Hey guys! Well, less than half a month to go to NaNoWriMo. Fun times!
I've pretty much given up on getting The Ram completely finished by then, so I'm basically gonna get as much done as I can beforehand, and use some of my words to completely finish it up. And then I'll start the last in the trilogy with the rest of my words!
Since it was a couple years ago now, I bet y'all didn't know that I made a mock book trailer for The Rook! You can view it here. I'm not a master movie maker, but I'm rather proud of it, haha. Mock book trailers were very in that year.
I tried making one for The Ram, but it fell short. Just didn't happen. This year, however, I managed to scrape together one for the last in the trilogy! I'm not sure anyone's noticed, but I haven't actually said the last title in the trilogy yet. But since it's nanowrimo season, since it's coming closer, and since I have a trailer for it, may as well toss it out to the internet.
The last title in The Rook series is "The Owl"! And you can view its trailer here. I used the same song as The Rook's trailer, but with different parts, and sort of the same overall theme. Because it's what I do and I like matching things.
I'll still throw up an actual preparations post closer to november, but I thought I'd share those little things first. :> Though please, be aware of some minor spoilers, mostly by implication (and don't you dare pause that trailer during the words part! :c). That's also the reason why I kept the title under wraps. Because title characters are important.
Showing posts with label the rook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the rook. Show all posts
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Why You Ought To Own The Rook
Or: A Tale of How Not To Market Your Book
I'm giving this marketing thing a try, because the most I ever do to advertise any of my writing is leave a link here or there. That and tell my friends to tell their friends. Not sure how well that's working out, actually (but it is a sound method! just don't let it be your only method).
To get your book, your name, your title, what have you, to get your thing out there, you have to have a certain amount of confidence and aggression about it. Don't be afraid of being annoying. Post in forums if you wanna maintain some anonymity or reach a ton of strangers. It's not a great technique, but who knows? You could snag a couple readers here and there. (I think that's one of the important things. Getting readers where you can. They may come from unexpected sources - trust me, I don't want my grandma to read The Rook but she liked it anyway - but always encourage them.) Everyone else is trolling forums with links and pictures and posts, anyway, so why not add to all the noise?
I mean, everyone knows the basics. Tell your friends. Tell your classmates. Tell your family. Tell your in-laws. Tell your pets. Tell your study buddies, babysitter, children, teachers, bosses, coworkers, underlings, facebook creepers, and twitter followers. Throw yourself and your book out there! You may get criticized for it, and you may get ignored. But you may also get praised and drum up some readership. ...Actually, maybe not the facebook creepers. They probably already know about your book, anyway.
Tell all those aforementioned people to tell their friends and family and coworkers and who knows who else! Six degrees of separation, my skittens. Foist your book upon enough people and it may just sit in J.K. Rowling's library one day. Or Suzanne Collins'. Or Stephen King's. Or Stephanie Meyer's. (By the by, how do you think they got famous? Besides having known names and really kickass agents, I'm guessing. They get their books out there! With help, granted, but who's to say you can't get help, too?)
It also depends on how your book is put forth, too. A book that is only available online would have to be marketed a bit different than a book that you could go down to a bookstore (not borders! /cry) and pick up off the shelf. And yes, it is slightly embarrassing to tell people that no, you can't buy your book at a bookstore. Don't you know what self-publishing is? Only online, grandma. Just have mom buy it for you.
I am far from a marketing, writing, publishing, anything guru. Far from it. But perhaps, that lets me be a little more helpful. I've stumbled through this, just like I bet a lot of you have or will. I'm not making beaucoup bucks off my writing. I'm still doing this not as a career. So I could probably help people with what little I know, right? At the very least, it can be a place to start. So, skitty, where do we start? You start BEFORE the book is done. (Or even written.)
But - wait - why then? I'm still busy writing the damned thing! I don't have time to tell people to buy it when it's not even done yet!
Good points! But it doesn't mean you can't drum up interest and anticipation. If you're using NaNoWriMo as a kickstart to your novel, for example, utilize the forums there! Fill out your author profile and fill in tons about your book. If nothing else, random strangers trolling around the site would be able to see a snippet and/or a quick synopsis. On the internet, you can't really control who can and can't see your public information, so why not just let it be? Throw it out there and get it to as many anons as possible! Link people to your NaNoWriMo profile. I've found that a LOT of people misunderstand what it's actually about, but they can see a summary, an excerpt, and that handy little progress bar. What more do they need? They don't have to understand it to cheerlead for you.
The internet age is a grand one, but it does have its downfalls. Then again, use it, too! Use all the world to your advantage! Facebook and Twitter (or google+, or myspace, or tumblr, or livejournal, whatever your cup of tea is!) are great ways to get your book out to a lot of people with not a whole lot of effort. Sure, you lose the ability to individually tailor your sell to each person, but it's all about snagging a couple readers wherever you can get them. Post links to your facebook profile! Pimp it out in your twitter! Don't ignore these easy marketing ploys. Really. Don't be like me and be embarrassed about your writing; you will get nowhere with that attitude. (And don't be like me and resist posting on facebook because of that one person who you don't want to read your writing.)
Where else do you frequent on the internet? What other big forums that are fairly creativity-friendly do you check in on daily? It doesn't have to be a writing site, although those are generally more sympathetic to your plans. (But remember, they're also out there to promote their own writing too, half the time. Sometimes, it's a good idea to trade - you read mine, I'll read yours - but not for everyone.) FictionPress.com, FanFiction.net, LiveJournal, TvTropes (although be VERY careful in perusing that site. or not. I'll see you in a week.), and even more art-centric sites like deviantArt and tumblr are also pretty easy ways to drum up some interest. Post a link to your book as your 'homepage'. Put links in your journals, profiles, whatever is available and freely available to the public. The internet is a vast series of tubes, and those tubes are full of cats, but they could also be full of your story. Just so long as you don't push out the cats. I like them.
