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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Jul 6, 2019 1:22:19 GMT
I have unpublished the subpar books again so that I can use everything again, fix my mess, and do it right this time. So I am back to 100% Mojo Power. Am uploading my word docs to the cloud, right now, so that if my flashdrive breaks I'll be okay. My kitten loves to jump on my computer all the time and swats at everything. He's adorbs, but a handful. I'd forgotten since Patches is over a year old now and a cranky, old lady. She really, really hates Smokey, but Smokey loves her and just wants to be friends. It's so sad.  |
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Post by dormouse on Jul 7, 2019 23:35:38 GMT
Sounds good.
100% Mojo Power sounds really good. I'm not sure I've ever hit 100%.
Energy and self-belief is so important for creating. Easy for it to chip away.
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Post by robertlcollins on Jul 17, 2019 18:32:38 GMT
Yesterday I finished a short story (6100 words). Before that I finished a novella (23K words). I'm taking care of another project, then I plan to get back to the world of the two recent works I've completed.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Jul 23, 2019 5:14:29 GMT
Great job, Robert! Celebrate all those words!!!! Yesterday I finished a short story (6100 words). Before that I finished a novella (23K words). I'm taking care of another project, then I plan to get back to the world of the two recent works I've completed. |
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Post by robertlcollins on Aug 3, 2019 19:56:35 GMT
I finished a few more short stories and another novella. I have one more piece ahead of me, then I’m going to have to pause to think up more story ideas. 😀
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Aug 3, 2019 20:36:49 GMT
Excellent. You are so productive. I am thinking about TUOK today, and I have to consider that progress. I finished a few more short stories and another novella. I have one more piece ahead of me, then I’m going to have to pause to think up more story ideas. 😀 |
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dmayo
New Member
Posts: 8
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Post by dmayo on Sept 5, 2019 19:50:39 GMT
New guy here. I Have pulled my first Sci-Fi novel Bad Vibe (120,000 words) from Amazon and preparing it for wide via D2D. As this was my first effort, there is some tightening to do and some of the more pedestrian paragraphs to enhance. Even though this book went through 5 editorial passes by me (one letting Word read it back), and a proofread by an author friend, I still find small errors here and there. This will be my first wide publish. My second novel, Idimmu (50,000 words,) is still on Amazon, but is not Kindle Select anymore. Once I see how Bad Vibe does, I'll make a decision on Idimmu. My third novel, Threshold & Portal (also around 50,000 words,) has gone through all editorial passes by me and is currently being scrutinized by my author friend. I have completed all research and have started my fourth novel, Duster. I suspect this fourth book is going to be a longer story as it encompasses one man's entire life.
I also have a short book of dark poetry out there that was just a shot in the dark, These were horror poems written in verse from 1994. I expect nothing from this collection, but why just let them sit around, so I published.
So far, I write only Sci-Fi or Horror. I don't write series, although my first two could be continued. I actually don't care for the trend in writing a series. I personally think every book I read to be its own universe. Additionally, I don't care to revisit similar themes. I am fairly sure I am in the minority.
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Post by robertlcollins on Sept 6, 2019 13:31:24 GMT
Quick update: in August I wrote a few more short stories and a short novel. The month was about as productive as July was. I ended August plotting a few more projects. I’m writing one now, and I plan to work on two more after that.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Sept 21, 2019 4:18:07 GMT
I'm doing pretty good in a productivity sense this week, I have published two shorts, and just finished a third one today which I'll publish Sunday night to avoid Carlos F and his ilk. Also I haz bendy straws!
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Post by robertlcollins on Oct 1, 2019 13:39:12 GMT
In September I wrote two more short novels, both well over 30K words. Started on a new project today. Looks like when that’s done I’ll edit some future releases and plot a new project or two.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Oct 2, 2019 4:03:37 GMT
Wow robertlcollins that's impressive. 2 novellas in one month!!! How do you edit stories that are that long? Do you have a lot of money to spend on editing, covers, and advertising? I don't have money for any of that, which is why I stick to shorts. |
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Post by robertlcollins on Oct 2, 2019 13:24:48 GMT
I don’t have the money for that. As far as editing goes, I had to learn to do it myself. I didn’t have a reliable writing group to help. I also learned writing nonfiction that I’d sometimes be called on to aid in editing, seeing as I had the research. My best tip has always been to write the next project before you go back to what you finish. Ideally you want to finish a few. That way your mind has moved onto other works. You’ll hit what you wrote fresh, and errors should stand out. It takes time to learn to do this, but so does just about everything else when it comes to writing.  |
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Oct 3, 2019 4:14:06 GMT
Wow, wrote a new 5,000 word short, today, and it only took me 4 hours because I spent most of that time writing. I kind of wanted to hurry up and get it done which was why I focused on it more. robertlcollins head space in between stories can certainly help, I agree. And diddo on not being able to afford an editor. We get by the best we can. |
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Post by robertlcollins on Dec 2, 2019 14:22:07 GMT
Okay, so, since my last post a couple months back, I’ve finished a short novel, a couple novellas, and 3 short stories. Right now I’m about 2/3 done with a short novel; it’s at 32K words at this point. I hope everyone else has made progress on their works. Best of luck for a good end to the year!
