tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88796507111383215532024-03-12T22:18:53.501-06:00The Bluestocking Blogthe weekly musings of an over-educated young woman on writing, reading, and other miscellanyBluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01225973854788421827noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879650711138321553.post-28995248220963692002014-03-05T12:37:00.000-07:002014-03-05T12:37:58.033-07:00And So We Come to the EndThis is the last post I’ll be making here at The Bluestocking Blog.<br />
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But never fear. This doesn’t signify an end to my writing or blogging for that matter. I’m just switching over to a new domain:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://laurencteffeau.com/">laurencteffeau.com</a></b></span></div>
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When I first started this blog, I had no publication credits and no real clue to what I was doing. All I knew is that I wanted to write and blogging seemed like a good way to plant my flag, so to speak.<br />
<br />
But my ever-present insecurity demanded that I do so under an alias. I started posting, was pleasantly surprised as I made connections with other writers, and slowly built a platform for myself.<br />
<br />
Now, however, that identity is starting to chafe. I’m not a beginning writer anymore. I still have things to learn, mind you, but I’ve progressed to a point where I feel comfortable with what I do and the skill level I’ve achieved. I’ve made two pro sales in the last two months and had accrued a respectable number of credits before that. It’s time to fully own my identity as a writer, and I feel I can best do that with my new site.<br />
<br />
But first, a look back.<br />
<br />
The Bluestocking Blog Stats:<br />
<br />
1,452 days active (just over four years!)<br />
214 posts<br />
over 69,000 hits<br />
over 7,000 unique visitors<br />
10 short story credits<br />
4 novels written<br />
<br />
Top posts:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/nefarious-narrative-distance.html">Nefarious Narrative Distance</a><br />
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/resource-roundup-part-1-finding-right.html">Resource Roundup Part 1 – Finding the Right Word </a><br />
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/resource-roundup-part-4-opening-your.html">Resource Roundup Part 4 – Opening Your Story</a><br />
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/resource-roundup-part-2-conjuring-up.html">Resource Roundup Part 2 – Conjuring Up Titles</a><br />
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/coffee-shop-etiquette.html">Coffee Shop Etiquette </a><br />
<br />
Not bad for an alias.<br />
<br />
So please follow me to my new site at <a href="http://laurencteffeau.com/">laurencteffeau.com</a> or stay connected with me on <a href="https://twitter.com/bluemaven">twitter</a>. And, as always, happy writing!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4FLjohs21w/UxdXzTdNj5I/AAAAAAAACks/nXtC_-GWMhs/s1600/theend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4FLjohs21w/UxdXzTdNj5I/AAAAAAAACks/nXtC_-GWMhs/s1600/theend.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/olivander/68140297/sizes/m/">Olivander of Flickr</a></i></span></div>
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<br />
I’m very excited to work with CG again after participating in their <a href="http://crossedgenres.com/titles/fat-girl-in-a-strange-land/">Fat Girl in a Strange Land anthology</a> a while back.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in speculative fiction that bucks the norm, be sure to check them out. In fact, they are in the midst of <a href="http://crossedgenres.com/magazine/subscribe/">a subscription drive</a>—the best way to see my story when it’s published!<br />
<br />
That’s it for me this week. Happy writing!
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Between the holidays and some personal issues that I won’t
go into here, these past few months have been rather…stressful for me. Of
course, my writing routine has suffered, along with the blog. A
self-perpetuating cycle of guilt and exhaustion that I’m just now getting out
of...in fits and starts. </div>
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<br /></div>
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If you’ve had similar trouble, I recommend reading <a href="http://www.inkpunks.com/2014/02/01/not-writing-my-way-through-stressful-times/#content">(Not) Writing My Way Through Stress from the Inkpunks blog</a> for strategies to stay productive when the world conspires against you.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I509BMWMV6g/UvGuNJDo0XI/AAAAAAAAChA/OtuyBoSzng4/s1600/stress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I509BMWMV6g/UvGuNJDo0XI/AAAAAAAAChA/OtuyBoSzng4/s1600/stress.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stopherjones/">Image courtesy of stopherjones of Flickr</a></i></div>
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</div>
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Anyway. It’s not all been doom and gloom. I’ve had a few
pieces of good news. </div>
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First, my story <a href="http://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/autumn-equinox-2012/daughters-of-demeter/">“Daughters of Demeter” which originally appeared in Eternal Haunted Summer</a> will be reprinted in <a href="http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/forthcoming-titles/untitled-demeter-devotional/">Potnia: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Demeter published by Bibliotheca Alexandrina</a> this spring. It’s always exciting to see my digital projects find their way in print. </div>
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Second, I’ve made my first SFWA-qualifying sale. I’m happy
to announce my story “Against the Wind” will be appearing in an anthology of
stories set in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emberverse">S.M. Stirling’s Emberverse</a>,
a series of post-apocalyptic books set in an alternate history where technology
fails and humans struggle to survive in a changed world. I’ll be sure to share
more details as this project progresses.</div>
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So as with anything, there’s good with bad. Either
way, I’m writing again, and for now, that’s enough.<br />
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And I feel fine. </div>
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I feel <i>totally </i>fine with saying goodbye to 2013. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s been a year of transition for me. I went into it with a
lot of momentum—finishing and polishing another novel, writing four short
stories, one anthology sale, two workshops, a Worldcon, a new crit group, and
making handful of new writing friends. In fact, all told, that’s just the first
half of 2013.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The rest of this year, I’ve been sidelined dealing with a
family member’s illness. Productivity came to a screeching halt, writing time
evaporated, and all that momentum has turned into regret at
what-could-have-beens. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So yeah. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out, 2013. I’ve
got my eye on the horizon and what 2014 will bring. It’s going to be good. I
can feel it. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7F5q4jz2Rv0/UrG2jl79BWI/AAAAAAAACc0/c2ocxIo6Wek/s1600/sparkler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7F5q4jz2Rv0/UrG2jl79BWI/AAAAAAAACc0/c2ocxIo6Wek/s320/sparkler.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/amodiovalerioverde/">Amodiovalerio Verde of Flickr</a></i></table>
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</div>
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What to expect next January? Well, more natterings on about my writing
process, some subtle changes to the blog, maybe even some good news. A girl can
hope!</div>
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<br /></div>
In the meantime, whatever you celebrate, have a wonderful
next few weeks and a happy New Year!
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Regardless of what you believe or how you choose to
celebrate, taking a moment once a year to take stock and say thanks is a
wonderful thing. And after spending the last few months caring for a sick
family member, it’s a good time for me to reflect on the wonderful things in my
life.</div>
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I’m thankful for…</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>1) </b>All the projects I’ve been able to
draft, revise, and complete (in some cases all three!) especially since my
writing time of late has been drastically reduced. I’ve started or completed five
short stories, and tinkered with a few more that haven’t found homes. My short
stories routinely make it to the second round at markets, which has built up my
confidence in my work even though it doesn’t always translate into sales.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LXphsGeRRaY/UpU7AwIuQoI/AAAAAAAACW4/02lji6jEJPU/s1600/progress.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LXphsGeRRaY/UpU7AwIuQoI/AAAAAAAACW4/02lji6jEJPU/s200/progress.bmp" width="149" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2) </b>The fact my story “Resonance”
found a home in <a href="http://futureembodiedanthology.wordpress.com/">The Future Embodied anthology</a>. Should be out sometime next
year, and I can’t wait!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNbrrkZLg3w/UpU7KM99TwI/AAAAAAAACXA/aFE6Us5cP80/s1600/future-embodied_arc-design1-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNbrrkZLg3w/UpU7KM99TwI/AAAAAAAACXA/aFE6Us5cP80/s200/future-embodied_arc-design1-sm.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>3)</b> My growing community of writers. <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-survive-your-first-worldcon-part.html">I went to Worldcon this year</a> and was thrilled to catch up with some of my friends
from Taos Toolbox and meet new ones. I also just got back from Paradise Icon, a
neo-pro writing workshop in Cedar Rapids (<a href="http://cathschaffstump.com/archives/2013/11/21/lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous/">which you can read more about here</a>), where I met more talented writers.
The workshop was a great break from my caregiving obligations and provided me
with some much-needed inspiration. If you are looking to expand your own
community of writers, <a href="http://www.taostoolbox.com/">applications to the 2014 Taos Toolbox workshop open December 1st</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIj0_dKNMJI/UpU9zkK682I/AAAAAAAACXM/qTqibCBWhVU/s1600/makenewfriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIj0_dKNMJI/UpU9zkK682I/AAAAAAAACXM/qTqibCBWhVU/s200/makenewfriends.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/95155">Image courtesy of hotblack of the Morgue File</a>. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>4)</b> That my latest novel project will
be in this year’s <a href="http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-bakers-dozen-agent-auction-what-to.html">Baker’s Dozen Auction on the Miss Snark’s First Victim’s blog</a>. Cross your fingers for me and see if you can guess which entry is mine!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0kyzkqOdqc/UpU_zk734pI/AAAAAAAACXY/m5_NTqYQfF8/s1600/MSFVblog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0kyzkqOdqc/UpU_zk734pI/AAAAAAAACXY/m5_NTqYQfF8/s320/MSFVblog.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>5) </b>My husband for supporting me in
everything I do.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nIcQAvHhO58/UpVAqDvlmBI/AAAAAAAACXg/KJiZfr6s06Q/s1600/marriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nIcQAvHhO58/UpVAqDvlmBI/AAAAAAAACXg/KJiZfr6s06Q/s200/marriage.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/99218"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Image courtesy of menstatic of the Morgue File.</span></a></i></div>
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<i><b>What are you thankful for this year? Happy Thanksgiving!</b></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span><script type="text/javascript">
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other process has been quite as humbling as learning how to write <i>well</i>.