Now, onto non-internet-related ways to market your new book. Friends and family are invaluable here. Personally, my mom has been a huge help. She's been helping to sell books to just about anyone she knows, and she does it with no small amount of massively embarrassing pride. Relatives are also good targets! Remember, they're your kin. Guilt them into it if you have to. But use them! Tell them to recommend it to friends and coworkers.
Want to know a surprising gift from getting relatives to read it? New audiences. My aunt read my book, and she happens to be a teacher. Now it seems like several german classes in Douglas, Wyoming are quite enamored with my book. Use that sort of thing! Teachers, nurses, students, accountants - there are lots of careers these days that connect you to a lot of people. Use that! You don't have to thrust the book in their face, but just a mention. "Oh, my cousin wrote a book... I just got done reading it..." They don't even have to like it to help you, really.
There are perks to where you live, of course. And people you know, or people your close friends and family members know. Don't waste these, either. I come from a pretty unpopulated neck of the woods, and it seems as if my family has been around here since the dark ages. There are two small towns in this state I can't go to without tripping over distant relatives or neighbors. This is a great way to get the word out there, too! Yes, these are miniscule towns that you will never find on any map, probably. But they're people. They're potential readers. And they have friends and family outside that little town, too, I'm betting. It's like a spider web.
Speaking of local politics and how you can work them to your advantage, if you come from a smaller town, use this to your advantage as well! After all, it's not every day they get a brand new author in their midst. Contact the local newspaper, see if you can get an article. Donate a copy or two to the local library. (That's another thing - you may not always make money off of your books. But getting your name out there is just as important. ESPECIALLY if you plan on continuing writing.) If you can get an interview on the local news, all the more power to you! (Note: I did not do any of these things except donations to several libraries. I am shy, and it sucks, especially since a couple of these were offered. Do NOT let your shyness get hold of you! You are amazing and talented and you just wrote a book! Let the world know!)
So now that I've offered some pretty common sense and basic advice, I'll just end Part One here. The second part will mostly be me trying (and failing, most likely! :D) to write a good "sell" for The Rook. Think of it more as an example than anything else. ...Unless, you know, you'd want to buy it. Because that would totally be cool, too.
I'm giving this marketing thing a try, because the most I ever do to advertise any of my writing is leave a link here or there. That and tell my friends to tell their friends. Not sure how well that's working out, actually (but it is a sound method! just don't let it be your only method).
To get your book, your name, your title, what have you, to get your thing out there, you have to have a certain amount of confidence and aggression about it. Don't be afraid of being annoying. Post in forums if you wanna maintain some anonymity or reach a ton of strangers. It's not a great technique, but who knows? You could snag a couple readers here and there. (I think that's one of the important things. Getting readers where you can. They may come from unexpected sources - trust me, I don't want my grandma to read The Rook but she liked it anyway - but always encourage them.) Everyone else is trolling forums with links and pictures and posts, anyway, so why not add to all the noise?
I mean, everyone knows the basics. Tell your friends. Tell your classmates. Tell your family. Tell your in-laws. Tell your pets. Tell your study buddies, babysitter, children, teachers, bosses, coworkers, underlings, facebook creepers, and twitter followers. Throw yourself and your book out there! You may get criticized for it, and you may get ignored. But you may also get praised and drum up some readership. ...Actually, maybe not the facebook creepers. They probably already know about your book, anyway.
Tell all those aforementioned people to tell their friends and family and coworkers and who knows who else! Six degrees of separation, my skittens. Foist your book upon enough people and it may just sit in J.K. Rowling's library one day. Or Suzanne Collins'. Or Stephen King's. Or Stephanie Meyer's. (By the by, how do you think they got famous? Besides having known names and really kickass agents, I'm guessing. They get their books out there! With help, granted, but who's to say you can't get help, too?)
It also depends on how your book is put forth, too. A book that is only available online would have to be marketed a bit different than a book that you could go down to a bookstore (not borders! /cry) and pick up off the shelf. And yes, it is slightly embarrassing to tell people that no, you can't buy your book at a bookstore. Don't you know what self-publishing is? Only online, grandma. Just have mom buy it for you.
I am far from a marketing, writing, publishing, anything guru. Far from it. But perhaps, that lets me be a little more helpful. I've stumbled through this, just like I bet a lot of you have or will. I'm not making beaucoup bucks off my writing. I'm still doing this not as a career. So I could probably help people with what little I know, right? At the very least, it can be a place to start. So, skitty, where do we start? You start BEFORE the book is done. (Or even written.)
But - wait - why then? I'm still busy writing the damned thing! I don't have time to tell people to buy it when it's not even done yet!
Good points! But it doesn't mean you can't drum up interest and anticipation. If you're using NaNoWriMo as a kickstart to your novel, for example, utilize the forums there! Fill out your author profile and fill in tons about your book. If nothing else, random strangers trolling around the site would be able to see a snippet and/or a quick synopsis. On the internet, you can't really control who can and can't see your public information, so why not just let it be? Throw it out there and get it to as many anons as possible! Link people to your NaNoWriMo profile. I've found that a LOT of people misunderstand what it's actually about, but they can see a summary, an excerpt, and that handy little progress bar. What more do they need? They don't have to understand it to cheerlead for you.
The internet age is a grand one, but it does have its downfalls. Then again, use it, too! Use all the world to your advantage! Facebook and Twitter (or google+, or myspace, or tumblr, or livejournal, whatever your cup of tea is!) are great ways to get your book out to a lot of people with not a whole lot of effort. Sure, you lose the ability to individually tailor your sell to each person, but it's all about snagging a couple readers wherever you can get them. Post links to your facebook profile! Pimp it out in your twitter! Don't ignore these easy marketing ploys. Really. Don't be like me and be embarrassed about your writing; you will get nowhere with that attitude. (And don't be like me and resist posting on facebook because of that one person who you don't want to read your writing.)