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Post by writeway on Dec 5, 2019 6:45:56 GMT
Hmm, where do I start? Okay, I am wrapping up a series. I wrote this book about a year ago and let it sit. This is the last book in my series and I will release it in January. Well, the reason it's taking me so long is between other projects, I found it so hard to edit this one this time for months. Every time I would sit down to edit it, I'd procrastinate and it actually felt like agony to deal with it. Something just wasn't right. I wasn't excited like I usually am and I started to dread even looking at it. It wasn't that I didn't like the story but it was like something inside was trying to tell me something. Well, I finally figured out what the problem was and maybe I didn't want to admit it. I had to do a rewrite. I mean, if I'm not interested in the book how can I expect the readers to be?  ? And this is a great series and readers have enjoyed it so I don't want the last book to be a drag. I wanna finish the series with a bang. Deep in my soul I wasn't satisfied and my instinct was telling me this by causing me to lose interest. The thing is, I am fine with about 50% of the book but I had to rewrite everything else and you know what...I'M LOVING IT! I am really enjoying this rewrite and so glad I did it. It's made the book SO much better and I'm glad I waited a year to release it because had I released it close to when I wrote it, I might not have picked up on how I could make it better. It was "good" but I wanted it to be "great", especially for the last book. I didn't want to disappoint anyone and it was bugging me as to why I'd lost interest in it. Yep, that good old instinct never fails. When something feels weird with your writing, pay attention to that feeling! |
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Dec 5, 2019 7:27:02 GMT
I understand exactly what you mean writeway. I felt that exact same way with MindSplitter whenever I would try and edit it. I also am glad I didn't publish it prematurely. I've done the publish prematurely thing before and it's not a good idea. Well done on figuring out the problem, listening to your gut, and starting work on a better book! Hmm, where do I start? Okay, I am wrapping up a series. I wrote this book about a year ago and let it sit. This is the last book in my series and I will release it in January. Well, the reason it's taking me so long is between other projects, I found it so hard to edit this one this time for months. Every time I would sit down to edit it, I'd procrastinate and it actually felt like agony to deal with it. Something just wasn't right. I wasn't excited like I usually am and I started to dread even looking at it. It wasn't that I didn't like the story but it was like something inside was trying to tell me something. Well, I finally figured out what the problem was and maybe I didn't want to admit it. I had to do a rewrite. I mean, if I'm not interested in the book how can I expect the readers to be? ? And this is a great series and readers have enjoyed it so I don't want the last book to be a drag. I wanna finish the series with a bang. Deep in my soul I wasn't satisfied and my instinct was telling me this by causing me to lose interest. The thing is, I am fine with about 50% of the book but I had to rewrite everything else and you know what...I'M LOVING IT! I am really enjoying this rewrite and so glad I did it. It's made the book SO much better and I'm glad I waited a year to release it because had I released it close to when I wrote it, I might not have picked up on how I could make it better. It was "good" but I wanted it to be "great", especially for the last book. I didn't want to disappoint anyone and it was bugging me as to why I'd lost interest in it. Yep, that good old instinct never fails. When something feels weird with your writing, pay attention to that feeling! |
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Dec 5, 2019 7:28:33 GMT
Terrific job on all that writing and completing!!! You're a writing ninja. Okay, so, since my last post a couple months back, I’ve finished a short novel, a couple novellas, and 3 short stories. Right now I’m about 2/3 done with a short novel; it’s at 32K words at this point. I hope everyone else has made progress on their works. Best of luck for a good end to the year! |
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Post by writeway on Dec 5, 2019 23:03:30 GMT
I understand exactly what you mean writeway . I felt that exact same way with MindSplitter whenever I would try and edit it. I also am glad I didn't publish it prematurely. I've done the publish prematurely thing before and it's not a good idea. Well done on figuring out the problem, listening to your gut, and starting work on a better book! Hmm, where do I start? Okay, I am wrapping up a series. I wrote this book about a year ago and let it sit. This is the last book in my series and I will release it in January. Well, the reason it's taking me so long is between other projects, I found it so hard to edit this one this time for months. Every time I would sit down to edit it, I'd procrastinate and it actually felt like agony to deal with it. Something just wasn't right. I wasn't excited like I usually am and I started to dread even looking at it. It wasn't that I didn't like the story but it was like something inside was trying to tell me something. Well, I finally figured out what the problem was and maybe I didn't want to admit it. I had to do a rewrite. I mean, if I'm not interested in the book how can I expect the readers to be? ? And this is a great series and readers have enjoyed it so I don't want the last book to be a drag. I wanna finish the series with a bang. Deep in my soul I