Such work!

My vet will deliver the very expensive cat food we feed the house guys. He did a few weeks ago when Russ was late getting back for a day. He will also pick up sick animals, which he has done many times over the last several years when Russ was out of town.

I can order books online if I want to. Oh, I just saw that Butcher's Small Favor is coming soon. Must preorder! (Which I did -- they take PayPal, the wonderful people. Pre-ordered it and Tin Man on DVD. There are a couple other things I need to pre-order as well, but it will have to wait a bit longer!)

You know, it's not so bad a life, all in all. Russ has it much worse-- living in hotels all the time, traveling from city-to-city. He doesn't mind the work so much, but the travel part is difficult for him. He'd like to be able to come home between trips, but he has to be in the office in New York too often, so it's weeks and weeks between trips here, and then he might get a day and a half before he's back on a plane again.

He doesn't like that part much, and neither do I.

Funny -- just went out to the mail and found that I got two postcards and a letter from Russ. Mostly we do email, of course. I have to love the computer age. It provides me with everything from a job to contact with others who share the same interests I do. (Try talking about writing or computer graphic art forms with the lady next door who hasn't read a book since grade school, and who is consumed with the latest Hollywood gossip about people you've never heard of.)

I am looking forward to spring and spreading my wings a bit farther, though. We have a lovely pond about a mile or so away that I intend to walk to on good days. I've gotten lovely pictures there in the past. I might walk the twenty-some blocks to the park on the river, too. I'm even considering getting a very small dog to take on walks. I'm sure the kitty-gang would be thrilled with the idea. Actually, I think the boys -- Zaphod and Edmond -- wouldn't mind much at all. It would just be something more to play with. The older cats might not be as thrilled, though.

And now it's time to get back to work on Silky.

Fourteen years of work

zette@longlines.com — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:41:17 GMT

(I thought I had posted this here, but apparently I had put it in my Blog, instead. This was from about four or five days ago!)

When I first began what would become the Dark Staff series, I wrote one book a year for eight years. However, I didn't realize that was what I was going to do when I started the first book. I found myself down at the end of the book and I saw an opening for something far vaster than the single story I had first imagined. When I finished the first book, Aubreyan, I put it aside and worked on other things for the rest of the year, but I knew that I would write more.

I always start a new book on January 1. The next year, when I first started Brendan's Song, I didn't even consider it as the second book in the series. Then I realized I had been moving in that direction without even realizing it. It set two precedents for the rest of the series -- that I would start one at the beginning of each year, and that they would go in alphabetical order: Aubreyan (1982), Brendan's Song (1983) , Crystal and the Stars (1984), Dacey's Dream (1985), Eliora's World (1986), Freedom and Fame (1987), Gathering (1988), Hope in Hell (1989).

I finished the series in 1989, and though I did only minor reworking on it afterwards, I would still reread it every couple years because I really enjoyed the series. I finally pulled Aubreyan back out in 2001 and decided to seriously rewrite it. I'd learned far more about writing in those years, and I found that I still loved the story. (It is one of the reasons I tell people to go ahead and write something, even if they think they aren't quite ready for it. No story is lost that way.)

Then, unexpectedly, someone came to me and said that a publisher was looking for more fantasy books, and did I have a series? It seemed good timing. I offered the Abby books, which became The Dark Staff series. In February of 2002, they were accepted by Double Dragon Publishing.

Over the following six years, I did drastic rework on the series. In at least three of the books, I wrote outlines of the plot and rewrote them from scratch. I edited, re-edited, saw them go through copyeditors, and reworked them again.

A few minutes ago, I finished the last rewrite of the final book. This is six years and five days after the original acceptance of the series. The last book has already gone off to the publisher with the blurb and the thoughts on cover art.

It took me eight years to write the original series and it took me another six to rewrite and edit it -- it's been part of my workload for fourteen years. And even in those years between, it was never really far from my thoughts. In all, the series has been part of my life twenty-six years, and it's very hard to come to terms with the idea that I'm done.

But I am glad to have finished the work and done it to the best of my ability.

And I do, after all, have other stories to work on. . . .

