Off to Write

We made it through the storm okay, and I hope everyone else in the strike zone did too. The biggest problem for us was the lightning, which got scary a few times. All of the unplugging we did kept me from updating PBW, and now I do need to catch up on some work, so I'm going to bail on you all for a few days. See you once I get caught up.

You Animal You

My daughter loves animals, and during a recent vacation trip with her dad took some amazing pics of the critters she saw. Since I have three jobs to finish this weekend before this tropical storm hits us, I'm going to post some in lieu of a post:



I wonder if he thinks no one can see him.



Gorgeous. And maybe a little cranky.



This big guy looks sad -- and dreamy, too, in a strange way. Maybe it's the pink on his hide and the soft focus.



My writing animal!



Someone needs a baby carrier.

Officially Speaking

I have been booked by clients through the fall and into the winter now, which means I won't have the chance to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. So that's the bad news.

The good news:





I'm going to pep talk, cheer on, post useful links for and otherwise mercilessly nag everyone who does join in. :)

Have to Do

Art quilter Jane Frenke explains her process in this video, which includes many shots of her amazing work (with narration and background music, for those of you at work):

ArtVoice: Jane Frenke from Jack Kelly on Vimeo.

Just Write

Today I'm off to write something new and post it online before midnight. Everyone inclined to do the same is invited to join me.

My link: More on Ghost Writer (click on the title to go to the .pdf), with new material beginning on page 113.

For more details on Just Write Thursdays, click here to go to the original post.

Image credit: windujedi

Entitled

How well do you remember famous book titles? Take this online quiz, fill in the word missing in the title, and find out.

My results:



What surprised me is how many titles of books that I haven't read that I remembered -- about half of the quiz, actually -- which goes to prove that a memorable title sticks, even when someone doesn't read it.

How well did you do? Let us know in comments.

Sub Op

Here's an open call for a charity dark fiction anthology being published by Josh Strnad:

"Stories are powerful—they can open our perspectives to allow us to see things in ways we haven’t before and can be used to provide a voice to those who otherwise would remain silent. With that in mind, I am pleased to announce that I am now taking submissions for the upcoming horror/dark fiction anthology, Silent Screams. The focus of this anthology will be to give a voice to and point public attention toward those who are vulnerable who have no means to speak for themselves—from victims of human trafficking and the sex industry, to the aborted unborn, to third-world sweat shop workers. As writers (and perhaps particularly as writers of dark fiction), we have the opportunity to do some good by shining a light on the uncomfortable truths that our society often prefers to ignore.

WHAT I WANT

I’m looking for unpublished stories (no reprints) ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 words (soft) that EITHER focus of the plight of specific silent victims of our modern world OR that play with the idea of silence in general. (Think of Harlan Ellison’s classic “I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream,” or the famous tag-line from Alien: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”) What does it mean to be a voiceless victim, and what could be done to alleviate that kind of suffering?

I want horror stories of pretty much every subgenre, including dark science fiction. My tastes for this sort of thing lean more toward the surreal and uncanny than to the realistic, and most of what I enjoy would fall under the “Dark Fantasy” sub-heading (think the type of stuff written by guys like Robert Bloch and Jeff VanderMeer). I love stories that don’t spell everything out. Feel free to leave some mystery.

I’m a sucker for great writing (who isn’t?) and I love a good twist ending. Even though the overall tone of this anthology will most likely be rather grim, I’m certainly not opposed to a little levity or even humor, where appropriate. I’m big on metaphor and symbolism. A solid moral core and understanding of right-and-wrong is a must. Stories that inspire a sense of compassion are gold.

WHAT I DON’T WANT

Overly political stories. If the entire purpose of your story is to bash a certain political party or ideology (whether liberal or conservative), I won’t be interested. Fair enough?

I have nothing in particular against traditional monsters (zombies, werewolves, vampires, and their undead kin), but unless you have something stunningly original to do with them (or if they just fit so perfectly with the anthology’s theme that your story knocks me down with its brilliance), they will probably be a tough sale. Ditto to Lovecraftian/Cthulhu stuff (although I wouldn’t be opposed to a Lovecraft-inspired piece that took his concept of cosmic horror in a different direction than the typical elder gods route). I’m also not likely to purchase any straight sword-and-sorcery stories.

I’m not easily offended, but I’m also not impressed by graphic sex, buckets of gore, or piles of profanity. Do what you need to in order to tell your story in the best and most effective way possible, but let’s keep it classy.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Even though this anthology is designed to point the finger at real-world social ills, any depiction of sex involving a minor is a no-go.

RIGHTS, PAYMENT AND NUTS-AND-BOLTS

I am seeking first digital and print rights with two-year exclusivity from the date of publication. At the end of the two-year contract period, all rights will revert back to the author.