Where else do you frequent on the internet? What other big forums that are fairly creativity-friendly do you check in on daily? It doesn't have to be a writing site, although those are generally more sympathetic to your plans. (But remember, they're also out there to promote their own writing too, half the time. Sometimes, it's a good idea to trade - you read mine, I'll read yours - but not for everyone.) FictionPress.com, FanFiction.net, LiveJournal, TvTropes (although be VERY careful in perusing that site. or not. I'll see you in a week.), and even more art-centric sites like deviantArt and tumblr are also pretty easy ways to drum up some interest. Post a link to your book as your 'homepage'. Put links in your journals, profiles, whatever is available and freely available to the public. The internet is a vast series of tubes, and those tubes are full of cats, but they could also be full of your story. Just so long as you don't push out the cats. I like them.
Now, onto non-internet-related ways to market your new book. Friends and family are invaluable here. Personally, my mom has been a huge help. She's been helping to sell books to just about anyone she knows, and she does it with no small amount of massively embarrassing pride. Relatives are also good targets! Remember, they're your kin. Guilt them into it if you have to. But use them! Tell them to recommend it to friends and coworkers.
Want to know a surprising gift from getting relatives to read it? New audiences. My aunt read my book, and she happens to be a teacher. Now it seems like several german classes in Douglas, Wyoming are quite enamored with my book. Use that sort of thing! Teachers, nurses, students, accountants - there are lots of careers these days that connect you to a lot of people. Use that! You don't have to thrust the book in their face, but just a mention. "Oh, my cousin wrote a book... I just got done reading it..." They don't even have to like it to help you, really.
There are perks to where you live, of course. And people you know, or people your close friends and family members know. Don't waste these, either. I come from a pretty unpopulated neck of the woods, and it seems as if my family has been around here since the dark ages. There are two small towns in this state I can't go to without tripping over distant relatives or neighbors. This is a great way to get the word out there, too! Yes, these are miniscule towns that you will never find on any map, probably. But they're people. They're potential readers. And they have friends and family outside that little town, too, I'm betting. It's like a spider web.
Speaking of local politics and how you can work them to your advantage, if you come from a smaller town, use this to your advantage as well! After all, it's not every day they get a brand new author in their midst. Contact the local newspaper, see if you can get an article. Donate a copy or two to the local library. (That's another thing - you may not always make money off of your books. But getting your name out there is just as important. ESPECIALLY if you plan on continuing writing.) If you can get an interview on the local news, all the more power to you! (Note: I did not do any of these things except donations to several libraries. I am shy, and it sucks, especially since a couple of these were offered. Do NOT let your shyness get hold of you! You are amazing and talented and you just wrote a book! Let the world know!)
So now that I've offered some pretty common sense and basic advice, I'll just end Part One here. The second part will mostly be me trying (and failing, most likely! :D) to write a good "sell" for The Rook. Think of it more as an example than anything else. ...Unless, you know, you'd want to buy it. Because that would totally be cool, too.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
and even though she's dreaming she's unlocked the meaning
Here's some random and generally useless information! :D But fun.
RMWJ:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: Tyron or Ree (hopefully)
Actual Favorite Character To Write: n/a
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: Scott or Ororin
Actual Least Favorite To Write: n/a
Pedestal:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: NamNar, I think?
Actual Favorite Character To Write: it varies between NamNar, Kostya, Nick, Harlan...
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: I can't remember. Hanna?
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Benjamin, you little shit.
WHIPLASH!:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: Sonya
Actual Favorite Character To Write: Sonya, Nathan, Maria, Lenore when she's angsty
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: Allen
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Lenore when she's pissy
The Rook series:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: the Rook
Actual Favorite Character To Write: the Ram
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: I can't remember...
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Tuesday, the Rabbit, it varies
I'm mostly just still on a RMWJ hype, haha. Trying to push through the first chapter while knowing nothing about geography and few official names.
So here's some fun facts about RMWJ and its cast so far:
+I think the story starts in August, which means that Ree's birthday is in September.
+I will not be capitalizing 'pokemon' or the species names in this story.
+Maya is two years younger than Ree.
+I have entertained the thought that Mister Snivy Whiplash will be mute, but haven't decided either way.
+I'm not sure whether to rate this as T or M on fanfiction.net.
+Ree owns metallic purple lingerie.
+Scott likes singing and will call her to sing several times throughout the story.
+I haven't worked out a precise timeline yet, only faint concepts of who arrives when.
+Each chapter title will match; they will all be "Of _______". Some ideas that will probably be used: "Of Failed Tests", "Of Silver And Gold".
+Ree is my second tallest female character, behind Lenore (naturally).
+References to Pedestal - mostly through references to the state Sinnoh is in - will be made.
+Other characters so far include: Ty (Tyron), Perdido (alias), Maya, Scott, Unika, Marcella, Andy, Harry, Ororin, and probably more as I come up with them.
+This story will be written on a time limit, which I am not comfortable in it. Not in a time limit in real life, but in-story (which makes it worse); Ree decides to get all eight badges in under a year.
+Ree, unlike most trainers, will probably end up being very rich. She starts off fairly rich due to working in various ways since she was ten (mostly babysitting at first), and wins a lot of her battles through sheer ferocity.
RMWJ:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: Tyron or Ree (hopefully)
Actual Favorite Character To Write: n/a
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: Scott or Ororin
Actual Least Favorite To Write: n/a
Pedestal:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: NamNar, I think?
Actual Favorite Character To Write: it varies between NamNar, Kostya, Nick, Harlan...
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: I can't remember. Hanna?
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Benjamin, you little shit.
WHIPLASH!:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: Sonya
Actual Favorite Character To Write: Sonya, Nathan, Maria, Lenore when she's angsty
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: Allen
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Lenore when she's pissy
The Rook series:
Predicted Favorite Character To Write: the Rook
Actual Favorite Character To Write: the Ram
Predicted Least Favorite To Write: I can't remember...
Actual Least Favorite To Write: Tuesday, the Rabbit, it varies
I'm mostly just still on a RMWJ hype, haha. Trying to push through the first chapter while knowing nothing about geography and few official names.
So here's some fun facts about RMWJ and its cast so far:
+I think the story starts in August, which means that Ree's birthday is in September.