Work and more work

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:21:16 GMT

Sometimes there is just too much work to get done. Here it is, very nearly the end of the month again, and I have Vision to finish, FM to update, the rest of Mirrors to edit (that, at least is going quickly!), and some work to do for DAZ. There are things I would like to do as well, and things that I'm ignoring that needs to be finished up.

But mostly, I just need to get focused and get a list set up and do the work without bouncing around.

The problem, I admit, is editing Mirrors. I am really enjoying the work, but it does take considerably more time than I really have to devote to it. In another couple days that won't be a problem. If I put it aside and did the other work, it would be much better.

But I don't want to put it aside. I want to keep throwing myself into the story and enjoying the fun of tweaking it here and there before it goes off to the publisher. And I want to have it done, of course. I hate leaving things unfinished. Once I start working on something, I want to run with it to the end. That's why I do such fast first drafts -- I love the flow of the story, and the feeling of living it when it moves so quickly.

Ah well, it will still be there, later.

And there are only (counts) eight things I need to get done, after all.

Sigh.

Speaking of those dreams (more on yesterday's post)

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:24:55 GMT

Whatever your dream is for publication, that's the one you should follow. That doesn't mean it has to be a dream of seeing your book on the shelves of bookstores. I concentrate on that facet because that's the world I am most involved in, so it's natural for my thoughts to go in that direction. But remember, I have work up on websites, too.

If your dream is to have a story on a website that is visited by thousands of people, that is a perfectly legitimate and good dream as having a book in a store. It's your dream. You should pursue it in every way that you can. And, while I've said not to let people talk you out of trying for that book on the store shelf, by the same token, don't let them talk you into it, either. As long as you fully understand what it is you want, and understand both what you gain and what you lose, and then go after what you want.

And don't listen to the people who tell you that it is impractical. Dreams are meant to be impractical on some level. If they were things you could do easily, they'd hardly be worth dreaming about. Some people may even tell you that pursuing dreams is something you should give up. If everyone followed that advice we'd be a very poor world.

Find your dream and follow it. Don't go the easy way -- because the easy way will rarely be the fulfillment of your dream. If you are going for website publication, then work harder to make certain that publication is the very best you could possibly write. Find out about website layout and the best way to present it. Even in Blogger and LJ there are a number of options. Make it unique, and make it yours.

If you are going to try for traditional publication, remember that it is harder work. The writing might be much the same, but you are going to have to deal with everything from query letters, synopsis writing, and submission packages to agents and contracts. Don't let that daunt you. Every month there are new names on the shelves, and you know that they had to go through the same thing. (Even the ones who are old writers under new names still had to do this initially!)

Helping Other Authors

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:51:03 GMT

The best part of helping writers, and running a site like Forward Motion, is seeing those writers achieve their dreams. Shana Norris is the latest of the FM writers to see her book on the shelves. Something to Blog About looks like it's going to be fun to read and is already getting acclaim in various places. I can't wait to get a copy! I was touched to learn she mentioned FM in the dedication, too. That's wonderful! It lets the people at FM know that they really are helping others.

Part of the work at FM is learning to understand other people's dreams and accepting that what others want is not always what you would do. I've noticed that some people have a hard time with the concept that just because they found something that works for them, it doesn't mean it will work for everyone else -- or that everyone else wants what they have. This is true of both what they write and their goals in writing. Since my work is to help people reach professional publication -- the reason FM exists -- I am not going to tell people to toss their book onto a website. On the other hand, if that's all they're after, that's fine, too. That's their choice. Pretending that it's the same as professional publication is silly, but hey -- that's their choice, too.

Other people have the dream of seeing their books on the shelves in stores and libraries, or seeing their novel accepted by the reputable small press and electronic book publishers -- and of seeing their shorter work make it to similar publications. Congratulations to Justin Stanchfield, again, for seeing his short story, Beyond the Wall, picked by Gardner Dozois for the Year's Best SF, 25. People Angelscribe has seen an incredible number of her poems placed, And PeaceHeather whose book was accepted by a small press publisher, and who pointed out that they reject over 90% of the submissions because they are not good enough. Hey, and that's just a few of the people who have reached their goals so far this year.