Silent Screams will be a charity anthology, with all after-costs profit going to The Salvation Army, which provides humanitarian support for the homeless, those who have been hit by natural disasters, and victims of human trafficking. That said, I think it’s important that authors are paid for their work, so I am offering payment of one cent a word for accepted stories. Contributors will also receive a complimentary print copy of the anthology.

The submissions period will end on October 31, 2015. Final selections for the anthology are anticipated to be made in mid-November with a goal of publication in December, 2015 or early 2016."

For more information see the guidelines page.

Diary Free

In My Diary is a "free, multi-language, personal diary application to help you organize all your upcoming tasks and events, store your passwords, keep track of notes and manage your contacts. The diary supports one-time and recurring events with customizable colors, linked notes and early alert options. You can also configure the application to send you email reminders, using your own mail server or the provided SMTP service. In addition to diary entries, you can use In My Diary to keep a daily journal, store your passwords as well as personal notes. The program also integrates a contacts database with optional birthday reminders and label printing features. Other features include support for import/export (iCal, vCard), keyword search, built-in password generator, anniversary and special event options, and more." (OS: Available for all Windows systems, Apple Mac (10.4+), and Linux [native or wine])

D2D

I'm seeing a lot of indy published authors recommending Draft2Digital as the way to go for formatting and distributing e-books. Here's what the site has to say about their services in a nutshell:

"Here's the deal: There are no fees for formatting or distributing your book. When you sell a book, we both make money. We keep about 10% of the retail price. We don’t try to upsell you to some expensive services package or nickel-and-dime you for making changes to your e-book. You can list your ebook at whatever price makes you happy. It’s your call. You can even offer your book for free."

I like that they have a page here that breaks down what you have to do to get your e-book rolling with them. It seems very simple and easy to do. They handle all the formatting, which in my POV is the hugest headache. They also place your e-book with what appears to be all the popular online vendors, give you an ISSN for free, generate monthly sales reports and make paperback editions available via CreateSpace (and this is one of the deal-breaker options I would have to have if I went indy; I want to see my work in print as well as electronic format.)

That they charge "about 10% of the retail price" is the only flag for me. I don't like the slight vagueness there, so if you do want to try them, be sure to get a real figure of what they "keep."

Hidden (or Not)

Everyone is supposed to have a hidden talent, yes? If you've always wondered about yours but aren't sure what it is, take this online quiz to find out.

My (not very surprising) results:



I don't think I'd be covered in paint, but my clothes might be.

So what's your hidden talent? Let us know in comments.

Up

I have never taken a ride in a hot air balloon, but it's on my bucket list. I'd also love to see a massive launch of them during a festival, like the one chronicled in this gorgeous video (with background music, for those of you at work):

Hot Air Balloons from Greene HD Productions on Vimeo.

Just Write

Today I'm off to write something new and post it online before midnight. Everyone inclined to do the same is invited to join me.

My link: More on Ghost Writer, with new material beginning on page 110.

For more details on Just Write Thursdays, click here to go to the original post.

Image credit: windujedi

Design Freely

The free starter edition of WebPlus allows you to "create amazing websites, design bespoke web graphics and banners all with simple drag and drop tools in this amazing website design software. Take advantage of the most up to date technology and design web pages exactly how you want them, without any coding experience. WebPlus allows you to add creative content to your website and help you stand out and shine. Add pre-designed objects ranging from buttons, navigation bars, graphics and background images, and design with dedicated drawing tools, stylish effects and a huge range of fantastic colour schemes. WebPlus makes it easy to optimise, export and get your website online in a couple of clicks. Upload your site to the host of your choice, or use Serif’s own easy web hosting – it’s so easy to do." (OS: Microsoft Windows® 8, 7, Vista, or XP (32-bit) operating system)

Indy Temptations

I've been getting a lot of e-mails asking about when/if I'm going to publish under my byline again. I don't have much to offer as an update. I have not been sending anything out to publishers because it just seems like a waste of time now that I've got the ghost writer gig working out so well (along with a nice, reliable income.) This past week I did reach out to my publisher for the Disenchanted & Co. novels, just to be absolute sure there was still no interest in publishing a third book, and while they wish me well there still isn't.

Ever since finding Payhip I have been thinking about indy publishing for profit -- mainly to continue series like Disenchanted & Co., for which I had three more novels planned, and would like to write at least one more. I could also finish other series that were dropped, like the Youngbloods books, or publish the stories readers wanted but NY didn't, like John's story from the Darkyn series. I also have some new works I would prefer to sell versus giving away, like the Novels of Netherfield.

Some form of low-key indy publishing is attractive to me for other reasons. Because Payhip has such a reasonable transaction fee I would be able to keep the prices reasonable. Not having to learn the ins and outs of the bookseller platforms, which have always seemed overly complicated and rather intimidating to me, is another big plus. I'd also have complete creative control over each publication which, after fifteen years of entrusting my work to others who weren't always as invested in it, would be a nice change. My sale pages would finally be protected, too. I wouldn't have to impose on friends to help me (and as it happens several have already very kindly offered to help push my stubborn ass into the new publishing reality.)