wasn't satisfied and my instinct was telling me this by causing me to lose interest. The thing is, I am fine with about 50% of the book but I had to rewrite everything else and you know what...I'M LOVING IT! I am really enjoying this rewrite and so glad I did it. It's made the book SO much better and I'm glad I waited a year to release it because had I released it close to when I wrote it, I might not have picked up on how I could make it better. It was "good" but I wanted it to be "great", especially for the last book. I didn't want to disappoint anyone and it was bugging me as to why I'd lost interest in it. Yep, that good old instinct never fails. When something feels weird with your writing, pay attention to that feeling! Thanks so much, K! It is a horrible feeling to go through that. To not be inspired by something you wrote and not know why is maddening. At the time I thought the story was good but after going back to it, except for half of it, I didn't have that "feeling". Only other writers can understand how torturous it is to want to work on something but have your subconscious stop you. That drives you crazy then trying to figure out WHY makes you even crazier. LOL! I am so glad I am over it and I am really loving the rewrites and am proud to be presenting the best book I can. |
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Post by Jeff Tanyard on Dec 9, 2019 7:13:36 GMT
Finished the second draft of the current work in progress. Will start the third and final draft soon.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Dec 11, 2019 2:37:57 GMT
Finished the second draft of the current work in progress. Will start the third and final draft soon. Great job!!!! Do you have a favorite draft number? Like are you happiest at first draft level when you're writing everything down and reading it for the first time? Or do you feel happier at the second draft because there's less pressure and you enjoy making the words pretty? Or is the third draft the best because it's mostly checking for typos and you know you're almost done? Or...? |
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Post by Jeff Tanyard on Dec 11, 2019 9:45:47 GMT
Finished the second draft of the current work in progress. Will start the third and final draft soon. Great job!!!!
Thanks.
None of the above. I don't like writing at all. I like having written. For me, it's a craft, not an art, like building a piece of furniture.
There is one exception, though, and that's when I come across really emotional moments during revision. Then I get all teary and snotty like Joan Wilder at the beginning of Romancing the Stone. Those moments let me know I hit the mark, or at least got real close, so that's nice.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Dec 12, 2019 17:20:24 GMT
Jeff Tanyard having written is the bestest feeling! I usually enjoy the actual writing, but I always think that I don't and dread it before I start. And I hate, hate, hate editing. It's the worst thing in the entire world. Well, not really. But I don't enjoy the process at all. (shakes head fervently)
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Jan 7, 2020 23:50:27 GMT
I have published 3 shorts so far this year. My low goal is 52 shorts for the year. Last year I only did 8, and it was the same number in 2018, but actually 7, while in 2017 I published 15 shorts, and that was my best year to date. So I need to surpass 2017 in 2020, hence my 52 shorts goal. In theory it's easy peasy. I have the hardest time sticking with plans. I am the worst plan-sticker-to'er in the world. But if I can overcome that fault, then I should be able to do it. My failure-but-still-a-success alternate plan is 16 shorts, which will still technically be better than 2017. But that would be really pathetic, so hope I don't try and weasel out on that technicality. 365 shorts is my crazy never gonna goal unless I did like a shit ton of bundles. But seriously 52 is the answer. $500 is my dollar amount goal, but I can't really control that, 52 is what I can control, so it is still the answer. I should write a short called "52". *adds to list* |
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Post by robertlcollins on Jan 8, 2020 14:36:35 GMT
Once again I fell down on posting in this thread... In the middle of the month I finished another short novel, that came in at 41K words. On New Years’ Day I finished another work that ended up being 27K words. I took a couple days off, and this week I’ve started a new work. As for the year, if my math is right, I wrote about 725K words. It’s a strong increase from 2018, and double what I was doing a few years ago. It feels like my schedule of 3 sessions a day, M-F, is making me more productive. The sessions are feeding each other. Yet not doing more, and doing 5 days a week instead of 6, is giving me time to recharge. I haven’t needed the long breaks between major projects that I used to have to take. A day or two and I’m good. I can’t speak to anyone else, but it seems to be working for me. As for this year, I have some short stories I want to write, then two longer projects plotted out, with maybe few more after that. I’m also restarting my email newsletter. I’m also going to publish a lot, mainly so years won’t pass between releases of my current and upcoming series. I hear readers don’t like that. I know I don’t. Hoping for the best for all of you! |
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Post by robertlcollins on Jan 22, 2020 23:25:22 GMT
I finished another book today. It ended up being a short novel, coming in at 48K words. Longer than I thought it was going to be when I started. I plan to take a day or two to plot out some longer projects, then I’m going to start in on some short stories.
