Got down to #author stuff, now that I'm retired and can devote time to the #business of #writing#fiction. First order of business: catalog the unsold novels from after the burn out that need revision and rewrites.
Turns out that disconnecting my Mac from my work VPN messed up my folders. I had somehow mapped (don't know the Mac term) my work Windows computer folders to the Mac, and when I look in documents it tries to find it on the network and fails. If I reboot, so long as I go directly from my user's directory to documents directory, I'm good. If I click on Documents in Finder, it redirects and I'm screwed.
First thing I did was copy all my writing folders to the desktop. At least I've lost none of my old novels and short work.
I thought there were 7 completed books, and I said so online. There are actually 9, three that form a trilogy and one novel with a sequel in the mix. There are two incomplete novels.
Some works are older than others. Pages refuses to open one novel from 1996, a fun space opera that possibly has the highest chance of early sales. I haven't tried the others. Now I gotta install Word, of which I am not a fan, and investigate programs that'll open the really old files. If anyone wants to chime in with suggestions, please do! (I can always find someone with a Windows machine if need be.) Putting Google on TODO. I actually have original copies of chapters from my Apple ] days, but thankfully I updated those to the Mac and to a new millennium version of Word in what were my PowerPC days.
Incidentally, there really are three novellas in good shape.What surprises me though? There looks like about 15 short stories, many complete because I see multiple submissions in the various folders. I completely forgot about these, and was sure I never wrote short-form.
Short story collections. Strong theme, or just the best stories? Can a collection include nightmares and light-hearted stuff? (An experienced author says a good collection does not vary wildly in tone. But my stuff does).
what do you think as a reader, and what do you do yourself?
I see writers are finding fake books attributed to them for sale on Amazon - again. If this happens to you and you're a member of The Society of Authors or your local equivalent, let them know at once. Writers' organisations can get through to key Amazon people direct and the more evidence they have of a problem, the more likely they'll get it resolved.
Discussion elsewhere about authors buying other authors' books prompts me to observe that we cannot expect to make a living by taking in each other's washing.
I wonder who understands that expression now? And what once common idioms get a blank stare today - and from what age groups?
For example, a check with family and friends' kids a few years ago found none of them had ever heard of the Marie Celeste.
Time to finish Chapter 73. I was dragging yesterday after an awful night’s sleep. This morning, I feel refreshed and eager to attack whatever comes my way.
Owing to drafting Book-2 while gravely ill in late 2016, the story is a patchwork of chapters added at various times. This chapter, the latest, was added 14-months ago.
I had my goodbye meeting with my writing mentor this morning. She loves my new short story, a #LandBack revenge tale called “The Tupilaq” inspired by my battles in Kitchener over ecological destruction. I entered it in a cli-fi contest. Not sure it’s what the judges are looking for, but I think writing contests should be looking at #IndigenousFuturism , don’t you? #Indigedon@waterlooregion#Indigenous#WritingLife@indigenousauthors
The Green Man's Quarry is now available in your preferred format from a wide range of vendors. Now you can find out if a black cat crossing Dan Mackmain's path is good or bad luck - and for whom...
"97.85% of WGA members voted to...collectively declare, 'Enough is enough. Fuck you and you and you and you. You can’t buy another mansion while we can’t even pay our rent — not if you want us to keep providing you content.'”
ARTICLE: 'The WGA Is On Strike — Here’s Why We’ll Win'
I'm looking for someone to read a chapter (3,700 words) from my women's fiction work in progress that I want to submit to a contest. I'd like someone with writing or editing experience in fiction to tell me what they think.
The contest closes Sunday, so I need comments by Saturday, 11/11.
Happy to trade comments on your WIP up to 5,000 words.
Sometimes, when I don’t feel like writing, I do a menial task or two, the more boring the better, preferably without benefit of music or background audio.
By the time I’m finished, I often feel like writing.
Having chatted with several autistic #writers I have a theory that autism writes better in a unique story structure. I would love to talk about this more, especially with ADHD writers, as I think they may blend into this structure.
Would you be interested being in a neurodivergence writing group on Discord?
Spring has sprung here, though it’s supposed to cool off tomorrow. It doesn’t matter, the trees are budding, including beloved Birchy (yes, I name the trees on my walk).
Yesterday, I finished the targeted edit on Trust in the Forgotten as planned. That’s a huge milestone.
This is the day I’ll setup Medicare Part D to start in May with the rest. Last month, the state took Medicaid away so, which wasn’t ideal. 😆