</br>
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<div style="background: white;">
Knowledge is proud that it knows so much; wisdom is
humble that it knows no more. <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamcow385062.html">William Cowper</a> </div>
</blockquote>
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For one thing, everyone thinks they’re an expert on writing,
by virtue of the high literacy rates in our society and the sophisticated
narratives that populate our entertainment, our news, even our interactions with one another. Add to this the critique process that is often necessary to strengthen a writer’s craft and their work—a necessary evil but one that often shakes the resolve of many beginning writers
(as well as those at every stage of their career).</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B43LZJQdEYo/UoEHjx_cQwI/AAAAAAAACJM/vvuvv5gbhC4/s1600/pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B43LZJQdEYo/UoEHjx_cQwI/AAAAAAAACJM/vvuvv5gbhC4/s320/pie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaypeg/300749794/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Jaypeg on Flickr</a> </span></i></div></div>
<br />
Criticism can be brutal, confusing, and sometimes even helpful, but I believe only a humble writer can learn something from it. You have to be <i>open</i> to the process, and that means you need to set your ego aside.
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Then there’s the whole rejection thing, and how you’ll
probably accumulate dozens or more rejections for every acceptance you get.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: white;">
Success is not a good teacher, failure makes you
humble. <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/shahrukhkh442114.html">Shahrukh Khan</a> </div>
</blockquote>
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<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/arrogance-vs-hope-writers-mindset.html">I’ve wrestled before with the idea of the arrogant writer</a>, and still believe that writers are guided by the <i>hope</i>
that our words have meaning rather than the expectation that they do simply
because they've been recorded. </div>
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: white;">
I've never had a humble opinion. If you've got an
opinion, why be humble about it? <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/joanbaez141924.html">Joan Baez</a> </div>
</blockquote>
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After all, our first amendment <i>right to write</i> is a
privilege not every one in this world enjoys. To have the <i>time</i> to
indulge in writing is another privilege not everyone has. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
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I know that writing has humbled me. Not only in what I do
and do not know, but also in the knowledge that the odds are so very great.
Each and every time someone further along in their career takes a moment to
reach out to me, I am humbled. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Am I alone in feeling this way?
What is it about writing that has made you humble?</div>
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<br />
The artist is <a href="http://www.galendara.com/">Galen Dara</a>, who I had the pleasure of meeting at this year's WorldCon where she won a Hugo award for best fan artist. And I think her work speaks for itself.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saE7g6KhaQk/Ul2Z0AkRSKI/AAAAAAAACIc/UIqmENZfI3M/s1600/future-embodied_arc-design1-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-saE7g6KhaQk/Ul2Z0AkRSKI/AAAAAAAACIc/UIqmENZfI3M/s320/future-embodied_arc-design1-sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
For more updates about the anthology, keep your eye on <a href="http://futureembodiedanthology.wordpress.com/">the project's blog</a>. <br />
<br />
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We hear all the time how important first lines are in
hooking a reader’s attention. First lines must provoke curiosity, create
anticipation, and move seamlessly into the sentences that follow. That’s not
what I want to focus on today, but if you’re interested in the elements of good
first lines, check out the following posts:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/opening-lines/">12 Ways to Open Your Novel from Fiction Notes</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2012/03/writing-that-first-line.html">Writing That First Line from The Writers Alley</a></div>
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<a href="http://kidlit.com/2011/07/25/first-lines-part-1/">First Lines from Kidlit.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2013/01/inspired-openings-kay-honeyman.html">Inspired Openings from Adventures in YA Publishing</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead, I’m more interested in what the “right” first line
gives to the <i>writer</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4tkavsxFJSo/UlTKZclHipI/AAAAAAAACIE/L3XuTikiWhI/s1600/startbutton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4tkavsxFJSo/UlTKZclHipI/AAAAAAAACIE/L3XuTikiWhI/s320/startbutton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">by <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2829">sippakorn</a> of freedigitalphotos.net</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently I found myself having trouble digging in to a short
story I’ve been trying to write. I have a premise, characters, conflict, and
even a rough idea for the plot. Sounds like I should be having no problem
writing the story, right? Wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve started and stopped working on the story over the past
few months, picking it up only to set it back down again. For a while, I
thought my troubles in executing were because <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/story-stew.html">I hadn’t let the story simmer in my mind long enough</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I realized the real reason. <i>My opening
scene—particularly my opening line—wasn’t strong enough to hang the rest of the
story on</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the drafting stage, I don’t care about hooking readers.
My only concern is getting to “the end”. And while I know what the shape of
this story should be, my starting point is very fuzzy. Hence my troubles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Starting points are a fundamental aspect of the architecture
of a story. Everything that comes after the beginning cannot exist in the
reader’s mind without the context the start of the story creates. Similarly, as
a writer, each sentence I write affects the trajectory of the story. Where I
choose to begin can have huge ramifications on what follows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though I’d say 90% of the time I rewrite my first
lines, I still need one—regardless of how imperfect—to help me write my story.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what makes for a strong first line that facilitates the
writer’s drafting process?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>It should give you an organizational framework that dictates
how you tell the story.</li>
<li>It should pose a question that you as a writer <i>want </i>to answer.</li>
<li>It must keep you writing.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Have you ever gotten stuck on your first line at the
drafting phase? How did it affect your process? And how did you get unstuck?</span></i><script type="text/javascript">
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Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my first Worldcon in San
Antonio, Texas. I had no idea what to expect, and I’ve decided to share what
I’ve learned so you’ll be better prepared if you plan to attend an event like
this in the future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be sure to also check out <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-survive-your-first-worldcon-part.html">Part One</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
6. Stay in the Conference Hotel</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It can cost more money to get a room at the conference
hotel, but by staying there you quadruple the opportunities of meeting people.
For this con, since I was traveling with my non-con attending husband, we
decided to stay in the non-party hotel so he’d get a break from the convention
atmosphere. Big mistake. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPCj9NY5x70/UjB0wWDGESI/AAAAAAAACHI/y2UBHFsIGc0/s1600/donotdisturb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPCj9NY5x70/UjB0wWDGESI/AAAAAAAACHI/y2UBHFsIGc0/s200/donotdisturb.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our hotel was right next door, so logistically, it wasn’t a
big deal. But looking at it in terms of elevator rides, morning coffee lines
for the lobby Starbucks, drinks at the hotel bar or dinner in the
restaurant—these are all opportunities to <i>see and be seen</i>. And serendipity may
smile on you and put you in the path of someone who can help your career.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know the old adage that publishing is a numbers game?
Cons are no exception. <i>Position yourself to best advantage</i>, even if that means
putting up with hotel room that backs to a con suite.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
7. Panels Are Not Your Primary Objective</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This might sound counter-intuitive, but bear with me. I
spent my first day at the convention scouring the program and identifying what
panels I wanted to see. And that first day, I went from panel to panel like a
good little attendee. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are two problems with this approach. One, you will not
be able to maintain this level of focus for ten hours of programming each of
the five days. Two, if you are attending panels, you’re learning, but most
likely not networking. Granted you could approach panelists at the end of a
presentation and if you’re lucky be able to introduce yourself. Or perhaps you
find yourself sitting next to someone important. It can happen. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6VvAHzJKX0/UjB07-6T7xI/AAAAAAAACHQ/QbwpgyeUU7w/s1600/coffeechat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6VvAHzJKX0/UjB07-6T7xI/AAAAAAAACHQ/QbwpgyeUU7w/s200/coffeechat.JPG" width="140" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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But you should be flexible enough so that if someone,
especially if they’re higher up on the writing ladder, says let’s skip the next
session and chat/get drinks/food/whatever….that’s what you should do. No matter
what panel you planned to see at that time. </div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
8. Be Prepared but Be Prepared to Leave Empty-Handed</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve al heard those magical stories of authors who attended
a conference and came home with a book deal. And if that happens to you, more
power to you.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But for the rest of us, you never know what could happen.