+I will not be capitalizing 'pokemon' or the species names in this story.
+Maya is two years younger than Ree.
+I have entertained the thought that Mister Snivy Whiplash will be mute, but haven't decided either way.
+I'm not sure whether to rate this as T or M on fanfiction.net.
+Ree owns metallic purple lingerie.
+Scott likes singing and will call her to sing several times throughout the story.
+I haven't worked out a precise timeline yet, only faint concepts of who arrives when.
+Each chapter title will match; they will all be "Of _______". Some ideas that will probably be used: "Of Failed Tests", "Of Silver And Gold".
+Ree is my second tallest female character, behind Lenore (naturally).
+References to Pedestal - mostly through references to the state Sinnoh is in - will be made.
+Other characters so far include: Ty (Tyron), Perdido (alias), Maya, Scott, Unika, Marcella, Andy, Harry, Ororin, and probably more as I come up with them.
+This story will be written on a time limit, which I am not comfortable in it. Not in a time limit in real life, but in-story (which makes it worse); Ree decides to get all eight badges in under a year.
+Ree, unlike most trainers, will probably end up being very rich. She starts off fairly rich due to working in various ways since she was ten (mostly babysitting at first), and wins a lot of her battles through sheer ferocity.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
praise to my father blessed by the water black night dark sky the devils cry
In addition to still wanting to in-character text with someone (*stares hard at MundaneJester*), very suddenly, I want to write smut. Which I have never actually written before. Moreover, I am still deciding between my Rook and Ram or Nate & Allen. (Also if anyone else other than me ever calls him Nate I will punch you in the balls.) So I'm currently discussing why my writing gland suddenly wants to do this.
And now for some fun ideas we're throwing around!
+hate sex (RR)
+drunkenness (sort of a given for NA)
+michael!verse vs. tuesday!verse
...and that's about it. I guess we're going with Rook & Ram first, hate sex, michael!verse (aka the first book).
I have no idea about the actual smut part, but surely writing different genres and different things is good for you, right? Right? (and lord knows I need practice on romance. ...if this can even be called that.)
And now for some fun ideas we're throwing around!
+hate sex (RR)
+drunkenness (sort of a given for NA)
+michael!verse vs. tuesday!verse
...and that's about it. I guess we're going with Rook & Ram first, hate sex, michael!verse (aka the first book).
I have no idea about the actual smut part, but surely writing different genres and different things is good for you, right? Right? (and lord knows I need practice on romance. ...if this can even be called that.)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
power is not what he craves my friend it's just a means to his electro end
There are upsides to being sick! Who knew!
Upside 1: I finished proofing The Rook, updated it on createspace, and sent away for the finalized proof. I got the email notification saying they shipped it today, so in a couple days, I'll have it, and then I'll look over it once more (look over, not read) to make sure there are no spacing errors or anything. And then. Sale. aka the phase where I'm all like "GIVE ME YO MONEY HO" and beat people with my pimp cane.
Apparently a couple of my readers are making posters to hang up in their school, and quite a few have recommended it to their friends. ;w; This is so touching, guys.Now if only you were that cool with WHIPLASH!. But no, seriously, you guys are great, fantastic, wonderful.
Upside 2: Writing time! This is actually because I have missed three days of work now (and I'll probably miss part/all of tomorrow too, due to an appointment), but still. It gave me time to finish up with TR, mess around a tiny bit with WHIPLASH!, and write almost two chapters of Pedestal thus far. I hope to make a buffer again, even if it's just one chapter. It'll help tremendously. Plus it seems like the plot is moving ahead speedily now, especially since I only have one more planned competition and then the end. How does that work? Well, just watch and find out. Er, read. You know what I mean.
Oh, I also already pimped this out in the Pedestal-TeamAwesome group on deviantArt, but Pedestal has a tvtropes page. It makes me lol hardcore and is definitely something every pedestal reader should check out.
I was also playing chess the other evening with my brother, and we named all of the pieces after characters in The Rook. Dorky, but fun.
Rook = the Rook.
Bishop = the Rabbit.
Knight = the Mockingbird.
King = the Owl.
Queen = the Ram.
Pawns = the humans. All little Tuesdays and Michaels and Stephens and Silvermins.
Skitty out.
Upside 1: I finished proofing The Rook, updated it on createspace, and sent away for the finalized proof. I got the email notification saying they shipped it today, so in a couple days, I'll have it, and then I'll look over it once more (look over, not read) to make sure there are no spacing errors or anything. And then. Sale. aka the phase where I'm all like "GIVE ME YO MONEY HO" and beat people with my pimp cane.
Apparently a couple of my readers are making posters to hang up in their school, and quite a few have recommended it to their friends. ;w; This is so touching, guys.
Upside 2: Writing time! This is actually because I have missed three days of work now (and I'll probably miss part/all of tomorrow too, due to an appointment), but still. It gave me time to finish up with TR, mess around a tiny bit with WHIPLASH!, and write almost two chapters of Pedestal thus far. I hope to make a buffer again, even if it's just one chapter. It'll help tremendously. Plus it seems like the plot is moving ahead speedily now, especially since I only have one more planned competition and then the end. How does that work? Well, just watch and find out. Er, read. You know what I mean.
Oh, I also already pimped this out in the Pedestal-TeamAwesome group on deviantArt, but Pedestal has a tvtropes page. It makes me lol hardcore and is definitely something every pedestal reader should check out.
I was also playing chess the other evening with my brother, and we named all of the pieces after characters in The Rook. Dorky, but fun.
Rook = the Rook.
Bishop = the Rabbit.
Knight = the Mockingbird.
King = the Owl.
Queen = the Ram.
Pawns = the humans. All little Tuesdays and Michaels and Stephens and Silvermins.
Skitty out.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
waterloo i was defeated you won the war
It looks like Lanne is going to be the next country to get a "story" thing here, which'll be fun, since it's the country I have the most figured out about, aside from Sovine. XD It won't be this post, but it should be the next one.
