And so much fun!

One big plus to the Indie movement is the ability to write what you love instead of writing to editorial or marketing department demands. This means the readers are [...]]]> The Indie Author. So many challenges, so much to learn. So much to watch out for, so much to take responsibility for.

And so much fun!

One big plus to the Indie movement is the ability to write what you love instead of writing to editorial or marketing department demands. This means the readers are finally getting the variety of novels they have been craving for years but that traditional publishing has failed to give them.

However, with this comes responsibility. A responsibility we, as authors, have always had: TO WRITE!

Find those words. It’s time for the storyteller in you to go into overdrive. You now have an avenue into which to release your work, but first the work must be created.

One way to create new product for your digital bookshelf is to join in various writing challenges. One of the biggest around is “National Novel Writing Month.” Every year authors from around the world join in a challenge to write at least 50,000 words in 30 days in the month of November.

For those of you who love math, that’s an average of 1667 words per day.

And, for those of us who are jumping into Indie Publishing as a business, we already are trying for regular word output, right? Is 1667 words that far above your current goal?

It doesn’t matter if it is. NaNoWriMo is loved (and hated) for many reasons. One of the big things I love about it is the creative energy of joining in on a big challenge with a lot of fellow authors. Wow, what a rush. I can do things I might have trouble doing at other times by myself, such as high wordcounts.

Or, how about the deadline? So much time to get so many words. Of course, those like me have goals higher than 50k, but the deadline is still there. How many drafts can you finish?

This year is the first year I’ll be participating in Nano while also in the publishing business. In a way it hasn’t affected how I view and want to use Nano, but in other ways it has. I have several goals:

1. Have a LOT of fun.
2. Tell a few great stories.
3. Produce several first drafts for eventual publication.

I now have several series published, with more in mind. That means a lot of stories and characters to continue. Using Nano I can nail those new stories and get first drafts finished and ready for revising in 2012. Series typically sell better once 3 or more books are published in them. The more the better. It means a reader who finds and likes the series can go ahead and sink their teeth into sequels without having to wait on the author producing more.

Using Nano to produce is a win-win for me on the Indie side, and a win-win for the readers.

Included in the Nano project list is a new series, which I’m working to outline the first four stories in. Doing something new is important to me, as it will keep this Nano fresh and fun. It won’t be only about previously started series. It will also be about new!

It’s time to do the serious brainstorming. Time to get out the outlines and virtual corkboards and index cards of Scrivener. Time to discover new adventures.

I can hardly wait.

Other Nano News: I’m not the only one gearing up. Lazette Gifford, is the author or the wonderful ebook “Nano for the New and Insane,” a venerable Nano guide that has helped many writers succeed in the Nano challenge of achieving 50,000 words in 30 days. For 2011 she has newly edited the ebook and added several new sections. It’s available for free download in multiple ebook formats at Smashwords.

Lazette’s latest blog post: Zette’s Take: Why Nano?

__________________________

J.A. Marlow

Welcome to Salmon Run, Alaska! A place of wild animals, wild land, and wild inhabitants…oh, and native legends come alive and an inter-planetary alien conflict at their backdoor.

Zach Callahan and his father, Hawk, arrive in Alaska to begin a new life. Anxious to arrive at the lodge crazy Uncle George left them, they find the first challenge is just getting to Salmon Run.

While still in Cordova, an old prospector declares the two greenhorns unprepared for the realities of an Alaskan winter. Sasha, a young native girl, attaches herself to Zach, much to his disgust. A failed sled-dog won’t leave Hawk alone, giving rise to an old phobia. They think they have it made once they get to the Solar Express, the unique train that will take them through a dark road-less wilderness to their new home.

The same night a massive display of the Aurora Borealis lights up the sky.

The Solar Express shuts down, stranding its passengers in the middle of nowhere. Hidden beneath the snow and ice, and under the path of the rescuers, an alien spaceship also feels the effects of the light show.

Cut off from the rescuers and trapped inside the spaceship, Zach and Sasha must ally themselves with a pair of aliens before either the malfunctioning security systems or the native Alaskan wildlife kills them.

A 37800 word stand-alone Novella in the Salmon Run series.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

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It goes to show that patience, diligence and persistence really does [...]]]> Victorine Lieske put together a great blog post showing the slow build many Indie authors go through with their sales. No, not every Indie publishes and starts selling a lot of books. A lot don’t even sell more than a few books… at first.

It goes to show that patience, diligence and persistence really does make a difference. Oh and adding new material. I noticed a lot of authors got a bump in total sales when they released something new.

Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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And since I don’t want a completely boring post to be out there, I thought I would offer a nice link. “Creativity Workshop: [...]]]> It seems that at some point in January the plug-in for WordPress stopped forwarding the same post to my Livejournal account. This is a post to see if it is now working.

And since I don’t want a completely boring post to be out there, I thought I would offer a nice link. “Creativity Workshop: More ideas than you can write” is the start of a nice series on finding ideas. For me, lately, this hasn’t been a problem, but I always like to keep an eye out for new ways of brainstorming.

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Hop on over to “Better To [...]]]> A while ago Inkygirl posted a poll about whether writers outlined before they started to write. I responded along with 108 other writers, and the results are now in! 48% said they used an outline. 29% said no, and 32% said it’s too complicated for just a yes/no answer.

Hop on over to “Better To Outline Or Not To Outline? Some Survey Responses” to read some of the responses from the survey.

And I’m the second one from the top! How exciting!

:waves at Zette:

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The bad part is: For [...]]]> Yes, I’m nuts. Trying to finish a novel before Nano starts. In one way that’s a very good thing. Gearing up to Nano means the mind and muse are raring to go at writing. But you can’t start until November 1st. By having another project it satisfies that writing ‘itch’.

The bad part is: For me personally I like to finish one thing before moving on to something else major. Sometimes I can jump around, but usually only with smaller pieces. I CAN jump from planning, to outlining to writing to revising four major projects, but now writing four major projects. I think each of those steps use different parts of the brain.

Anyway, there are now 35 days until Nano starts. The interim novel, for now titled Phoenix Cafe – Book 1, has been going well. Getting in at least a scene or two a night and even more a weekend.

Then the exhaustion hit.

Admittedly, I’ve been having problems with a flare-up of exhaustion since about May. It’s been going on so long that I’m getting depressed about it. Then I read writing blogs from writers, agents and editors.

And get even more depressed.

I barely have the energy to write thanks to this undiagnosed condition (don’t get me started on doctors. THIS IS NOT ALL IN MY HEAD, YOU IDIOTS!), and I’m supposed to give up almost all profits on a book to be my own promoter? Yes, way back when, a writer was still supposed to do promotion, but nothing like nowdays.

:sigh:

I’ve stopped reading writing blogs right now, as it’s too depressing to think I might be a good writer but I won’t get picked up because I simply don’t have the physical energy to keep up with those writers who can both write AND promote like crazy. For me, it’s either one or the other, not both.

Any other writers that have illnesses like this? Anyone know of an author that has made it who does?

I’m off to get a few words of writing in. Starting the weekend off at 21057.

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