You could have pitching opportunities and flub them or maybe no one will give
you the chance to talk about your work. That’s okay, because you have to take
the long-term view and know that slow and steady wins the race. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knowing that lightning probably won’t strike though is no
excuse not to be prepared to talk about your book (or whatever else you have
going on). <i>Think elevator pitch </i>and practice it so you don’t sound like an
idiot (I wish I practiced more).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJTYgX6z-9I/UjB1Ex2Bw6I/AAAAAAAACHY/RAwTcxmMdl4/s1600/To+do.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJTYgX6z-9I/UjB1Ex2Bw6I/AAAAAAAACHY/RAwTcxmMdl4/s200/To+do.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if you don’t talk to an agent or an editor, your fellow
writers may ask. You have to view these moments as opportunities to gain an
advocate of your work if they like what they hear. They could be indifferent or
unimpressed by your story pitch—but they’ll still recognize the fact that you
are treating yourself and your story professionally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
9. Take Time for Yourself </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is important. Give yourself a break every now and then
to <i>recharge</i>. There will be plenty of opportunities to hang out with other
writers and meet new people. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LXtf5226i0/UjB1RFKDowI/AAAAAAAACHg/PPutn5B_Jt8/s1600/sleepy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LXtf5226i0/UjB1RFKDowI/AAAAAAAACHg/PPutn5B_Jt8/s200/sleepy.JPG" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But you have to be the best possible version of
yourself to make genuine connections. Everyone will be operating on fewer Z’s, and
some people might be hung over or have spiking blood sugar. But it’s on you to
maintain your body and your well being. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s it. That’s all I got. Hopefully it will be enough to
give you a kick start for your next convention. Happy writing!</div>
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Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my first Worldcon in San
Antonio, Texas. I decided to go for a lot of reasons, but I think the most
important one was to slowly increase my <i>visibility</i> in the field by
networking with my writing colleagues.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RzY8CghRdIk/UiZXAC-y_8I/AAAAAAAACFw/vZYnYnJADGc/s1600/20130901_135123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RzY8CghRdIk/UiZXAC-y_8I/AAAAAAAACFw/vZYnYnJADGc/s320/20130901_135123.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The view from my hotel balcony.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had no idea what to expect, and I’d like to share what
I’ve learned so you’ll be better prepared if you plan to attend an event like
this in the future. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Never Take Off Your Nametag</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This could be my own issue, but I’ve never been a fan of
nametags. Whether it was the first day of school, my work as a waitress back in
the day, or attending work conferences, my initial impulse was always to whip
off the tag as soon as possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7x9PODHH5o/UiZOK_eUTrI/AAAAAAAACEw/M_rEQf3FbLc/s1600/nametag.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7x9PODHH5o/UiZOK_eUTrI/AAAAAAAACEw/M_rEQf3FbLc/s200/nametag.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Do not do this.</i> The whole point of conventions is to
meet like-minded people, right? But unless you already know someone’s a writer,
it can be tough to spot one out in the wild. At a convention, if you see a
nametag, you can be reasonably sure they’re a serious SFF fan or writer or both,
whether you are crossing the street between the hotel and the conference space,
hunkering down in the hotel lobby for the free internet, or getting a drink or
a bite to eat in the hotel lounge. So this is one of the few times where it’s
okay to let your freak flag fly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The nametag also makes introductions easier and seeing a
printed name (as opposed to just hearing it) can reinforce retention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That said….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Be Prepared to Reintroduce Yourself A Lot</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You will be meeting a lot of people. And just as you will
have difficulty keeping everyone straight, the people you meet will also have
trouble putting the name to the face. If they don’t remember you, don’t take it
personally. Be <i>gracious</i>, and if the opportunity presents itself, remind
them that you met them the night before at a party or last year at another
event or that you share a TOC together… whatever it is that will help jog their
memory and put you into context.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U315X-9DzDA/UiZOuiJWwRI/AAAAAAAACE4/WmSnRmbyI60/s1600/handshake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U315X-9DzDA/UiZOuiJWwRI/AAAAAAAACE4/WmSnRmbyI60/s200/handshake.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
You want them to remember your face, your name, and
something pleasant about you—not how you gave them a hard time for not
remembering who you are from a 15-second introduction. That just makes them
feel guilty, and they will then avoid you to avoid experiencing that negative
emotion again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Dress to Impress</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not talking business casual. Personal hygiene is important to handle (especially in Texas in August). As
Mary Robinette Kowal said in a panel on schmoozing, you want to be the <i>best
possible version of yourself</i>—whatever that means to you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOHjrIzTs-4/UiZPpyAUe2I/AAAAAAAACFE/quVhrlCd9uQ/s1600/hangers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOHjrIzTs-4/UiZPpyAUe2I/AAAAAAAACFE/quVhrlCd9uQ/s200/hangers.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, that meant wearing clothes that had a consistent
feel, styling my hair in a similar way, and wearing the same necklace and
bracelet combo across the days at the convention so that people would recognize
me, even if they didn’t know my name. Think of it as <i>professional branding</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Ribbons Ribbons Everywhere</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As this was my first con, I didn’t realize there were
special “ribbons” you could affix to your nametag. These little pieces of
fabric were issued to people who had pub’d in certain magazines or talked to certain
con personnel or supported a particular author or whatever. I later found out
there was even a ribbon for attending your first Worldcon. Many people (though
not everyone) had them. I even saw one kid walking around the convention hall
with so many ribbons they dragged along after him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ny3AYQZiSBs/UiZQmLTO0JI/AAAAAAAACFM/dWptsAe-GLU/s1600/Ribbons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ny3AYQZiSBs/UiZQmLTO0JI/AAAAAAAACFM/dWptsAe-GLU/s200/Ribbons.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with the nametags, the ribbons provide quick visual
reinforcement in identifying people in your “tribe” and often served as a
source of small talk. Now, I’m not saying I was ignored because I didn’t have
any ribbons—I wasn’t. But it did reinforce my newbie status because I had no
idea how they worked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The exception of course were the bright green ribbons
identifying the panelists and invited guests to the convention. Which leads me
to….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Pay Attention to the Social Hierarchy</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the con, I was pretty insignificant compared to the
writers further along in their careers and the editors and agents that were
there. And the ribbons often reinforced this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike other cons, there were no pitch appointments offered.
The only way to get an agent or editor’s attention was to either get introduced
by someone they respected or small talk your way into their hearts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Both are hard to do and are extremely dependent on luck,
your social abilities, and the kindness of your colleagues.</div>
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People can sense desperation. If someone powerful has a bad
opinion of you, it could haunt you the rest of your career. So don’t be that
person who stalks the important people all over the con or the person who turns
into a squeeing mess the second you get to talk to your writing hero, dream
agent, or whathaveyou. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Instead, be sure to act courteously, and if at all possible <i>be
interesting</i>. You may not get an opportunity to talk about you or your work,
and that’s okay. Take the long view. You want to leave people with a favorable
impression no matter what because who knows what could happen the next time you
meet them. </div>
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<i>Stay tuned for Part Two next week!</i></div>
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Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01225973854788421827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8879650711138321553.post-87992749967959005032013-08-21T05:41:00.000-06:002013-08-21T05:41:15.164-06:00Getting to "The End"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I’ve been swamped recently; hence, the blog silence last
week. Part of it is I’m gearing up for another spate of travel. Part of it is
juggling all the writing projects I have in the air, including getting to The
End on my latest WIP.</div>
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<br /></div>
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How do you define “The End” ?</div>
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<br /></div>
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-When you first figure out the end of your story?</div>
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-When you finish that first draft?</div>
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-Or when you’ve polished until you can’t polish anymore?</div>
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<br /></div>
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For me, it’s the third option. I’ve sent this novel out to
trusted readers once already. And I’m on the very last chapter in terms of
implementing the changes that were raised in that round of criticism. As I gear up to send it out to another batch of readers, I’m
feeling optimistic and impatient and a little nervous all that the same time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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And I realized I’ve felt different each time I’ve come to
the end of a novel-length project (short stories are different in my
experience). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My reactions have varied, from insecurity and nervousness (What
if it’s not good enough?) to impatience (I just want to finish this story
already) to relief and pride in a job well done. And in some cases, disappointment
that the book didn’t measure up to what was in my head and I don’t know how to
fix that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
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But with this story, I’m feeling cautiously optimistic. I’ve
felt that way before of course, and to some extent, I think you <i>need </i>to feel
that way about all your work at this stage to stay motivated, to keep pushing
yourself, and to see things through the publishing process. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So, I’m very happy with what I’ve accomplished with the
story. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to call it a day. My work is just beginning.
