I have a newsletter sign-up on all my books and my website, but honestly I haven't put out that many newsletters.
One of the main reasons is time. And since I blog here each week, I figure that's enough as I value everyone's time--I also value mine. I subscribe to authors and other content creators whom I receive multiple e-mail newsletters in a single day. Some I look forward to getting, like Seth Godin and Simon Sinek, but others . . . not so much. I haven't unsubscribed to any of these.
Yet.
I'm still collecting e-mail addresses from those who subscribe to the newsletter. That's not going away. And I will send newsletters.
So why do I keep up with this blog? Because it's easy for me to communicate my thoughts on here, it doesn't take much time, and I love sharing weekly updates on what I'm working on. Here's a link to my very first blog post--not much has changed in my approach.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
Four new stories being published soon / Happenings In The Outhouse 18-Aug-2017
The last time I published anything was in late December 2016, my novel The Christmas Letters.
Since then, I've been diligently working on books two and three of the Shadowkill Trilogy.
Over the past few weeks, I've put together a new nonfiction books about traveling with type one diabetics--still untitled, but brainstorming some ideas--and a short story, which, as of this date, is technically a novelette. Top word count on a short story is 7,500 words, according to SFWA, and this one is over 10,000. Not sure how I'll market it, but I'll figure it out.
When these are up and published--these will be published wide, across all e-book platforms--I will let everyone know.
Since then, I've been diligently working on books two and three of the Shadowkill Trilogy.
Over the past few weeks, I've put together a new nonfiction books about traveling with type one diabetics--still untitled, but brainstorming some ideas--and a short story, which, as of this date, is technically a novelette. Top word count on a short story is 7,500 words, according to SFWA, and this one is over 10,000. Not sure how I'll market it, but I'll figure it out.
When these are up and published--these will be published wide, across all e-book platforms--I will let everyone know.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Spreading two more once-exclusive stories wide / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-Aug-2017
As of todays' date, two more short stories are no longer exclusive with Amazon and their Kindle Unlimited program. They should be available on as many e-platforms as possible. Note: the links go to my website, where links to the various e-retailers are located:
Last Requests (a time loop short story)
What would be the most horrifying day to repeat over and over again?
For PETE HARRISON, that day is his final day on Death Row. Convicted on multiple counts of murder, Pete has little opportunity to change his last day before walking down to the lethal injection chamber.
Last Requests (a time loop short story)
What would be the most horrifying day to repeat over and over again?
For PETE HARRISON, that day is his final day on Death Row. Convicted on multiple counts of murder, Pete has little opportunity to change his last day before walking down to the lethal injection chamber.
How often does one get a chance to change someone’s life? MAGGIE SIMMS has never had such an opportunity. That is, until she meets a hitchhiker named CLIFTON BAGGS.
What else is going on? I have another short story I'm working on. I finished the first draft on a non-fiction diabetes travel book. Both of these should be published in roughly a month or so.
Friday, August 4, 2017
All characters have a story / Happenings In The Outhouse 04-Aug-2017
I recently finished all three (current) seasons of the Netflix show The Ranch.
Reflecting on the show--and many others, from Friends and Criminal Minds to How I Met Your Mother and Orange is the New Black, for example--I discovered that the better shows have stories surrounding each character.
For simplicity purposes, let's focus on The Ranch. I will try not to spoil anything, but some things can't be helped so be warned.
The father Beau is married to a wife who doesn't live at home, and works on a ranch with his two sons. Throughout the series, his love for his wife shines through, although circumstances arise that end up with divorce.
The mother Maggie owns and runs the local bar. She constantly deals with her sons, who aren't treated very well by Beau. In the divorce process, she wants everyone to be happy and wants to give her half of the ranch to her two sons. Beau, of course, doesn't see it this way and bucks it.
Colt, one of the sons, is a former high school football star who comes back home. His fame isn't what it once was, and bounces around between ladies, a high school sweetheart and another attractive blond, one of which he gets pregnant--and that drama is drawn out across several episodes.
Rooster is the other son. He's had to deal with living in his brother's shadow and running the ranch with Beau while Colt was away following his short-lived football career. He also doesn't feel he gets the respect he deserves and ends up working on another ranch for a much higher pay.
In the end, each character has their own story aside from the overall stories. The more one can twist and turn these stories, the better.
Reflecting on the show--and many others, from Friends and Criminal Minds to How I Met Your Mother and Orange is the New Black, for example--I discovered that the better shows have stories surrounding each character.
For simplicity purposes, let's focus on The Ranch. I will try not to spoil anything, but some things can't be helped so be warned.
The father Beau is married to a wife who doesn't live at home, and works on a ranch with his two sons. Throughout the series, his love for his wife shines through, although circumstances arise that end up with divorce.
The mother Maggie owns and runs the local bar. She constantly deals with her sons, who aren't treated very well by Beau. In the divorce process, she wants everyone to be happy and wants to give her half of the ranch to her two sons. Beau, of course, doesn't see it this way and bucks it.
Colt, one of the sons, is a former high school football star who comes back home. His fame isn't what it once was, and bounces around between ladies, a high school sweetheart and another attractive blond, one of which he gets pregnant--and that drama is drawn out across several episodes.