Those people who are pursuing the world of traditional and semi-traditional publication (going through publishers who have a true submission system and copyediting) will work harder and face frustrations that those on the easy path will never face. Those challenges, though, will help them become better writers because they will be forced to push past their own 'this is good enough' feelings about their work. We are not the best judges of our own work because we can't see our own blind spots -- I know this from personal experience and from working with other writers. Some of the writers will even walk both paths -- and that's a lot of fun, too, because in some ways it's the best of both worlds. There is nothing that says you can't do both -- and several other ways -- if you want to -- at least if you are prolific. If, on the other hand, you only write one novel every ten years, think very hard about what you want for that work.

If you are looking for professional publication, even for only part of your work, know that it does mean harder work, and that not everyone will make it. That doesn't mean you can't try if that's what your dream really is. Don't settle for the easy way if you want something else. The easy way is always there.

There has always been a question of 'what do you owe to the reader' but I think that answer has always been easy: you owe the reader the best that you can do. Sometimes that means getting help, which can come from books or from one of the many on-line writing communities. Those readers always include editors at the publishing houses, of course, and they are a tough group to please. That doesn't mean you can't try. People manage it all the time -- and if that's your dream, then don't let anyone else talk you out of trying with promises of 'this is better' or 'this is just as good.' It's your dream, not theirs.

Monday and snow

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 04:03:26 GMT

That's what it looked like today! Snow again!

Somehow, lately, they seem to go together.

I am going over the edits from the copyeditor for a book, and then off to the publisher it goes. Yay! I have another one lined up right behind it, and then another one I should do, but doesn't need to be done quite as quickly.

I'm enjoying this part -- the fun, final tweaks, going over a novel I haven't looked at in a while. I should have this one done tonight and then off tomorrow.

And really, that's all I have to say tonight. I'm caught up in this story. I want to get back to it!

And I want to see if the link worked. (grin).

It's Monday!

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:20:55 GMT

It's Monday and I'm actually here to post on the right day. I'm not certain it really matters all that much in the long run, but it makes me feel better. Of course, it might help if I had something interesting to write about today. Hey, am I supposed to be on time and have something interesting to say, too?

I can always talk about writing.

The new short story is nearly done, at least in the first draft. It has taken me a little longer to write because of some contracted work that I had to get out of the way, and then a bout with a cold. But it has been fun to write in an odd way: I've been taking my HP Pocket Computer to bed and curling up in the blankets while I write (literally write) notes on the Notepad section of the programs. I didn't feel like tapping out little letters on the on screen keyboard, though I do that quite often, too. It's just been kind of fun. And then, of course, is the fun of trying to figure out what I said and typing it into the main computer. It's actually not as hard as I expected it to be.

The background work on Draw the Line is just going wonderfully. I am having a great time building this new universe and all the intricate ties between the groups, and the secrets that they are not telling others. The characters are becoming more complex, as are their relationships with each other. I am enjoying this so much that I think I'm going to keep at it for a while longer than I expected. The more background I have on this story, the better it will be in the end.

Let's see -- Forward Motion is going VERY well, too. We have another person with a book published in hardbound and out at the stores -- Something to Blog About by Shana Norris. (http://www.shananorris.com/books.php). I look forward to reading it.

The new group in the 2YN class is still pretty active! It's amazing to watch them move ahead each week, all of them with such interesting ideas and ranging through the genres. These people, and most of the others at FM, are generally not afraid of learning new things, of trying new ideas, and of improving their basic writing skills.