I just hope I have the stomach for it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Happy writing!</span><script type="text/javascript">
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<br />
Today, I'm happy to bring you the cover for the next installment in L. Blankenship's gritty fantasy series <i>Disciple</i>, which I had the good fortune of beta reading.<br />
<br />
To learn more about her work, check out <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/interview-with-fantasy-author-l.html">my interview with her from last fall</a>, and <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/deliberate-choices-guest-post-with-l.html">the guest post she did this spring on making deliberate writing choices</a>. And if you'd like to learn more about <a href="http://lblankenship.blogspot.com/2013/07/indie-life-cover-art.html">her take on cover art, check out this post</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQTro9JYCUs/UgFz3-UpqyI/AAAAAAAACD8/P7_7b7MRKu4/s1600/Disciple-PartIII-cover-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQTro9JYCUs/UgFz3-UpqyI/AAAAAAAACD8/P7_7b7MRKu4/s640/Disciple-PartIII-cover-800.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"> </span></b></div>
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Saint Qadeem is looking particularly badass, if I say so myself.</div>
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: ArialMT;">About </span><i><span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Disciple, Part III:</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Kate
fought for her place as a healer in the war’s front lines. Serving her homeland
has been her goal since her magical gifts earned her a coveted apprenticeship
with the kingdom’s greatest healer. She believes she’s prepared. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">But
nothing’s simple when defending a besieged capital city — or her heart.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">She
loves the prince, who means to protect her even though his duties as a knight
keep him on the battlements, fighting the enemy’s monstrous army.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Kate’s
husband is the one who checks on her, lingers over dinner, and slowly but
surely charms her. She’s all too aware that her beloved prince threatened to
kill him if he touches her. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">As
the enemy thunders against the city walls, the kingdom needs more from Kate
than just her healing magic. All disciples must put aside their tangled
feelings and stand in the homeland’s defense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Kate
believed she's ready for a war. She isn't.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: ArialMT;">The
official cover reveal and "Next Big Thing" post are over at <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Disciple of the Fount</span></a>.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Disciple, Part III</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"> arrives
September 1st, 2013!</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Part I</span></i><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"> and <i>Part II</i>
are available at <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/find-disciple.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">all major
retailers</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Sample <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/disciple-part-i-sample.html"><i><span style="color: #0000eb;">Part I</span></i></a> • Sample <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/disciple-part-ii-sample.html"><i><span style="color: #0000eb;">Part II</span></i></a> • Sample <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/disciple-part-iii-sample.html"><i><span style="color: #0000eb;">Part III</span></i></a></span></div>
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I’m pleased to announce that my story “Resonance” has sold
to <i><a href="http://futureembodiedanthology.wordpress.com/">The Future Embodied</a></i>, an anthology of speculative stories exploring how
science and technology might change our bodies and what it means to be human. </div>
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<br /></div>
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After <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1989134580/the-future-embodied-science-fiction-anthology">a successful Kickstarter campaign</a>,
editors Jason Andrew and Mae Empson announced a call for “character-driven, near-future
stories of how the trajectory of current science and technology could impact
our daily lives and choices.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kndZqHv6D3U/UfhI8zWO_TI/AAAAAAAACDc/7h7BpENh_MY/s1600/FutureEmbodied_CoverDraft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kndZqHv6D3U/UfhI8zWO_TI/AAAAAAAACDc/7h7BpENh_MY/s320/FutureEmbodied_CoverDraft.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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My story “Resonance” is about two friends who meet for the
first time after already having a very intimate virtual relationship
facilitated by implants. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This story originated at <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/taos-toolbox-post-mortem.html">Taos Toolbox</a>, where we were asked
to write a short story the second week of the workshop. The story benefited
from the collective genius in the room (<a href="http://cathschaffstump.com/writer-education-workshops/taos-toolbox/">check out my fellow Toolboxers here</a>). After
incorporating everyone’s feedback, I workshopped it with my local writing group
and my crit partners. Then I sent it off into the world. I’m very glad it has
finally found a home.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The anthology is slated to be released in December 2013.
Check out <a href="http://futureembodiedanthology.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/table-of-contents/">the table of contents and all the other great authors who have contributed stories</a>.
</div>
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Happy writing!</div>
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Infodumps are evil. Readers hit them, and their eyes glaze
over. We’re lucky if they skip over them and keep going. Unlucky if they decide
then and there to set the story or book aside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We writers know infodumps are bad even if we can’t always
avoid them in actual practice. Most advice tells us to break up the details and
pepper them in the best we can.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which is a helpful, but I’d argue an <i>incomplete</i>
suggestion.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/anatomy-of-story.html">I’ve talked before about my writing process, and how my stories often begin as a skeletal first draft of dialogue and action, then I have to layer in everything else.</a> In this
case, <i>layer</i> refers to the iterative passes where I add in setting
detail, character blocking, internal thoughts, and other expository “flesh” to
the story.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPZYxkrNC64/Ue8sRmYwhdI/AAAAAAAACDM/DH31PvTzLv4/s1600/rainbow+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPZYxkrNC64/Ue8sRmYwhdI/AAAAAAAACDM/DH31PvTzLv4/s320/rainbow+cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Picture <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+FriendsEAT/posts/BSYm524KedG">Source</a></i></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I want to focus on the layering in of specific types
of information: Description and Backstory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But first, a digression (because it’s my blog and I can do
what I want). Readers have a choice in how they spend their time. Books are in
competition with video games, TV and movies, the black hole that is the
internet, on top of demands of work and family. This isn’t new. With advances
in technology and changes in how people spend their free time, people’s
attention spans become increasingly fragmentary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to wonder if this is related to readers’ intolerance
with infodumps. They don’t have the patience to wade through them when in the
back of their mind, they’re wondering why they’re wasting their time on a
boring book when they could be doing X, Y, or Z…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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In other words, you need to make your book worth the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost"><i>opportunity cost</i></a> of other activities.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And that means conveying information in an entertaining way
(however defined) all the time. So. Back to layering in details. We’re told to
break them up and add them in as necessary, but it should go further than that.
Here’s what I strive to do with my words, but your mileage may vary.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Description</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lush description can be wonderful, but so often, such
passages have no movement, no underlying action, no impetus forward. It’s a
hard balance to strike: having enough detail the reader can visualize your
world, but not so much it slows down pacing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Don’t explain/describe everything at once</i>—Readers can
tolerate a certain amount of uncertainty and that can even be a driving
motivation to keep them reading. Just be careful to not have too much
uncertainty because then curiosity will morph into frustration (and frustration
means no more reading).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Readers are on a need-to-know basis</i>—Some grounding
details are necessary, but don’t overwhelm or bore them with things that aren’t
quite important yet. Granted, there are things you’ll want to sow in to
foreshadow or set up subsequent scenes, but you want to strive for natural
inclusion, else those details will draw attention to themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Rely on archetypes</i>—Think of these as writerly
shorthand. Use them when you want to get across a basic concept: Tree, house,
cow, [insert your own noun here]. Most readers will have a mental image of
these concepts in their brain. The key is to prime the reader by relying on
that mental image, then gradually introducing details that confirm or disrupt
that image as you move from a universal concept to a more specific one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Think telling details</i>—These are details that are
evocative and appropriate and important for describing something accurately or
setting the tone or establishing voice. But don’t waste words (and your
reader’s time) on the obvious. Let the archetype do the heavy lifting, and
include telling details as necessary. And sometimes, a tree is just a tree.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Backstory</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also something you’re better off peppering in as needed,
this one is particularly insidious for writers because they spend so much time
trying to figure out who their characters are and how they came to be that way,
that it’s hard for them to decide what is and is not relevant for the reader.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how do you determine what’s relevant? When the
information:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Is key to understanding a character’s
reaction/state-of-mind/worldview</i>—This helps the reader identify where a
character is coming from and may help to explain why they react in the way they
do in the story. A character who has a history of abuse will probably react
differently than a character who doesn’t, for example. Think of this type of
information as an extension of character development. But <i>extension</i> is
an important distinction—character development should be grounded in the story
itself, the backstory just provides occasional context.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Disrupts a character or reader’s assumptions for dramatic
effect</i>—Remember telling details? Backstory can function in the same manner,
either confirming or clarifying character, or disrupting expectations for a
dramatic twist. Look at the way JK Rowling handles Snape’s character in the
Harry Potter series for how the judicious application of backstory can be used
to increase tension, conflict, drama, and, interestingly, catharsis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obviously the worst thing a writer can do is bring a story
to a screeching halt in order to convey whatever details are needed. But almost
always the reader doesn’t need as much as the author thinks they do to
understand what is going on. (This is where trusted readers are worth their
weight in gold.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Character archetypes can also come in handy here (hooker
with the heart of gold, sad sack detective, fresh faced apprentice on hero’s
journey, etc.) to help the reader tap into unconscious understanding of character—just
don’t forget to round them out so they become more than just a caricature as you move from universal archetypes to specific characters only you can create.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So remember, less is almost always more, unless it confuses
the reader. Strive for clarity above all, and to a lesser extent, <a href="http://writerunboxed.com/2010/06/02/invisible-tension/">Donald Maas’s microtension</a>—those
unexpected but revealing details that describe your story world or provide a
provocative hint at your character’s past. Such details create curiosity in
your reader and serve as minihooks to help your story compete in a media-rich
and fragmentary world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Happy writing!</span><script type="text/javascript">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the weekend I went to a reading for a local speculative
fiction author. In the course of his talk, he said something that resonated
with me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That with his first book series, he was trying very hard to
be Clever and write Very Important Stories. But now, a few books later, he’s
focused on good storytelling, no matter the milieu he’s working in (I’m
paraphrasing here).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found this to be an interesting distinction he made, and
it echoed some of my internal (but not quite fully formed) thoughts about my
own work and what I need to be focusing on if I want a career in this field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Case in point: One of my short stories that I have been
submitting since early 2012 has been shortlisted or bumped to the second round
at SIX pro or semipro markets. But it still hasn’t found a home, and I have to
ask myself why. I’ve settled on the fact that it is my “cleverest” story, given
its subject matter. It asks a lot of the reader at the beginning, but it also
rewards you once you get to the end. (Yeah, <i>that</i> kind of story.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05t3eut_A-E/Ud3KubknYOI/AAAAAAAACCg/lQDrGBvC74Y/s1600/Fail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05t3eut_A-E/Ud3KubknYOI/AAAAAAAACCg/lQDrGBvC74Y/s320/Fail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first couple of times it was shortlisted, I chose to be
encouraged, thinking I just haven’t found the right market. But after six
(six!) times being a bridesmaid, well, I think it’s time to reevaluate things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps I’m a little too in love with my cleverness, and as
a result, I’ve forgotten the number one reason for writing a story for
publication…. Readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not saying cleverness is a bad thing. Instead it’s a
matter of <i>emphasis</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Putting story and the reader experience first does not mean
you can’t also be clever. In fact, being clever <i>in that context</i> can be
an amazing thing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the flip side? When being clever is your primary goal,
sometimes to the exclusion of all else? That’s where you tend to lose people.