Rooster is the other son. He's had to deal with living in his brother's shadow and running the ranch with Beau while Colt was away following his short-lived football career. He also doesn't feel he gets the respect he deserves and ends up working on another ranch for a much higher pay.
In the end, each character has their own story aside from the overall stories. The more one can twist and turn these stories, the better.
Friday, July 28, 2017
What's Next? / Happenings In The Outhouse 28-July-2017
I have finished the first round of edits for books two and three of the Shadowkill trilogy.
What's next?
Before I run through the final (I hope, crossing my fingers) edits, there are 2-3 smaller projects I want to tackle: a non-fiction book centered around travelling with type one diabetics, and a few fiction short stories.
I love the freedom of being an indie author. I can write exactly what my heart desires. If I want to write a romance or a cozy mystery or another thriller in my Central Division series, I can--and I will. Those are tentatively scribbled in for 2018, at the very earliest. For the romance, I'm going back and forth about a pseudonym. I'm weighing the pros and cons carefully.
On the short story front, I have a few I had written before. So with those, I want to do one pass-through to get a feeling about it being ready to go or not. There is another short story I had written the bones of before--meaning, I have written about three pages, just to get the idea out of my head--and I have a strong feeling to write it.
What's next?
Before I run through the final (I hope, crossing my fingers) edits, there are 2-3 smaller projects I want to tackle: a non-fiction book centered around travelling with type one diabetics, and a few fiction short stories.
I love the freedom of being an indie author. I can write exactly what my heart desires. If I want to write a romance or a cozy mystery or another thriller in my Central Division series, I can--and I will. Those are tentatively scribbled in for 2018, at the very earliest. For the romance, I'm going back and forth about a pseudonym. I'm weighing the pros and cons carefully.
On the short story front, I have a few I had written before. So with those, I want to do one pass-through to get a feeling about it being ready to go or not. There is another short story I had written the bones of before--meaning, I have written about three pages, just to get the idea out of my head--and I have a strong feeling to write it.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Create A Character List Early On In The First Draft / Happenings In The Outhouse 21-July-2017
I'm in the middle of editing the last two novels in the Shadowkill trilogy, and I've come across something that may be helpful to fiction writers: as early as possible, create a character list as you write.
This may seem like a no-brainer to some and a "oh I don't need that; I'll remember all of my characters" to others, but trust me when I say that for most, you'll thank me later.
No matter how minor a character may seem, it's good to jot their name down and maybe add a note on how they're relevant. About a third of the way through book 2, I discovered I had a different name for an extremely minor character. I didn't have a note on this one.
This list doesn't have to be some Wikipedia page or anything. Just a name and anything relevant to the story.
This may seem like a no-brainer to some and a "oh I don't need that; I'll remember all of my characters" to others, but trust me when I say that for most, you'll thank me later.
No matter how minor a character may seem, it's good to jot their name down and maybe add a note on how they're relevant. About a third of the way through book 2, I discovered I had a different name for an extremely minor character. I didn't have a note on this one.
This list doesn't have to be some Wikipedia page or anything. Just a name and anything relevant to the story.
Friday, July 14, 2017
What Does A Break Look Like To You And Your Art / Happenings In The Outhouse 14-July-2017
Here's the scenario: you've worked on your manuscript for months and months, and have finally finished it. You lean back, both exhausted and relieved. You may even be a little apprehensive and scared. It's your baby. It's not quite ready for the world, in your mind. How long do you wait before tackling any rewrites/edits?
Stephen King has advised to put your manuscript away for a minimum of six weeks before looking at it again. Dean Wesley Smith doesn't rewrite at all (he has a circular writing technique that is very clever and I want to give a shot at on future projects). In fact, Smith doesn't even look at the manuscript again unless his wife Kris tells him to fix a few things.
Where do you fit in?
Brandon Sanderson, between his enormous epic fantasy novels, writes shorter books. I think I read once that Stephen King does the same thing with his novels, but don't quote me on that.
What does taking a break look like to you? In the past, I've read much more than usual. It's something I call "recharging my batteries," because I feel like I haven't read as much as I should (which is probably not the case) and I love reading new things.
I'm working on the edits for books 2 and 3 of the Shadowkill trilogy. It's going well, much better than I anticipated. And, of course, I'm looking to see what I should work on next.
Stay tuned . . . the future is very exciting . . .
Stephen King has advised to put your manuscript away for a minimum of six weeks before looking at it again. Dean Wesley Smith doesn't rewrite at all (he has a circular writing technique that is very clever and I want to give a shot at on future projects). In fact, Smith doesn't even look at the manuscript again unless his wife Kris tells him to fix a few things.
Where do you fit in?
Brandon Sanderson, between his enormous epic fantasy novels, writes shorter books. I think I read once that Stephen King does the same thing with his novels, but don't quote me on that.
What does taking a break look like to you? In the past, I've read much more than usual. It's something I call "recharging my batteries," because I feel like I haven't read as much as I should (which is probably not the case) and I love reading new things.
I'm working on the edits for books 2 and 3 of the Shadowkill trilogy. It's going well, much better than I anticipated. And, of course, I'm looking to see what I should work on next.
Stay tuned . . . the future is very exciting . . .
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