So I've gotten an xbox for all those who don't already know, and it's been eating up my time. It's not as if WHIPLASH! is gone from my mind - far from it. All this has created is doodles of Nathan and Allen in assassin "uniforms" running around and doing stuff. Oddly enough, expect a couple comics featuring various WHIPLASH! characters to things to ABBA songs. (seriously, go listen to "Does Your Mother Know" and try not to think of Sonya.)
I also keep meaning to do a Get Down thing for Pedestal. SHHHH DON'T TELL ANYONE IT'S A SECRET.
So basically the point of this was to inform my writing-blog-readers of three things: Lanne will be the next country up, I am distracted by video games, and I am sending The Rook back for one last proof. I'm slowly working through it, though, and it shouldn't be too much longer. D: It's just going a little more slowly with le work. *le sigh*
So I've gotten an xbox for all those who don't already know, and it's been eating up my time. It's not as if WHIPLASH! is gone from my mind - far from it. All this has created is doodles of Nathan and Allen in assassin "uniforms" running around and doing stuff. Oddly enough, expect a couple comics featuring various WHIPLASH! characters to things to ABBA songs. (seriously, go listen to "Does Your Mother Know" and try not to think of Sonya.)
I also keep meaning to do a Get Down thing for Pedestal. SHHHH DON'T TELL ANYONE IT'S A SECRET.
So basically the point of this was to inform my writing-blog-readers of three things: Lanne will be the next country up, I am distracted by video games, and I am sending The Rook back for one last proof. I'm slowly working through it, though, and it shouldn't be too much longer. D: It's just going a little more slowly with le work. *le sigh*
Saturday, June 12, 2010
friday night it's time to party drop it down and get real naughty
OH MY GOD YOU GUYS.
I GOT MY PROOF OF THE ROOK TODAY.
I GOT MY PROOF OF THE ROOK TODAY.
Monday, June 07, 2010
you lie silent there before me your tears they mean nothing to me
Okay last time I tried writing this post blogger decided to shut down, so second try go!
Submitted The Rook for the proof copy yesterday, got an email saying they shipped it today. It shouldn't take that long to get here then! Wolfie gave me a no-go on the picture, so it's a text-only cover. Le sigh. Oh well, can't win 'em all. This series will just be text covers. (WHIPLASH!, on the other hand... since my plan for the cover doesn't necessarily entail models, I can handle it on my own.) So in a couple weeks, The Rook will be available for purchase! Oh yay! :D!
I'll pimp it out more once it's actually all finalized, but yeah. I'm excited. GIMME YOUR MONEY PLZKTHX
Submitted The Rook for the proof copy yesterday, got an email saying they shipped it today. It shouldn't take that long to get here then! Wolfie gave me a no-go on the picture, so it's a text-only cover. Le sigh. Oh well, can't win 'em all. This series will just be text covers. (WHIPLASH!, on the other hand... since my plan for the cover doesn't necessarily entail models, I can handle it on my own.) So in a couple weeks, The Rook will be available for purchase! Oh yay! :D!
I'll pimp it out more once it's actually all finalized, but yeah. I'm excited. GIMME YOUR MONEY PLZKTHX
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
you know what i don't hate?
I made a little comic about Sonya - and, by extension, the Rabbit and Nathan - today as a random request. X3 Here is the first part, out of four. Just a sugary sweet little thing that shows a bit about Sonya's psyche and her and Nate's relationship.
I haven't written in forevah though. D: This makes me a sad, sad Skitty. INSPIRATION, COME BACK TO ME. In a couple years, I might write an epic, epic novel, but as it is, right now, I cannot. >w> Top-secret project though. If it gets pulled off (and I don't die for it), it'll be spectacular.
Tonight, I will write WHIPLASH! if it kills me. If it kills me.
Wolfie will also (very hopefully) have my picture done by the end of this week! *fingers crossed* OH GOD. This would mean that I could potentially get The Rook off to publishing this weekend. This weekend. *insert hyperventilation here*
I haven't written in forevah though. D: This makes me a sad, sad Skitty. INSPIRATION, COME BACK TO ME. In a couple years, I might write an epic, epic novel, but as it is, right now, I cannot. >w> Top-secret project though. If it gets pulled off (and I don't die for it), it'll be spectacular.
Tonight, I will write WHIPLASH! if it kills me. If it kills me.
Wolfie will also (very hopefully) have my picture done by the end of this week! *fingers crossed* OH GOD. This would mean that I could potentially get The Rook off to publishing this weekend. This weekend. *insert hyperventilation here*
Thursday, May 06, 2010
this world is just illusion always trying to change you
Got done with chapter 6 of WHIPLASH!, woo. Sorta neglected Pedestal in order to do so oh well. >A> Pedestal's almost done, and WHIPLASH! is just starting... So I guess logically speaking I should concentrate on Pedestal more so I can wrap it up and move on with my life, right? BUT SINCE WHEN DO I FOLLOW LOGIC.
In other news, after watching parts of The Talented Mr. Ripley, I decided to agree with my mother in the fact that Jude Law would be better cast as the Ram, not the Rook. He even has the accent to boot. (Though the Ram's is very slight and comes and goes.)
I really should work on The Ram at some point. This year's NaNo anyone? It'll definitely wait until after Pedestal though; two stories has me straining as it is.
Maria is slowly turning into a fan favorite, too, which makes me lol. XD; She's such a minor character but I'm thinking she should become more major. If only for the interactions.
Here's some fun facts that I wish I could work into stories but I'm not sure how I'll be able to:
+Annie Delgado, Maria's "sort of" sister-in-law, is "sort of" because her hubby and Maria's bro died. After Annie started fooling around with other men, most of the family basically disowned her, though she kept his last name. (yes, she's currently screwing Chad Coley. that's why they repeatedly look so disheveled; sex hair ftw! Nathan will catch onto this eventually.)
+I think Jack Gallagher x Maria Delgado is so canon I don't even. They're well suited in a weird way.
+Though the Mockingbird and the Owl are basically joined at the hip, I can't see any sort of romance between them. Huh. Platonic relationships ftw! It's not used nearly enough in literature these days.