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Post by thatwritergal on Jan 29, 2020 22:38:00 GMT
Checking in. We just had a rapid rush move so I got off my focus and am still trying to get back on board. I'm working on shorter works so it won't take me super long to start and finish a project. Not sure if I'll be able to sell much but for now I'm just focusing on building a catalog of new works before I worry about publishing, marketing and all that jazz.
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Feb 2, 2020 20:18:12 GMT
Checking in. We just had a rapid rush move so I got off my focus and am still trying to get back on board. I'm working on shorter works so it won't take me super long to start and finish a project. Not sure if I'll be able to sell much but for now I'm just focusing on building a catalog of new works before I worry about publishing, marketing and all that jazz. The money is in the backlist, so good plan! Moving can be quite distracting. I don’t blame you for losing focus for a while. But hurraaays for fighting back! |
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Post by Jeff Tanyard on Feb 14, 2020 5:53:55 GMT
I published a book.
Should be live within the next few days except, possibly, at Kobo. They're glitchy at the moment. I couldn't upload a cover, so I didn't publish there. Hopefully they'll get things sorted out soon.
Anyway, this means I'm past the halfway point in the series. Three books to go...
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Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Feb 14, 2020 6:42:04 GMT
I published a book. Should be live within the next few days except, possibly, at Kobo. They're glitchy at the moment. I couldn't upload a cover, so I didn't publish there. Hopefully they'll get things sorted out soon. Anyway, this means I'm past the halfway point in the series. Three books to go...
Splendid job. Congrats on publishing. I have never gone direct to Kobo, so can't help with the cover. Hope they get that sorted for you. I still can't figure out paperback covers on KDP. But well done on accomplishing things and finishing goals, passing milestones, and being a writing role model for all us sluggards and slackoffs. |
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Post by Jeff Tanyard on Feb 14, 2020 9:36:25 GMT
I published a book. Should be live within the next few days except, possibly, at Kobo. They're glitchy at the moment. I couldn't upload a cover, so I didn't publish there. Hopefully they'll get things sorted out soon. Anyway, this means I'm past the halfway point in the series. Three books to go...
Splendid job. Congrats on publishing. I have never gone direct to Kobo, so can't help with the cover. Hope they get that sorted for you. I still can't figure out paperback covers on KDP. But well done on accomplishing things and finishing goals, passing milestones, and being a writing role model for all us sluggards and slackoffs.
Thanks. I'm too slow to be considered a "writing role model," but I'll take the praise just the same. 
As for the glitch, it's resolved. I was going to contact Kobo about it, but I figured I'd give it another try first. This time, the covers were there and I was able to upload one for the new book. Everything should be cool now. I don't know if the code gremlin was on my end or theirs, but it seems to have disappeared either way.
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? And this is a great series and readers have enjoyed it so I don't want the last book to be a drag. I wanna finish the series with a bang. Deep in my soul I wasn't satisfied and my instinct was telling me this by causing me to lose interest. The thing is, I am fine with about 50% of the book but I had to rewrite everything else and you know what...I'M LOVING IT! I am really enjoying this rewrite and so glad I did it. It's made the book SO much better and I'm glad I waited a year to release it because had I released it close to when I wrote it, I might not have picked up on how I could make it better. It was "good" but I wanted it to be "great", especially for the last book. I didn't want to disappoint anyone and it was bugging me as to why I'd lost interest in it.