I really feel sorry for the people who are being told (and I've seen it in far too many places lately) that they shouldn't even consider getting help to learn to write better -- that having written something and throwing it on a website is enough, or tossing together a self-published book is fine. For a few people it will be okay as long as they don't have very high expectations, and since a few already have the skills to tell a story well. For the majority of others, though, it isn't enough to achieve their personal dreams. And I have to wonder what the reasoning behind the 'don't get help' is, because surely any reader -- even them -- can tell that some of these people need more help to tell their stories well. What do the others gain from encouraging poor writers -- who might only need to learn a few more basics, after all -- to remain ignorant? Is it so that their own work looks all the better? Are they really blind to the mistakes that others make? Do they just not care as long as people listen to them and they keep their 'top dog' position? After all, many people are more than happy to hear that they don't have to work any harder to make improvements in whatever they are doing. It's the easy answer -- and don't we all wish that the easy answer was always the best one!

Or maybe it's even financial. In an age where you are being paid by the chance crossing of paths of a happy reader with the proper story, would having more well-written stories out there be a deterrent to financial gains? I don't think it is anywhere near that stage yet, but I would think it would be something people would consider in the future. On the other hand, publishers never have had to worry too much about such a thing because people looking for something they like to read will find one, read it, and then are apt to go look for more of the same types of stories to read. Types doesn't mean just genre. There is a lot more to what a reader likes than just the genre, though that's often a starting point.

It's interesting to see so much of the publishing world changing, and the opportunities that are coming up. Holly Lisle, who already has one nice store going, is fine-tuning a new idea that I think will be wonderful. Darwin is moving ahead with his ezine. They're both going to be looking for good writers to share the stage together, to reinforce each other's work so that the readers, if they find that they like the type of material presented, are assured of quality throughout the production.

So, in the end, I guess I'm going to believe that good writing will still win out over poor, and that people who are willing to put in the extra effort are the ones who are going to do well in the new world -- because, no matter what, readers aren't stupid.

Did I miss Monday?

zette@longlines.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:04:14 GMT

So, I missed Monday again, did I? You'd think I didn't have a clue about what day it is.

Oh. That would be right.

I did post on Sunday, though, so I guess I wasn't too far off!

It's been a busy few days, as usual! I'm almost caught up with life, if that's at all possible. No, I don't think it is so maybe it's time to stop trying and just get on with things. (grin) I started a new short story yesterday and I'm having fun with it. I see it as part of a larger set of stories, possibly with the same main character. We'll see. I hope to keep the stories down to about 3 to 5k, too. Just short pieces I can write in a day or two.

Notes on Draw the Line are getting more complex and very interesting. It's odd the things that can kick in some new ideas. I read something interesting about prairie dogs the other day, and it's worked into part of an alien culture. It's great to learn new things and see how they can stimulate ideas.

I am amazed by the number of people who seem to think that learning something new is evil. It's especially bad to see in writers, who should always be open to learning about everything they can -- writing-related or not. You never know when something odd is going to give you the perfect new idea. And rather than getting those ideas from other people's fiction, you can pick them up from the source, and not be tainted by what another writer has done first.

And it's fun. Really. Once you get past the idea that learning is just for school and you're going to have to take a final test before you can pass, you're free to learn anything that interests you. I have eclectic interests: I'm reading a 13 volume encyclopedia on animals (I'm on # 11), and I'm reading Greek plays -- odd things, but with some interesting concepts -- and I just read Ursula K. Le Guin's book on writing workshops. I just finished a book on Black and White Digital Photography, and I'm dithering over what new history book to read. And yes, I do actually read fiction as well (besides Greek plays). Last night I started re-reading Megan Whalen Turner's wonderful 'Thief' trilogy.

A seven volume history of World War I inspired one of my favorite sets of books. A book on Disraeli inspired one of my favorite characters for another book. There have been others. I am rarely inspired by anything on television or movies. I rarely see movies anyway, and the TV hasn't been on since... hmmm... December, I think. No hold it. I watched the third Pirates' movie about mid-month! So there, both the television on and a movie, all in January (laughing).

You never know when inspiration is going to hit, but it doesn't hurt to give your brain some fun things to work with so it can play around. It's a shame, of course, that inspiration isn't all it takes to be a good writer, but once you learn to write well, the rest just starts getting easier.

And I am off now to go do some reading and note taking, and consider the fight my main character in the new short story is about to throw himself into and how it's going to be worse than he expects.

Writing is such fun!