(A semi-related aspect of this is when beautiful writing overwhelms a story to
its detriment—see the recent article <a href="http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/literary-talent-vs-story-talent/">Literary Talent versus Story Talent</a>.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think this is a particular problem in SF/F because <i>Ideas!</i>
and <i>Science!</i> are often an integral part of the story. A nifty idea can
make up for a lot of sins in craft, character development, and plot. Almost to
the point where that nifty idea becomes a crutch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My story has a nifty idea, and it also commits a few sins of
good storytelling. And that combination has netted me a whole lot of
close-but-no-cigars. So where do I go from here? I’ve got to figure out a way
to <i>present my nifty idea within the context of good storytelling</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That can be a hard gulf to bridge for any writer, beginning
or seasoned. But letting the story rest and getting some new eyes on it will go
a long way. At least I’m hoping so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Warning signs your “cleverness” is getting in the way of your
story:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Focusing on your “nifty idea” to the detriment of other
story elements.</li>
<li>Reader feedback saying they didn’t understand aspects of
your story.</li>
<li>Infodumps that are necessary to explain things to
unenlightened readers.</li>
<li>Telling yourself the above is okay because you’re writing
for a select/smart/in-the-know audience which consists of you and maybe five
other people.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Have you ever been guilty of letting your ideas take over
your story?</i></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m baaack…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, that’s a good
thing. Because I worked hard to make it seem like I was <i>here </i>even though I wasn't.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve taken time off the blog before—a week every now and again for
vacation, the holidays, or whenever real life gets too crazy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZdDFs70V8I/UctUJz-O5-I/AAAAAAAACCI/uLO0mnYv8hk/s1600/vacationbutton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZdDFs70V8I/UctUJz-O5-I/AAAAAAAACCI/uLO0mnYv8hk/s320/vacationbutton.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But when I found out I’d be joining my husband for a
three-week trip to Germany and Spain, I was left with a tough choice. Either
let the blog go dark for an obscenely long time or work harder than I’d like to
keep the blog up-to-date.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I chose the later option while I spent the majority of this
past month in Europe. And here’s how.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Get Organized</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was lucky in that I had advance notice of our travel
dates. So I created a list of priorities that I wanted to accomplish before
leaving town. Everything from reaching certain milestones on my various
projects, ensuring all my critiquing obligations were met, and preparing blog
posts in advance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knowing what I needed to run <i>when </i>was hugely beneficial. In
my early blogging days, I always had a blog post or two ready to go in case I
needed it. However, that fell off as my writing obligations increased. But it
was good to remember just how smoothly things could go with the right
preparations in place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Get Tech</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The post scheduling feature on Blogger (also available on
Wordpress) also helped tremendously. Although we were told we’d have internet access
at the hotels we were staying at over the course of our trip, who knew how that
would work out in actuality (Spain had the worst internet b-t-dubs). That
combined with the time difference and the fact that I would be more focused on
having a fantastic time in Europe instead of micromanaging my social media, it
made sense to have my posts ready to go in advance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other tool in my arsenal? <a href="http://tweetdeck.com/">Tweet Deck</a>. Some of you are
already familiar with it, I’m sure, but I just started using it this Spring,
and it’s “schedule tweets” feature was hugely helpful in creating the illusion
I was still around in the digital ether. Took the spontaneity out of my tweet
stream, yes, but it was a big help keeping my Twitter profile active.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Get Help</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But in the end, I didn’t do it alone. When I found out I’d
be gone, I solicited help from a few of my writerly friends. I staggered their
interviews between regular posts, which lessened the burden on me to create new
content.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In case you missed them, be sure you check out the
interviews with some great fellow writers I have the utmost respect for:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/interview-with-catherine-schaff-stump.html">May 22<sup>nd</sup> – Catherine Schaff-Stump</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/interview-with-lori-m-lee.html">June 5<sup>th</sup> – Lori M. Lee </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/interview-with-fran-wilde.html">June 19<sup>th</sup> – Fran Wilde </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was happy I could keep the social media machine
rolling while I was away, even though it required a lot of work. <i>What
techniques or shortcuts do you rely on to stay on top of your social media
obligations?</i></span><br />
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<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Today, please welcome
SF/F writer <a href="http://franwilde.wordpress.com/">Fran Wilde</a> to the blog! </span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I met Fran at Taos
Toolbox and was impressed by her ability to fuse lyrical writing with genre
fiction. She became a full SFWA member in July 2012 and <a href="http://franwilde.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/agent-news/">scored an agent (!) in May 2013</a>, and
I’ve asked her here to share a bit more about herself and her writing journey.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NdjLJHRoC8/Ua0ZTk3y1cI/AAAAAAAAB7U/CxaYmrpMoKQ/s1600/FranWilde.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NdjLJHRoC8/Ua0ZTk3y1cI/AAAAAAAAB7U/CxaYmrpMoKQ/s320/FranWilde.jpeg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Please tell us about
your journey from when you first decided you wanted to be a writer through now.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are there children in the room? Best ask them to leave, this
gets messy…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a writer the moment I realized you could make words
stick around by writing them down. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mine is a storytelling family (some relatives use circular
breathing so they can’t be interrupted; others tell fantastic yarns that end
with ‘Whelp. So <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> happened.’). I
grew up listening to their stories – some of which changed each time they were
told. When I wrote my stories down, they stayed put. I liked that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And more than anything, I was a reader. I got my own library
card as soon as possible, and I was on a first-name basis with the local indie
bookstore owners. I read everything I could, especially if it had spaceships,
universe-sized intrigues, computers, fantastic creatures, strange people, or,
better, all of the above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of what
I read wasn’t viewed as appropriate reading for me – I got told that a lot. I
read it and loved it anyway. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two years after I completed my MFA, I set aside the manuscript
I was working on in order to focus on three things that paid the bills:
teaching, copywriting (mostly for engineers and tech), and programming. While I
wrote during that time, I didn’t send anything out, and I didn’t have a
community of writers, save for a few dear friends who kept reminding me who I
was. Finally, one day I snapped and wrote half a story – and the next day I
wrote some more, and soon I was back on a regular writing schedule. And this
time around, I gave myself full permission to write what I wanted to write. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No big shock, then, that my new stories had space in them.
And programming, and engineering. And poetry. And strange creatures. I found a
resource online –<a href="http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/index.shtml">
the SFF Online Writing Workshop</a> – and critiqued there for a while before
dropping a story in to see what would happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That led to finding my first crit buddies – several of whom I still
exchange work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five months later,
I went to <a href="http://www.viableparadise.com/">Viable Paradise</a> and Jim
MacDonald and the instructors at the Martha’s Vineyard workshop told me I
wasn’t really a short story writer. They dared me to try to write a novel in 90
days. And I met more of my community. That was fantastic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A similar thing happened at <a href="http://www.taostoolbox.com/">Taos</a> – where I met you! And I’m a better
writer for it all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You have both a
Masters in information architecture and interaction design and an MFA in
poetry, which are very different fields. How does this background inform your
writing?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Programming and poetry share more in common than you might
think. I’d love to see a poem written in regular expressions that actually
compiles into something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the
places where the two meet: interactive narratives, using hypertext and gorgeous
graphics. I love graphic novels too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I’m very aware of sensory stuff – particularly the sounds words make
– sometimes too much so. I get caught up in nets of sound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What piece of writing
advice has been key to bettering your craft?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Easy is the enemy. Keep writing, every day. Put that amazing
draft away for six weeks, then look at it again, with a critical eye.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I had the good
fortune of reading the amazing novel that got you agented. Please share a bit
about the book and what you're working on now. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bone Arrow is a science-fantasy YA novel that demanded to be
written. I love building worlds, and this one’s a lot of fun, and strange, too.
Think Cirque du Soleil meets the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Codex
Seraphinianus</i>. But what I love best is the characters – because once I gave
them the space, they ran with it. I had all these things planned out for them
and instead, they did their own things, a lot of which completely surprised me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right now, I’m working on a second generation story set in
the same world, with different characters. There’s a related short story coming
out in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Impossible Futures</i>
anthology in August, called “A Moment of Gravity, Circumscribed”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I’m working on a novella set in a different universe,
and revisions to my first novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moonmaker</i>,
which is more tech-driven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually
keep a lot of projects going so that if one slows down or I need to stick it in
a drawer, I can pick up another.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is important for
a beginning or intermediate writer to understand about writing for publication?
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah. This is the hard part. Rejection isn’t personal. It
feels personal. It can feel like you’ve been judged as not worthy – like you’re
not really a writer when you get that “unfortunately”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But writing for publication is all about
‘Right time, right editor, right story.” Pro writers get rejections too. The
key is to send that story back out – and to keep sending it out. I need to do
that with a few stories, actually. [Bad writer: no biscuit.] </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another good idea is to volunteer to read slush for a
magazine in your genre. Keep an eye on your favorites via Twitter and Facebook.