+Inven are traditionally female and Tego are traditionally male. There is no real rule for this, except societal pressure and, well, tradition. Inven are trained and recruited younger (especially lately), and girls, who are more mature at that point, are encouraged to join up. Boys, who are less mature, figure they'll hold out for the 'real' training - Tego training. Of course there are (notable) exceptions like Emil and Sara Grace.
+Tego do not normally become snipers, just because their jobs are so physical and usually close-range. Still, because of their physical disadvantage, it's a popular route to take for female Tego. Maria and Talli Johnson (the Tego who went missing on the first mission) are both trained as snipers, though Talli also trained with a .22 rifle in closer range fighting as well. Maria, if pressed to fight close combat, will simply hit people with her rifle like it's a baseball bat. She also is known for kicking men between the legs.
+Allen is the only Tego ever to have trained so... evenly. There have been others to specialize in more than one area, but he tried his damnedest to get pro at everything. He obviously has strengths and weaknesses, but otherwise, he did a damn fine job at it. Even though his test scores suffered terribly and resulted in a pretty sad class ranking.
+Lenore is currently the oldest active Inven. I'm not sure how old she actually is, though. She was recruited back in the day when Inven were recruited older - before they figured out the hazards of connecting the nivedidus so late - so she joined probably around the age of fifteen and went onto the battlefield at sixteen or seventeen. (as opposed to Sonya getting chucked onto the battlefield at the tender age of twelve)
+Tego training has gone through very little changes, though, especially dealing with ages. It's been pretty much the same, though initially, simple soldiers were sent out to protect the Inven. As the project evolved, Tego were created with that exact purpose in mind.
+Tego have to be skilled in one form of hand-to-hand combat, one melee weapon if I may borrow the term from video games, and one long-range weapon. Naturally, most simply get good at brawling and pick up a gun, but a couple have decided to be weird. Throwing daggers, swords, and even a crossbow (once) have all been recorded as being used by Tego throughout the years.
+Tego have several different uniforms. The most common is the summer/southern one, which Nathan and Sonya sport for most of the story. There is also a winter/northern version, which is designed for colder temperatures. There is a battlefield/front lines version too, which closely resembles a soldier's. Then there are hybrids of all of these. In fact, after the first year of active duty, Inven and Tego are basically allowed to frankenstein a customized uniform for themselves, based on what works and what doesn't. There are guidelines, of course, but it still makes for some interesting outfits...
In other news, after watching parts of The Talented Mr. Ripley, I decided to agree with my mother in the fact that Jude Law would be better cast as the Ram, not the Rook. He even has the accent to boot. (Though the Ram's is very slight and comes and goes.)
I really should work on The Ram at some point. This year's NaNo anyone? It'll definitely wait until after Pedestal though; two stories has me straining as it is.
Maria is slowly turning into a fan favorite, too, which makes me lol. XD; She's such a minor character but I'm thinking she should become more major. If only for the interactions.
Here's some fun facts that I wish I could work into stories but I'm not sure how I'll be able to:
+Annie Delgado, Maria's "sort of" sister-in-law, is "sort of" because her hubby and Maria's bro died. After Annie started fooling around with other men, most of the family basically disowned her, though she kept his last name. (yes, she's currently screwing Chad Coley. that's why they repeatedly look so disheveled; sex hair ftw! Nathan will catch onto this eventually.)
+I think Jack Gallagher x Maria Delgado is so canon I don't even. They're well suited in a weird way.
+Though the Mockingbird and the Owl are basically joined at the hip, I can't see any sort of romance between them. Huh. Platonic relationships ftw! It's not used nearly enough in literature these days.
+Inven are traditionally female and Tego are traditionally male. There is no real rule for this, except societal pressure and, well, tradition. Inven are trained and recruited younger (especially lately), and girls, who are more mature at that point, are encouraged to join up. Boys, who are less mature, figure they'll hold out for the 'real' training - Tego training. Of course there are (notable) exceptions like Emil and Sara Grace.
+Tego do not normally become snipers, just because their jobs are so physical and usually close-range. Still, because of their physical disadvantage, it's a popular route to take for female Tego. Maria and Talli Johnson (the Tego who went missing on the first mission) are both trained as snipers, though Talli also trained with a .22 rifle in closer range fighting as well. Maria, if pressed to fight close combat, will simply hit people with her rifle like it's a baseball bat. She also is known for kicking men between the legs.
+Allen is the only Tego ever to have trained so... evenly. There have been others to specialize in more than one area, but he tried his damnedest to get pro at everything. He obviously has strengths and weaknesses, but otherwise, he did a damn fine job at it. Even though his test scores suffered terribly and resulted in a pretty sad class ranking.
+Lenore is currently the oldest active Inven. I'm not sure how old she actually is, though. She was recruited back in the day when Inven were recruited older - before they figured out the hazards of connecting the nivedidus so late - so she joined probably around the age of fifteen and went onto the battlefield at sixteen or seventeen. (as opposed to Sonya getting chucked onto the battlefield at the tender age of twelve)
+Tego training has gone through very little changes, though, especially dealing with ages. It's been pretty much the same, though initially, simple soldiers were sent out to protect the Inven. As the project evolved, Tego were created with that exact purpose in mind.
+Tego have to be skilled in one form of hand-to-hand combat, one melee weapon if I may borrow the term from video games, and one long-range weapon. Naturally, most simply get good at brawling and pick up a gun, but a couple have decided to be weird. Throwing daggers, swords, and even a crossbow (once) have all been recorded as being used by Tego throughout the years.
+Tego have several different uniforms. The most common is the summer/southern one, which Nathan and Sonya sport for most of the story. There is also a winter/northern version, which is designed for colder temperatures. There is a battlefield/front lines version too, which closely resembles a soldier's. Then there are hybrids of all of these. In fact, after the first year of active duty, Inven and Tego are basically allowed to frankenstein a customized uniform for themselves, based on what works and what doesn't. There are guidelines, of course, but it still makes for some interesting outfits...