Working harder or taking the easy path

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:07:29 GMT

Darwin's comments about D&D games transcribed into stories just points up another difference between writing for fun and writing for publication. It isn't that writing about a D&D games is such a big, horrible sin. It's not writing it well that is the problem, and then only if you want to be regarded as a professional, at least in ability if not in publication choices.

An author can learn how to develop even games into great stories. It takes work, and perseverance. The author has to learn how to step outside the game framework and look at the story with an eye for detail that makes it move, and makes the dialogue come alive, rather than sound stilted. The game is not the story, and the author has to be able to move outside what happens in the game, and even change things, to make an interesting story.

It is hard work, just as any kind of writing for traditional publication is difficult. You can, of course, take the far easier route of writing whatever you want and publish it yourself, either in print or on the Internet. You will not have to worry about if you write well or not in those cases. You will have achieved your goal. You get to decide when the story is ready for the public, and sometimes that's good -- and other times it is not.

However, if your goal is to have your books on the shelves in stores or your stories in professional magazines, then you have to work harder. You'll have to compete for the few publication spots and know that quite often you won't make it. But if it is your dream, the work is worth it, and it will make you a better writer. Even if they never make the big sale, many writers will still be better for working harder rather than taking the easy path.

But, again, it depends a great deal on what the author wants. The easy path can be fun and fulfilling, but not if your dream is something else.

Fun with (Pre) Writing

zette@longlines.com — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:02:21 GMT

I am in the midst of printing off 78 pages of random notes I pulled together for a new novel. It is not all the notes I have for it, but it's a good place to start. Once I have the notes printed, I'll go through and sort them into categories (character, plot, culture, worldbuilding, etc.), and then jot down more notes on the sheets of paper. After that I'll start typing them into the outline/worldbuilding program I use --which already has several pages of notes I had already done.

I am no where near done with the background work for this one. I had hoped that I could start the novel in March, but I think this might be a mid-to-late year project. It's growing in complexity -- which is good -- and acquiring depths that I didn't see when I first came up with the idea. I love the stories that grow this way, and that give me a chance to work at giving the story depth that comes from rich details and a solid understanding of the story before I start writing. I am looking forward to this one!

I do still write stories without all this pre-work sometimes, and then I fill in the worldbuilding and extras afterwards in a rewrite/rebuild, which always makes the story better. After all, let's face it, any time a writer leaps in without a firm foundation, there are bound to be missed opportunities and a lot of fluff that doesn't really go anywhere. There are often lost chances to expand on something that you just meant to do and forgot. . . .

First drafts are a gift to writers. It's something very few other groups have and authors should always take advantage of it. A first draft, along with some solid background work, will pay off in the long run. There's no hurry -- unless you have a contract. (grin)

Not that it isn't fun to just run with an idea, too. Sometimes the right story can fly. However, I think a lot of people are in too much of a hurry to write the story, and don't take the time to really explore the possibilities. And that, in the end, short-changes the readers, even in a 'good' story.

But now I get to go have some fun -- take all my nice notes, and go crawl into a nice warm bed and sort things out, and write notes, and then go to sleep dreaming about a great new story to write.

Busy!

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:51:55 GMT

I've had several 'must get it done now' things that I've worked on, but they're all out of the way at the moment. None of it was particularly earth-shattering, but it still kept me busy. The DAZ newsletter is just finished up and off for inspection, too. I think that's about the last of the 'catch up' things that got behind this last week.

I fell on the ice last week and wrenched both arms, making it rather difficult to work. Then, a few days later, I came down with the flu. By the end of the flu (which I am just now getting over) my back was giving me nothing but trouble -- on the level of being unable to turn to my side for over an hour, and taking several more hours before I could actually get up from bed. Not pleasant, but not the first time I've gone through this, either. I was able to stagger out and feed the cats the last couple days, so all is well.

There are some months when things just hit all at once. I rather hope this gets it all out of the way so I can get back to my strange, but peaceful, life. I hope, in fact, not to have anything too pressing for the next couple days, so I can throw myself back into my current novel. I've been jabbing at it every day, but I really wasn't in shape to do too much work. I have read several books, though, so that's good.