There are just as many downsides. Indy publishing under my byline would take time away from my ghost writing gigs, which are paying the bills. Next fall income is going to be a major issue for us, as our daughter is planning to go off to college in another state. I'd want a decent cover designer and an experienced editor to help me produce a professional-level product, and they're not cheap. I really don't want to impose on my friends to help me, and since I don't know how to make anything other than a .pdf on Adobe, I'd have to look into what it costs to covert files into the various formats people want to buy.* PBW still gets a respectable amount of traffic, but I think selling strictly from the blog would bring limited profit at best.

I don't know. My guy says to try indy publishing one book and see how it goes, which seems reasonable, but I'm really enjoying the ghost writing, which has done good things for my creativity and my bank account. Then my ulcer chimes in and advises me to run and hide under the bed until it all goes away, which is pretty much all the ulcer ever does. What I do know is that I don't want to go back to the stress of traditional publishing, and all I can promise you is that I am thinking about the indy alternatives more seriously than I ever have.

*I've just found a service that does this for free if you sell your books through them, and I'll have more on them later this week.

Sub Op

Timeless Tales magazine has an open call for their upcoming Baba Yaga-themed issue: "Timeless Tales exclusively publishes retellings of fairy tales and myths. We only accept stories that are retellings of the fairytale or myth listed as our theme. We don't accept original fairy tales or stories outside of our current theme. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Under 1,500 preferred. Genres: Please be creative! We love to see modernizations, sci-fi retellings, continuations, mash-ups, etc. Just no eroticism, please. While Timeless Tales is not targeted specifically at children, it is a fairly conservative magazine, especially when it comes to sexual content, so I intend to keep the stories in the PG-13 range or below. However, I have a deep appreciation for the darker side of many original fairy tales, so don’t assume I only want “happy” stories. Pay Rate: At the moment, we’re just starting out and budget is tight, so we will pay a flat rate of $15 per story accepted, but we hope to increase this amount in the future. You'll also get a free year of our premium subscription." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 4th, 2015.

Still Off Writing

See you tomorrow.

Image credit: vitaliy_sokol

Off Again

I'm taking the weekend off to finish up a writing project for one of the clients. So your stop here was not entirely wasted, here's some interesting freeware to check out:

Paint.NET is a "free image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.

It started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP" (OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10 [32-Bit/64-Bit])

Poetic

This very cool little film turns a book into animation (with background music, for those of you at work):

"A World I Never Made" by Rachel Kwak from Robert Lyons on Vimeo.

Created as a final project by animator Rachel Kwak, in my Spring 2010 "Experimental Animation" class at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, this film is a beautiful example of visual poetry. It is based on A.E Housman's "A World I Never Made". A variety of techniques are employed including; cut-outs, hand-drawn, stop motion and replacement animation. Music is "Eon Blue Apocalypse" by Tool.

No Just Write This Week

I've just acquired a new client (hooray!) who needs a rush job done (whoosh), so I have to skip Just Write this week (*sob*.) I'll probably be off writing this weekend as well, but I've scheduled a few things to post in my absence. I appreciate your patience, and I'll be back once I whoosh my way through my new project.

Nom Nom Nom Ten

Ten Things I Hate About Your Writing Pseudonym

By Suggestion: As with writing by committee, allowing your editor or agent to pick out your pseudonym is probably a bad idea. Unless you want to be called L.E. James, of course.

CopyCat: Naming yourself after a character is never a good move. Esepcially one of your own characters. Editors are going to make you their favorite cocktail party joke.

Doctor Doctor: That hip nickname you've given yourself to sound tougher or avoid gender recognition? Is the medical term for wart.

E-Name: Using the brand name of a popular e-reader as your first or last name doesn't look clever. It looks goofy, which makes me think you write like that, too (and if it's trademarked, probably not a financially wise idea, either.)

Miss Pell: If reading your name out loud results in a pun, a political statement or any other nonsense, I'm not going to buy your book. I might name an idiot in one of my books after you, though.

NickNabbed: If you steal a great family name from someone, chances are they're eventually going to find out. Like your Aunt Martha, the Catholic nun, who isn't aware you're writing erotica under her name, and just got an e-mail from Smut Tales asking for an author interview for their all-strap-on weekend.

One & Only: You know how people say that using only one name instead of the standard two is snotty and pretentious? They're absolutely right.

Porno-no: Don't come up with your pen name by playing the porn star name game. Really, the porn stars hate it when you do that, and they've asked me to tell you to stop.

Pranking Yourself: Never take the last name Hunt or Hunter and pair it with a first name that ends with a hard C consonant. If you don't understand why, say the entire name very fast and you will. And please, don't name a series like that and then trademark it (unless you want me to laugh myself into the hiccups every time I see your books.)

Uh-oh: That lovely pen name you put together from those pretty words you found in that cute foreign language book? Means Giant Ass Rabid Monkey in English.