Editors sometimes post requests for new slush readers there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you see the scope of a typical slush
pile, you’ll realize it’s not personal. And hopefully that will help you start
to feel more confident about your writing and your submissions as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thanks so much, Fran!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you Lauren! It’s always great to talk with you!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>You can find Fran on Twitter [<a href="https://twitter.com/fran_wilde">@fran_wilde</a>] and stay
up-to-date with her writing through her blog: <a href="http://franwilde.wordpress.com/">http://franwilde.wordpress.com/</a> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 115.8pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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Writing is a slow process. From idea to draft, from early
drafts to later drafts, from query to agent, from contract to publication. That
doesn’t mean things can’t move faster, just that they so often <i>don’t</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patience is a quality you need to cultivate if you are going
to survive this field. I understand all this—even if I don’t like it. One thing
I like to do is make plans to distract myself from the futility of waiting (I’m
type A all the way).</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IrxiBllbV5U/UbeSsEhhaDI/AAAAAAAACBo/rTP0oYXneQw/s1600/planning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IrxiBllbV5U/UbeSsEhhaDI/AAAAAAAACBo/rTP0oYXneQw/s320/planning.JPG" width="227" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of whether you’re a plotter or a pantster, I
think being able to plan is a crucial act of writing, even if it’s the
just-in-time variety pantsters employ. We have to be able to hold large amounts
of information in our heads and then turn that information into something
that’s not only literate but adheres to a recognizable structure. This ability
is explored in part by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maps-Imagination-The-Writer-Cartographer/dp/1595340416">Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographerby Peter Turch</a>—a book that’s geared more to thinking about writing than actual
writing, if you know what I mean, though in this case that’s not a dig. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Planning, making mental maps, using words to formalize what
has only been nebulous or intangible thought… these kinds of activities take a
lot of time, and can be the very means to work through the periods of waiting
that always seem to crop up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These activities for me often include:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Planning out my next project</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Determining what I need to do on the blog</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Prioritizing story drafts across projects, critiquing for my
writing groups and CPs, and research time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also create <i>contingency</i> plans in my head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I create contingencies when I’m plotting out a
novel and need my research to corroborate the action. I want X to happen in my
story, but if the research doesn’t support X, I’ll need to go with Y. Or Z. Or
maybe X will work but another set of conditions need to be considered. By
planning out what needs to happen, and what alternatives could also work, I’m
able to work through tricky plot issues and stay on target with my story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or in the case of submitting, say I have a handful of short
stories under consideration at markets. However, most markets have no
simultaneous or multiple submissions policies in place. Because of this, I have
to consider what is the best order to submit them. Usually factoring in some
combination of </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Impact (higher tier/exposure over lesser markets)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Response time (quicker over slower)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Fit (always hard to judge)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Deadlines</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, let’s say the average response time at a market
is a week. And there’s a deadline for stories with a theme similar to my story
coming up in two weeks. I would probably submit my story to the market with the
1-week deadline, under the assumption that if it gets selected (great), but
more realistically I might get some feedback that would help me to submit to
the themed market in time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve also created contingency plans in my head for what
happens if something big and exciting happens. What then? I don’t recommend
this last one. For starters, I can make a gazillion plans and all that mental
effort goes out the door with one rejection. Sure, a contingency plan will kick
in then, and I’ll remain optimistic for another few weeks and then… Well, you
can see how this cycle could last <i>forever</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So planning can range from the highly useful (as in the case
of story plotting and time management) to busy work (micromanaging story
submission orders) to entirely unnecessary (winning the publishing lottery).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But writers <i>write</i>. And in the case of this writer, I
plan as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy writing (and planning)!</div>
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<i>Today I’m happy to bring you an interview with my critique
partner Lori M. Lee. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>In December of 2011, she
signed with Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary, and <a href="http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/2013/05/as-effie-might-say-big-big-big-news.html">her book deal (!) with Skyscape was recently announced</a>. She blogs about the
writing life at <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/">http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/</a></span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aty6Qq0WMX0/Ua0W0vTOPuI/AAAAAAAAB7I/fBzPMFPwWrE/s1600/LoriMLee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aty6Qq0WMX0/Ua0W0vTOPuI/AAAAAAAAB7I/fBzPMFPwWrE/s1600/LoriMLee.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Thanks for stopping by today, Lori! For the uninitiated,
could you give us a brief overview of your writing journey up until now?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for having me, Lauren :)
It's been almost four years since I began my first
manuscript-with-intent-to-query/publish in 2009. It was a NaNoWriMo, and I
spent a year editing and rewriting it based on feedback from my amazing CPs
(like you! :D) before querying. While querying that project, I began working on
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gates of Thread and Stone</i>. This story
so much fun to write, and I was extremely fortunate to receive an offer of
representation in November of 2011 after only a few weeks of querying. But the
work definitely didn't end there. A major revision and a year later, I finally
got that yes from an editor!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What is something that surprised you about being an agented
writer? Many aspiring writers put so much emphasis on getting an agent without
necessarily thinking about what happens after reaching that milestone.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is sort of dumb (and a good
example of how my brain works... or doesn't, in this case), but when I began my
next project, I had brief moments of panic when I thought about writing the
query. Then, at some point, it struck me—I don't have to write a query. My
agent doesn't require one. The query was always such a stress-filled requisite
of writing a new manuscript-with-intent-to-find-an-agent that it didn't
immediately occur to me I didn't need one b/c I already had an agent. And
believe me, when that realization hit, it felt AWESOME.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I’ve gotten the impression from other writers in the
blogosphere that being on submission is kind of like Fight Club. The first
rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. What can you say
about your time on submission and how you coped for other writers going through
the same process?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being on submission had even
greater ups and downs than querying. When an editor loved the book, but it got
shot down in acquisitions, that hurt a million times more than an agent
rejection because I was so, <i>so</i> close. Being on sub was exciting and
terrifying, but also emotionally draining. I coped with everything first by
working on something new and then inadvertently by getting pregnant lol. With
my mind focused on a new world and new characters (and the impending baby), I
had less time to worry about what was happening with the book on submission.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gates of Thread
and Stone</span> <i>will be published by Skyscape (Amazon Children’s Publishing) in
2014, and it is the first book in a series. Tell us about the book.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Going with what was revealed in
the deal announcement (since I don’t know how much more I can talk about yet), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gates</i> is about a girl who stays
carefully under the radar to keep her ability—to manipulate the threads of
time—a secret. But when her brother disappears, she has to risk getting caught
up in a revolution in order to save him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What was your biggest challenge writing this book?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This particularly book came
really easily to me, which is <i>not </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>typical. The world building was probably the biggest challenge
because world building, in itself, is fairly intricate, but the plot and the
characters were very clear in my mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What excites you most about this next stage of your career?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reader feedback. Good or bad, I
can't wait to hear what readers think. It's definitely scary, and I'll probably
fumble through it all, but I'm looking forward to it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Finally, what is the single best piece of writing advice
you’ve received?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Work on your next book while
you’re waiting for query responses. Write while you’re on submission. Write
while you’re waiting for feedback from CPs or your agent or your editor. Having
that shiny new idea to focus on really does make the waiting more bearable, and
the bonus is if that ms doesn’t work out, you’ve got your next one ready to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Thanks so much Lori!</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Be sure you check out her blog (<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/">http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/</a>) and
follow her on twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/lorimlee">@lorimlee</a>).</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
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<i>Lori’s always been an incredibly supportive writer, and I’m
so happy she’ll be able to share her stories with the world!</i></div>
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of what is “good” is contextual—dictated by a particular project, the audience
you’re writing for, or even market trends.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve talked before about <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-do-you-know.html">How Do You Know</a> if you are ready for publication. Although it’s related, that’s not exactly
what I want to talk about today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead I want to focus on all the <b><i>invisible </i></b>things writers
do in the hopes of bettering their craft, expanding their professional network,
and positioning themselves for success to the best of their ability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zwCxv2jcNxo/UaZ1dPB1F0I/AAAAAAAAB6w/tTqU7kjgcHY/s1600/reach_sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zwCxv2jcNxo/UaZ1dPB1F0I/AAAAAAAAB6w/tTqU7kjgcHY/s320/reach_sky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/creative/Penywise">Penywise of Morgue Files</a> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Objective measures of success in this field are pretty
self-explanatory. You’re either published or you're not (however you choose to
define it). When you’re “not” published, chances are you’re doing a <i>bunch </i>of
things other than writing in the hopes they will pay off in some small way in
the future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, I haven’t sold any short stories since last
fall. If you are looking at my output objectively—well, there isn’t any by that definition. Instead, so much of what I’m doing these days is <b><i>invisible</i></b>.
And I’m still trying to figure out what that means.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These invisible activities include:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Reading slush for <a href="http://www.masque-books.com/">Masque Books</a></b> – Beyond occasional mentions here on the blog, it’s something I do to
strengthen my ability to evaluate projects, diagnose writing problems, and gain
insights into the editorial process. I won’t be able to learn these things overnight—this
requires a commitment of months if not years to see the benefit from this type
of activity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Joining an invitation-only critique group</b> – The meetings are
intense and panic-inducing. I’m learning tons, making good connections, but as
with any critique group, feedback is only as good as the projects I bring to
them. Workshopping novels (and short stories to a lesser extent) can be a long
process outside of development time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Submitting to higher-tier markets</b> – I have three in rotation
right now that I truly believe in. And I’ve been aiming high. My sales last
year gave me the confidence to target higher-tier markets. Personal rejections?
Check. Second-round bumps? Check. Agonizing ‘You just missed the cut’ notices?