And I am still working on the notes for my next novel, which I hope to start in March. Reading the other books was partly to remind me of what I like best in books -- good characters that I find interesting and sympathetic, continuity of story, and an interesting plot that is plainly heading for a specific goal. How that goal is reached, and whether or not it is met or not, is the fun part of racing toward the end of the book.

What I don't enjoy are distasteful main characters whose only real purpose is to prove how disgusting they can be, and to drag everyone else down into a gutter with them. They bore me. I'm reading to have an adventure I could not have in real life -- and if they have no redeeming qualities, I don't want to spend time with them. I don't like books that throw in sex scenes just to fill up a few pages and because the author knows that's the only thing keeping the reader interested at all since the rest of the story is so damned boring.

Ah, and then there are the characters who never actually do anything for themselves -- everything happens to push them into a situation, and they never make a decision on their own to do something to make a change. I like action characters. That doesn't mean characters who rush out and attack things, but rather characters that make some decisions and follow through on them, for good or bad.

I don't care what genre the books are -- this week I've read a fantasy, mystery, classic and part of an sf novel -- as long as they're interesting. And for me, interest is tied directly to the characters. The same is true of television shows. If there isn't at least a minor character I can take an interest in, I'm not going to watch. It's why the supposed 'reality TV' turned me away from watching anything at all. I couldn't care about the people. Never mind the lack of plot or interesting events.

Another part of a book that I really love is the level of cultural complexity. This is especially true in science fiction novels. C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner books are an excellent example of cultural depth. So, in a very different way, are Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars books. I love dropping into a new culture -- real and unreal -- and being drawn into the world.

Worldbuilding doesn't have to mean creating something strange -- it just has to be 'real' enough to stand on its own and consistent in the ways that if something odd happens at one point, it has a reason and it will affect other things in the book. Just throwing stuff together because it looks 'neat' doesn't work for me.

I wish, in fact, that I were much better at that part of writing. I often see the culture and the pieces, but I don't often follow through on them.

I'm hoping to do better with the new book I'm going to write. But then, again, I always hope to do better with the new book. Sometimes it's even true!

I finally get it!

zette@longlines.com — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 02:49:13 GMT

I was sent a link to a new self-publishing list site today (I really don't know why they do that), and I went to check it out. Good God, some of that writing was HORRIBLE. I randomly checked four of the front page novel listings, and only one of them was remotely readable. The others were all awful. Truly awful.

I went back to the email and looked it over, and I saw the two things that I keep seeing with everyone who talks about moving away from any sort of traditional-type publication. It's all about control and money. Cut out the publisher (and the work the publisher does, of course), and you can make all the money yourself!

There is no concern about the quality of the writing. None. Quality is not important in any way. All that is important is that the author has full control and no one makes any money but him. Well, okay. But you know, every time I go to a site like this, it just pushes me more strongly into the 'learn to be professional in your writing' camp.

It might help if these people could learn that the author is not the best judge of his or her own work. It would help if they knew that copyeditors are a really good resource for people who have wonderful stories, but not the full skills to tell them well. And it would really help if someone would make a judgment call and say 'Hey, work on this a little more. Here are some resources on sentence structure and plotting and such, and after you learned a little bit more about writing, come back and try again.'

There's nothing wrong with learning how to write well before you publish. Really. No one is a born author. If you really want to reach readers -- if you really have a story that you want to tell and have people enjoy it -- then it is up to you to make certain you have the skills to tell it well. Stop thinking about learning to write as 'school work' and start thinking of it as the kind of self-improvement that will make writing more fun, even for you. Self-publishing isn't the best answer, in my opinion, but if you are going to do so, at least do it with stories that are so well-written they could have been published professionally. Draw yourself up out of the muck where the others are wallowing, and make an effort to shine. Keep control, if that's really the important part to you, but use that control wisely to make certain what you put out there for others is the best it can be. Stop using it as an excuse to be lazy.

And please, people, stop sending me these links. It's not going to change my mind.

But I do finally get it. Control. Money. Not storytelling ability or quality of writing.