Saturday, April 10, 2010
'cause i'm a gamblin' boogie man
Some random fun facts/trivia about my writing (characters specifically):
+Vaikuntha was inspired mostly by prince Soma from Kuroshitsuji, at least physically.
+Maria Delgado's physical design was about half Samantha from The Zombie Hunters and half someone else that I can't recall at this point (I should probably figure that out at some point). Her personality is starting to pick up some of Sammie's traits, too, which worries me. Primarily the language issue. (her last name also came from a band "The Delgados" who sing The Light Before We Land which is from Gunslinger Girl)
+Emil's character came from a dream of mine. Wah he's so cute. (he died in my dream. uh.)
+Sonya and Nathan's characters also came from a dream, as did much of the abstract plot of WHIPLASH!. Or, sorta. Reality tends to tweak things so they follow basic logic.
+Alicia's physical appearance is almost entirely based off of one of Lady GaGa's many, many looks. I lol secretly to myself at night because of this.
+The Rook, Michael, and Silvermin also were from a dream. The Ram was there, too, but he was, you know, a ram. Or a demon one. I created his human form entirely from scratch, though really, these human forms aren't all that hard. Quite fun, actually. Interestingly enough, they seem to develop their own personalities as soon as they enter into my head. A lot of my characters are like that, but never to this extent.
+Mr. Silvermin's character was heavily inspired by my math teacher, Mr. Hixon.
+Tuesday's physical appearance is based loosely on our CA, and her name is a mix of a girl named Tuesday on our floor, and my roommate's last name. It was November. I needed a name. I panicked.
+Emil is the only character of mine to have gone through a name change. (His last name was originally Chevaler. Now it's Cavaller. No, I'm not sure how to pronounce it, either.)
+The Rook and Ram are my first gay male characters. Though I'm not sure how 'gay' they actually are; sex is just another form of domination for them. They fight over that, too. (yes, over who tops)
+I only have one female gay character at this point, though the Rabbit might swing that way. Probably. NOWAIT I LIED. My first bisexual character was Tessa (whose name was incidentally also borrowed from a friend I had) and she had a crush on Pocky. Unfortunately, I never really got the chance to write her. I may have to change that.
+Hanna's name was taken from a friend of mine. Yes, it's pronounced hah-nuh.
+Nick's name was taken from a variety of people. One of my longtime crushes, a great guy in my speech class, and my cousin all share that name. I could never remember the nick-in-my-speech-class's last name so I mentally called him Nick Sayre lol. (the last name sayre was borrowed from the character Nicholas Sayre from the Abhorsen series. his name is such a total bastardization at this point I don't even)
+Des' name sorta came with the territory.
+Carlita's name is a bastardization of a friend of mine's.
+Ike was originally supposed to be an Electrike, so that's where his name came from.
+I looked up russian names and came up with 'kostya' as a pet name for 'konstantin', so I thought it was too cute not to use. The russian/soviet ghost thing was originally supposed to be a joke, though.
+Alice's name did indeed come from a song.
+Zarek's name came from Alice--haha no. Actually I just looked up baby names. It means something like knight or noble one or something...
That's all now. :> Ja ne.
+Vaikuntha was inspired mostly by prince Soma from Kuroshitsuji, at least physically.
+Maria Delgado's physical design was about half Samantha from The Zombie Hunters and half someone else that I can't recall at this point (I should probably figure that out at some point). Her personality is starting to pick up some of Sammie's traits, too, which worries me. Primarily the language issue. (her last name also came from a band "The Delgados" who sing The Light Before We Land which is from Gunslinger Girl)
+Emil's character came from a dream of mine. Wah he's so cute. (he died in my dream. uh.)
+Sonya and Nathan's characters also came from a dream, as did much of the abstract plot of WHIPLASH!. Or, sorta. Reality tends to tweak things so they follow basic logic.
+Alicia's physical appearance is almost entirely based off of one of Lady GaGa's many, many looks. I lol secretly to myself at night because of this.
+The Rook, Michael, and Silvermin also were from a dream. The Ram was there, too, but he was, you know, a ram. Or a demon one. I created his human form entirely from scratch, though really, these human forms aren't all that hard. Quite fun, actually. Interestingly enough, they seem to develop their own personalities as soon as they enter into my head. A lot of my characters are like that, but never to this extent.
+Mr. Silvermin's character was heavily inspired by my math teacher, Mr. Hixon.
+Tuesday's physical appearance is based loosely on our CA, and her name is a mix of a girl named Tuesday on our floor, and my roommate's last name. It was November. I needed a name. I panicked.
+Emil is the only character of mine to have gone through a name change. (His last name was originally Chevaler. Now it's Cavaller. No, I'm not sure how to pronounce it, either.)
+The Rook and Ram are my first gay male characters. Though I'm not sure how 'gay' they actually are; sex is just another form of domination for them. They fight over that, too. (yes, over who tops)
+I only have one female gay character at this point, though the Rabbit might swing that way. Probably. NOWAIT I LIED. My first bisexual character was Tessa (whose name was incidentally also borrowed from a friend I had) and she had a crush on Pocky. Unfortunately, I never really got the chance to write her. I may have to change that.
+Hanna's name was taken from a friend of mine. Yes, it's pronounced hah-nuh.
+Nick's name was taken from a variety of people. One of my longtime crushes, a great guy in my speech class, and my cousin all share that name. I could never remember the nick-in-my-speech-class's last name so I mentally called him Nick Sayre lol. (the last name sayre was borrowed from the character Nicholas Sayre from the Abhorsen series. his name is such a total bastardization at this point I don't even)
+Des' name sorta came with the territory.
+Carlita's name is a bastardization of a friend of mine's.
+Ike was originally supposed to be an Electrike, so that's where his name came from.
+I looked up russian names and came up with 'kostya' as a pet name for 'konstantin', so I thought it was too cute not to use. The russian/soviet ghost thing was originally supposed to be a joke, though.