Oh yeah. And the worst part is, all this means longer response times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When non-writers ask me about my writing these days, it’s
hard to explain how all these <i><b>invisible </b></i>activities fill up my time and contribute to my work. But they do mean
something. They are valuable. They just go largely unseen because they don’t conform
to objective measures of success.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just have to believe they’ll add up to something that
cannot be ignored one day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
What aspect of your writing life is invisible?<br />
<br />
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<i>Today I’d like to introduce you
to <a href="http://cathschaffstump.com/">Catherine Schaff-Stump</a>, one of my fellow writers from the Taos Toolbox
workshop I attended last summer. </i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9TQ7u4zrpCE/UZrVSo_pKfI/AAAAAAAAB6g/rC9kkT6afk8/s1600/Cathphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9TQ7u4zrpCE/UZrVSo_pKfI/AAAAAAAAB6g/rC9kkT6afk8/s200/Cathphoto.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<i> Catherine is a fantastic
speculative fiction writer who tends to write for younger ages. She interviewed
every member of our workshop class (which you can find <a href="http://cathschaffstump.com/writer-education-workshops/taos-toolbox/">here</a>) and now
it’s time to return the favor.</i></div>
<i>1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>When
did you know you wanted to be a writer? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
My older brother is an artist,
so I knew that couldn’t be my thing, because then I would be a copy cat. One
year, he painted a beautiful bird on a block of wood for my mother for mother’s
day, and I whipped out a small (and somewhat maudlin, I’m pretty sure!) poem
which he calligraphied underneath the bird. My mother gave me a great deal of
praise, and that’s when I knew that this was something unique that I could do.
So I began to write stories.</div>
<i>2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>How
would you describe your writing? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
I do two kinds of things: kind
of a madcap middle grade kind of thing (like in Hulk Hercules) and kind of a
darker, gothic kind of thing. I’m a Gemini, right? There’s a fundamental
dichotomy in my character.</div>
<i>3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>How
much research do you do for your work? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
A LOT. I’m a former graduate
student, so I’m not proud. I like to research and try to get things closer to
what they might be like. Even when I’m making something up, I like to do some
real world research as a basis for beginning.</div>
<i>4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>What
are you working on right now? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
I have finally begun the first
of five books about a family of demon binders, so right now I’m writing about
two fairly quixotic sisters and their struggle for power and romance. There is
at least one nice guy in the book. Awful things will happen to everyone.
Somehow I find that satisfying. :P</div>
<i>5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>How
did you come to apply for Taos Toolbox? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
I’d been to Viable Paradise,
and that gave me some faith in my ability to make it in the writing game, but I
thought I need to push myself further than that to make it professionally. I’d
been engaging in writer education—reading a lot, going to a couple of seminars,
and attending writer education sessions at cons. Many of my friends had been to
Taos, and thought it would be a good next step for me. So, I applied, and the
rest is history.</div>
<i>6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>What
advice would you give to someone attending their first writing workshop? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Get used to criticism. Listen
and be gracious. Realize that someone else’s opinion may have insight for you,
but you must also trust your instincts. Try to treat your critique group as a
team, and you may have a great group of friends later. Lend a hand. Give good
crit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And remember, if you’re just
there for someone to tell you that your writing is great, you’re in the wrong
place, and you’ve wasted a whole lot of money. Be ready to learn.</div>
<i>7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>What
is your writing goal for 10 years down the line? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
In ten years, 2023, I will be
(da-dum!) 58.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hope would be to be
retired from my full time job as a college professor. I would like to then be a
full-time writer living on my retirement income in Florida. It would be awesome
if I even had published one or two novels already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would still be half of one of the greatest romances of the 20<sup>th</sup>/21<sup>st</sup>
century. This sounds pretty idyllic. </div>
<i>8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Many
of your projects have series potential. Why do you think that is? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Because my brain keeps asking
what if.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the first Klarion
character started as a support character in another story, and he told me about
his family. And then I said, what were your parents like, and then your
grandparents? And where did the curse come from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what do all the cosmological forces get out of all of this?
And…on and on. Just the other day, someone asked me a question about Carlo’s
granddad as I was sharing the book, and I thought crap. More what if.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
I’ve never been a writer who’s
lacked material. I’ve always lacked time.</div>
<i>9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>What
do you think is an important quality writers need to have if they are going to
succeed in this field? </i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Just one? Persistence. Through
the good times and the bad. Through the rejections and the apathy of sometimes
not wanting to write. Through the silent periods of agents and editors. Slog
on, little writer, slog on. The only way out is through.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
I would also recommend a thick
skin; the recognition that you will sometimes be saddened and depressed by
constant rejection, and that’s okay; and a great support group of friends and
family that believe in your writing when you are not equipped to do so. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Remember, it’s not you. It’s
not them. It’s the right story in the right hands at the right time. Keep
writing until that happens.</div>
<i>10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Where can readers
find more of your work?
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am mostly in print these days. My middle-grade novel Hulk
Hercules: Professional Wrestler is available widely on line. You can find two
of my short stories, Turtle of the Earth and Mark Twain’s Daughter in
Cucurbital 2 and 3 respectively, and those are available through Paper Golem
press. If you’re very lucky, you might find a copy of the electronic Needles
and Bones which contains Sister Night, Sister Moon from Drollerie Press,
although that is now out of “print.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Be sure to check out <a href="http://cathschaffstump.com/writer-education-workshops/taos-toolbox/">all the other great interviews Cath did with the Taos Toolbox Class of 2012 (including me!)</a></i> </div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Happy Writing!</i></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last Friday, a regular collapsed in the coffee shop I
frequent a couple of times a week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He sat at his table with his newspaper like usual, and I sat
where I normally do if I can—an armchair by the wall tucked out of the way. I
had a section of my latest novel project printed out, and I was furiously
scribbling away in the margins. It was going to be a good writing day, I could
feel it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s when the man collapsed out of his chair and onto the
floor. Not an I’ve-fallen-and-can’t-get-up fall, but something worse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3BDWpUkmxQ/UZQwRYoAPTI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/s-oN3N2nAVY/s1600/abulance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3BDWpUkmxQ/UZQwRYoAPTI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/s-oN3N2nAVY/s320/abulance.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The shop went eerily silent for a second, then I sprung to
my feet along with some of the other customers. More seconds burned by as we
hovered in a circle around the man in a what-do-we-do stupor. But he wasn’t moving,
and he wasn’t conscious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tried to use mental telepathy on the barista behind the
counter. <i>What should we do? What happens next? Why isn’t anyone calling 911?
</i>The barista has the presence of mind to take a sandwich off the grill before
getting the manager. For some reason, this impressed me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If felt like an eternity—though again, it was just
seconds—when a strong voice announced: “Everyone, stay calm. I’m a paramedic.
If could have a volunteer pair of hands?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turns out an off-duty paramedic decided to come to the coffee shop
that day, thank goodness. Two people who weren’t me snapped to attention and
helped him get the old man into a sitting position to evaluate his condition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile I was shaking. I gathered up my printouts that
were scattered all over the floor and collapsed back in my seat. I am no
stranger to sickbeds. I’ve had more than my share of death and dying, but still
my palms were sweaty and my heart raced as the paramedic and his volunteers
tried to get the man to respond to his questions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was touch and go for ten minutes. Ten minutes of me
thinking this man is going to die here, in this coffee shop, and I will never
be able to work here again. Even as these thoughts went through me, I was
sickened that that’s all I cared about. Better than thinking about the last
time I was in a hospital with a loved one. But still. This was someone I “knew,”
someone linked to the fabric of my daily life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, the man came out of it—there was talk it was a
stroke, a “cardiac event,” or even a bad reaction to his medicine, but they
didn’t know for sure. An ambulance came along with a team of paramedics who
<i>were </i>on the clock, and they bundled the man onto a gurney and took him to the ER.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All told, about an hour-long saga where I and the other customers
were trapped in the coffee shop as the man was seen to. I just sat there and
stared down blindly at my printouts, feeling guilty and scared and upset all
for a stranger. Needless to say, I didn't write that day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He wasn’t there when I went to the coffee shop on Tuesday,
and I didn’t ask the baristas if they knew anything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just hope the next time I
go, he’ll be there, at his table with his paper, and I’ll be in my chair, with
my printouts, and all will be right in the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feedback is an essential part of the creative process. Well,
at least mine! How else will you know if your intentions match up with the
reception of your work? Today, I’ll talk about the different stages of a
project where it might be appropriate to solicit feedback.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWr9tvQUas0/UYqnY6JTIcI/AAAAAAAAB5E/240auNuFlyY/s1600/frustratedwoman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWr9tvQUas0/UYqnY6JTIcI/AAAAAAAAB5E/240auNuFlyY/s320/frustratedwoman.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>In-Progress Feedback</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In one of my writing groups, the work I share is almost
always a work-in-progress. It’s literate, but it’s usually a snippet from a
novel or a short story that still needs some fleshing out. In this case, I’m
actively looking to my other group members for assistance in how to flesh the
story out, what I’ve overlooked, and ultimately whether I’m on the right track
or not. Just realize not every writing group is geared to workshopping this
kind of early stage writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best critiquers at this stage: Critical thinkers,
other writers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Developmental Feedback</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d call this feedback on anything that’s been drafted and
fleshed out, but hasn’t fully <i>cured </i>in a version you are confident in
submitting somewhere. In other words, you’ve gotten to the end, but the ride is
still a bit bumpy (not in a good way). Here, I’m looking for
macro-level adjustments (micro is good too) that I can make so the story can
gel into a finalized draft. At this stage, I want people who understand the big
picture but also the aspects of craft that will help me realize it all on the
page. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best critiquers at this stage: Other writers, particularly those writing
in your genre.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Polished Feedback</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is feedback on a polished draft that you think is the
best it can be. You know, <a href="http://thebluestockingblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-do-you-know.html">all those checklists when you’re trying to decide if you’re ready to submit or not?</a> If your answer is yes, it’s still a good idea to get another person (or
persons!) to take a look. You might burn a few weeks only to get your readers’
blessing to send it out, but it’s better to know you are sending out your best
work than being surprised by some issue that was overlooked at other stages.