+Alice's name did indeed come from a song.
+Zarek's name came from Alice--haha no. Actually I just looked up baby names. It means something like knight or noble one or something...
That's all now. :> Ja ne.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
all i wish is to dream again
MAN I need to be more regular with this. I should either keep it or delete it but argh. XD; My writing stuff seems to channel into my livejournal or deviantArt. Damnit.
SO here's attempt number two (maybe?) at reviving my writing blog. I'll use this from now on. o<
The Rook is done, just waiting on that cover picture still. Yes, I'm getting antsy waiting for the photo from Wolfie, but I'm not going to nag her about it. I feel guilty for doing so. The model for Tuesday has been (changed) though to her sister. I'll just darken the hair in an art program. >w>;;
Pedestal is winding down, too. There's only two arcs left, although they'll be long as hell. Or at least the Gym race arc will be. I'm not sure about the final showdown arc. (I need a good name for that one too. Legendary arc? Nick arc? Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny arc? HMM.)
Anyway, I'm jumping back into WHIPLASH! (stupid tag thing disallowing my exclamation point). Actually, I'm just annoyed at a lot of places for disallowing my exclamation point. XD; The title is WHIPLASH!, not WHIPLASH. dA is particularly annoying for that, but their title system is crap anyway. At least fictionpress allows it.
Speaking of which, here's a link to WHIPLASH! there because I am a whore: heeeeeere be the link.
I love those characters in there to bits and pieces. BITS AND PIECES I TELL YOU. I still have to work out some details (like country and culture names, damnit, I thought I could get around that but it looks like I won't), but the characters themselves are sound. I even used Sara Grace Kellner in Pedestal, teehee.
Anyway I got a new reader/fan(?) and we were discussing Nathan and Allen and how they're totally hot for each other. Hilarious to discuss, but not canon.This isn't The Rook.
Um then I'll stop here. I'm off to write chapter 4 of WHIPLASH!.
SO here's attempt number two (maybe?) at reviving my writing blog. I'll use this from now on. o<
The Rook is done, just waiting on that cover picture still. Yes, I'm getting antsy waiting for the photo from Wolfie, but I'm not going to nag her about it. I feel guilty for doing so. The model for Tuesday has been (changed) though to her sister. I'll just darken the hair in an art program. >w>;;
Pedestal is winding down, too. There's only two arcs left, although they'll be long as hell. Or at least the Gym race arc will be. I'm not sure about the final showdown arc. (I need a good name for that one too. Legendary arc? Nick arc? Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny arc? HMM.)
Anyway, I'm jumping back into WHIPLASH! (stupid tag thing disallowing my exclamation point). Actually, I'm just annoyed at a lot of places for disallowing my exclamation point. XD; The title is WHIPLASH!, not WHIPLASH. dA is particularly annoying for that, but their title system is crap anyway. At least fictionpress allows it.
Speaking of which, here's a link to WHIPLASH! there because I am a whore: heeeeeere be the link.
I love those characters in there to bits and pieces. BITS AND PIECES I TELL YOU. I still have to work out some details (like country and culture names, damnit, I thought I could get around that but it looks like I won't), but the characters themselves are sound. I even used Sara Grace Kellner in Pedestal, teehee.
Anyway I got a new reader/fan(?) and we were discussing Nathan and Allen and how they're totally hot for each other. Hilarious to discuss, but not canon.
Um then I'll stop here. I'm off to write chapter 4 of WHIPLASH!.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
alegria
WOW it's been a long time since I've posted on this thing. I highly doubt anyone even follows it anymore. (comment if you do~) XD
Anyway, I finished The Rook! *w* This makes me ungodly happy. The pride hasn't quite set in yet, though, probably because I'm still fighting the internet and the publishing site tooth and nail to get my order set and everything.
Still, I'm happy. :> Now I'm working on the SEQUEL like ohmahgawd. "The Ram". :'D
EDIT: some stats:
+236-ish pages
+15 chapters
+sneak peek of chapter 1 of The Ram in the back
+62,619 words (apparently, but I don't trust my word counter)
Anyway, I finished The Rook! *w* This makes me ungodly happy. The pride hasn't quite set in yet, though, probably because I'm still fighting the internet and the publishing site tooth and nail to get my order set and everything.
Still, I'm happy. :> Now I'm working on the SEQUEL like ohmahgawd. "The Ram". :'D
EDIT: some stats:
+236-ish pages
+15 chapters
+sneak peek of chapter 1 of The Ram in the back
+62,619 words (apparently, but I don't trust my word counter)
Friday, December 04, 2009
you can run you can hide but you can't escape my love
Would anyone bother buying The Rook? If so, for how much?
I can't sell it for under 7.50, because at that point I actually have to pay for the books. I break even at 7.50. And, let's face it, I would like a little profit for this if I'm bothering to publish...
So how much would a paperback book from an unnamed author sell for? (it'll be roughly 150-200 pages, if all goes as planned)
Also, what should I do about the internet copy of The Rook that's available on fictionpress right now? Should I just not finish it? Or should I delete it? Either seems like a pretty bitch move... I'm going to be editing The Rook and maybe adding/deleting some scenes, so it's not like anyone would be paying for what's free on the internet... But still. ARGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE POSTED IT DX Even if I enjoy the reviews and stuff.
Hmm hmm hmm. Any input, anyone? Plz?
I can't sell it for under 7.50, because at that point I actually have to pay for the books. I break even at 7.50. And, let's face it, I would like a little profit for this if I'm bothering to publish...
So how much would a paperback book from an unnamed author sell for? (it'll be roughly 150-200 pages, if all goes as planned)
Also, what should I do about the internet copy of The Rook that's available on fictionpress right now? Should I just not finish it? Or should I delete it? Either seems like a pretty bitch move... I'm going to be editing The Rook and maybe adding/deleting some scenes, so it's not like anyone would be paying for what's free on the internet... But still. ARGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE POSTED IT DX Even if I enjoy the reviews and stuff.
Hmm hmm hmm. Any input, anyone? Plz?
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