And when you only have one shot with agents, you want everything to be as good
as it can be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best critiquers at this stage: Readers of your genre, other
writers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Public Reception</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So let’s say your story/novel/what-have-you got published.
Yay! At this stage, there’s still a couple metrics you can use to see how your
work is received and ways to use its reception and apply it to your next story.
Obviously things like sales figures are important. But so are reviews. I’m not
talking about the reviews your mom/critique partner/best friend wrote. I’m
talking about the reviews written by strangers who have no personal investment
in you or your story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/03/the-worst-feedback-is-indifference.html">Seth Godin says the worst feedback is indifference</a>.
Some stories and novels get published, and just as quickly vanish into the
ether. Now some of this can be attributed to poor marketing and positioning,
and sometimes a story just doesn’t have the impact it should. And sometimes,
you are lucky enough to get reviews that help you to understand what worked and
what didn’t in your story. <a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2011/09/handling-reviews.html">Elizabeth Spann Craig talks about this in Handling Reviews from Mystery Writing is Murder</a>. Give yourself time for the sting to wear off, but even bad reviews can be instructive (so long as it's not coming from someone with an ax to grind).
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my published stories was not received in the manner I
had hoped for, and I learned a lot from seeing those reviews of my work. It
forced me to analyze my assumptions in writing that particular story as well as
my assumptions in who the story's audience was, and so on. Despite
the short-term disappointment in that story’s reception, that was a hugely
valuable experience, and one that will shape my work to come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So obviously, you need feedback, and at what point you
solicit it and from whom will be dependent on your writerly network and your
own needs and comfort level with the critique process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally, I try to get feedback at <i>each </i>stage of a
project, if possible. In my goal to write faster, I’ve found that <i>In-Progress
Feedback</i> is extremely helpful for heading off mistakes in a story that would
need significant retooling if they were found much later in the process.
However, for that to be successful, I think you need to be:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>very used to critique and,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>very clear in your own head with what you’re trying to achieve
with your work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Especially because rogue comments can easily affect the
trajectory of a story and your confidence in it at the early stage of a
project. It should also be said that if you’re sharing early work, you are
sharing it with writers who:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>you trust</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>understand that it’s an early draft, and </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>can provide constructive criticism (not all critiquers are
alike in this) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your mileage may vary, of course. But I’ve found this work
for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Happy writing (and critiquing)!</span></span><script type="text/javascript">
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</xml><![endif]-->Seems like I was just getting used to typing “2013” and now
I have to mentally remind myself it is already May. As in four months have
expired since the start of the year, and I’m in a constant state of playing
catch-up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c70aKBL0dV0/UYGPNBHUAWI/AAAAAAAAB40/Yup_PIqWRkI/s1600/calendar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c70aKBL0dV0/UYGPNBHUAWI/AAAAAAAAB40/Yup_PIqWRkI/s320/calendar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the hell of it is, there are things coming up in my life
that will make that even more difficult for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make no mistake, I want to be that person who is always
unruffled by change with a plan for every contingency. But the last year or so,
I’ve found it harder to keep my writing life from affecting (or is it
infecting) the rest of my life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to aim to do something writing-related every day,
whether that was actually writing or engaging in pre-writing activities like
reading and researching, or more platform-building stuff like this blog post.
And that was great. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But now the workload feels heavier. I’ve talked before about
my critique responsibilities increasing (becoming a slush reader, joining a new
writing group), and I’m still convinced critiquing is one of the best ways to
improve your craft. However, I’d say my writing output has also increased,
which puts even more demands on my time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month I finished up a novel draft. I realized I had
written it over the course of six months. That’s a huge productivity jump for
me. It’s not fully polished since I’m currently scrambling to get it in shape
for my trusted readers, but still, that’s a lot of words for me, on top of
revisions, short story drafts, and all the other writing “stuff” that creeps up
on you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I know this is only a fraction of what more successful
writers face. It can only get busier for me. I’m not sure how I feel about
that. But if we could go back to January again, I’d be <i>all</i> over that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How are things going for you? Have you been surviving 2013?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy writing!</span></span><script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLA1PcnSAus/UWx-qM6yd3I/AAAAAAAAB3k/8XwCwWBVRsI/s1600/Disciple-PartII-AprilBlogTourButton-250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLA1PcnSAus/UWx-qM6yd3I/AAAAAAAAB3k/8XwCwWBVRsI/s1600/Disciple-PartII-AprilBlogTourButton-250.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Deliberate Choices by <a href="http://lblankenship.blogspot.com/">L. Blankenship</a> </b></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I did make some deliberate choices, in writing <i>Disciple</i>, about the kind of story I wanted to write. I'm of the opinion that plot, character, and world-building are tightly linked and should be allowed to grow organically -- but I did put a few restrictions on that growth.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some look like simple things, like not wanting to use the tag "s/he thought" on a thought. Or "I thought," in my first-person narrator's case. It's just so clunkily obvious, or ought to be, that I committed to not using it at all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Which sounds simple, but I found myself rewriting a lot of sentences before the habit settled in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">There was something deeper I wanted to do, in <i>Disciple</i>: I wanted a good, solid fight. It seems to me that many fantasy stories go to great lengths to stack
the deck against the protagonists. They're poor, they're helpless, they're emotionally damaged, they're completely unprepared for the challenges they face. It's <a href="http://youtu.be/ZpBkc2jK-6w"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Bambi vs. Godzilla</span></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's meant to ramp up the tension. It's meant to make the eventual success -- and whatever losses along the way -- all the more savory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wanted to see competent, well prepared protagonists go into a tough fight, take hard losses, get their asses kicked a couple times, and claw their way to winning. There seem to be plenty of stories about finding that Magic Thingy or tapping the Cosmic Can of Whup-ass to help Bambi beat Godzilla. Why write another one?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wanted this to be a fair fight because evenly matched opponents make for an interesting game. I'm not much of a sports fan, but I know the Superbowl isn't much fun when one team dominates the other from the first kickoff. The games you stick around for are the ones that teeter back and forth to the final minutes.
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">So both sides of the war, in <i>Disciple</i>, came in with stacked decks. They'd made strategic choices, ahead of time, because war was inevitable and they'd be idiots to not prepare to the hilt. Both sides take risks. Both sides take losses. When I sat down to write <i>Disciple, Part VI</i> and finish the story, I wasn't sure exactly how the last few minutes of the Superbowl would play out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Which sure held my interest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Back cover of <i>Disciple, Part II</i></b></span>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L82sReEWjQs/UWx-1DqTojI/AAAAAAAAB3s/_4pA6kobcjw/s1600/Disciple-PartII-cover-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L82sReEWjQs/UWx-1DqTojI/AAAAAAAAB3s/_4pA6kobcjw/s200/Disciple-PartII-cover-800.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The prince first kissed Kate Carpenter for fear of missing the chance if they didn’t survive the journey home through the monster-prowled mountains.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that kiss seems like a fever dream. It’s back to work for her, back to the fellow physicians jealous of her talents and the sneers of an infirmary
director who wants her shipped off to some tiny village. Kate means to be on the front lines to save lives. She’s worked too hard to overcome her past to let them deny her the chance to serve her homeland when the enemy’s army reaches their kingdom.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The grand jousting tournament is a chance to prove she can manage combat wounded, and at the royal Solstice banquet Kate means to prove she isn’t an ignorant peasant girl anymore.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">But the prince’s kiss still haunts her. Their paths keep crossing, and the easy familiarity they earned on the journey home is a welcome escape from their duties. It’s a small slip from chatting to kisses.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">This is no time to be distracted by romance -- a vast and powerful empire is coming to slaughter anyone standing between them and the kingdom’s magical fount.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kate
ought to break both their hearts, for duty’s sake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Disciple, Part II</i> on
sale now </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">along
with <i>Disciple, Part I</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/find-disciple.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">at all major
online retailers</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">More information, updates, and extras
at Disciple of the Fount</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/disciple-part-i-sample.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sample of
Part I</span></a> • <a href="http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com/p/disciple-part-ii-sample.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sample of
Part II</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Disciple, Part III</i>
coming in late 2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Disciple</i> is complete
in six parts and will make a lovely doorstop </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">when
all 400k words have been published.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Goodreads
links:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16038637-disciple"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Disciple,
Part I</span></a> • <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17229240-disciple-part-ii"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Disciple,
Part II</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/50531-disciple-part-ii">And be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway</a>! </span></span></span></div>
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