During the time away from my own writing, I've been working on a blog that will introduce a western short story anthology. That was a lot more complicated than I expected when I volunteered. I had seen it about selling an anthology-- easy. But it really was putting together fifteen authors (me included) and showcasing their work in such a way they would like what they saw. Eek.
So the blog is done and will go live shortly before the anthology is released as an eBook and I think paperback, which will be March 15. I don't know the details as Susan Horsnell, an Australian writer is putting together the actual book. Boy was that a big job with all those writers, their bios and then getting it formatted. Double eek.
Writing the short story had actually been fun. I am happy to be with this group of authors who I met through the MOA at Amazon. I don't have a lot of places I am part of any group (by choice) but it's one (also by choice).
The new novella will follow When Fates Conspire even though that novella has found very little reader interest. I think it's hard for readers to get their heads around what it's about as it doesn't conveniently fit a genre. The closest would be paranormal romance.
Anyway interested readers or not, some stories you just have to write. I think I have mentioned how the first one came out of a dream. When it was finished, I knew there was another story to be told. I would have loved a dream to help me with the structure for this one but so far no luck. Lots of dreams-- but none relating to this story. Nevertheless, the story is coming together.
It is taking the dark side of the spiritual world. You know if you create a story about the positive side, there has to be a yang to the yin, a thorn to the rose, balance to what is real and isn't. There will even be a third as each explore an aspect of the human condition-- and spirit. Of course, with romance and adventure as all my stories have that.
The image above is putting together two of our photos as inspiration for the new novella. I had written a story before that dealt with the dark side, Sky Daughter, and felt uneasy with how to address spiritual evil in the plot and as a character. I always am uneasy when I decide to write about monsters or demons because what if my thinking about them draws them to me? How Stephen King stays a normal person and does it is beyond me. Anyway I finally have a grasp on how this evil will work and what it's limitations will be. Not surprisingly, it's a very similar conclusion to what I had in Sky Daughter. I suppose my concern about drawing something, that might not exist, to me is a little superstitious-- although since I have two black cats, probably not too much.
Otherwise life here on the little ranch is doing just fine. Animals are healthy, no more losses although we had more than our share this winter and are still evaluating why the heck that happened. We have had to buy extra hay due to the inordinately cold weather as well as having someone else putting out the hay not necessarily as Farm Boss would have-- but quite competently for the animal's sake.
Anyway, overall we and our animals are back into a routine of being here-- as if there ever is an exact routine on a small ranch where it involves nature and livestock ;)
6 comments:
Your group sounds good and rewarding and by sharing their networks you should sell more or at least have better exposure. I was listening to NPR the other day and they were talking about the genre romance novels. It was an interesting discussion, although I missed parts as I was getting in and out of the car on errands.
Sounds like something I'd like to hear, Tabor. I have a sociological book that began as a college study about the people who read them. (it's not who some might imagine as most have busy lives, happy marriages and it's all for the energy not much different than reading sci-fi, mystery, or adventure story). There is just such a wide spread of romances that I don't know how anybody can make blanket statements. Some of the flak has come from the euphemisms that some writers use, and even to me, can be funny.
I don't know how the anthology will do, whether I will get new readers looking at my books but what I liked was doing something different. A short story was something I had never written. I have enjoyed getting to know more about others writing the same genre as mine-- although we all write very different sorts of romances. I have no idea what sells books though. Sometimes I've put a lot of time into promotional efforts and gotten zilch from it-- at least that I can tell. Other times nothing going on and suddenly the books sell. I know I don't do nearly what some writers do with half their time going into groups. I'd go literally nuts. But I like the contact with others into writing and find I enjoy writing about writing, something I used to never do or think i wanted to do. Back then, I thought-- those that do-- do. Those that don't-- write about it. Once I started trying to explain some of my process in <a href="http://raintrueax.blogspot.com>Rain Trueax</a>, I found that I liked writing about writing.
Now that I am into it, the new story has been banging right along. Farm Boss has been beta reading it for me (I like male readers) and he keeps saying-- write more quick! He's been enjoying it at least. But i can't satisfy him because I try not to write more than 5000 words a day, even when it's going well. I don't want to get my words ahead of the story ;)
The sales portion of the creative process can be a stumper in all the arts. I enjoyed reading Susan Horsnell's discussion of the anthology and the piece of her own writing. Sounds like a marvelous network.
Rain Trueax -- forgetting a quote screws up a link lol
It sounds like you are really on a roll, my dear....And the group from Amazon sounds like a great thing, too! Keep on Keeping On, dear Rain....it all sounds really WONDERFUL!
Thanks Naomi, I really appreciate the encouragement. Writing is so good and such a rewarding thing to do but promoting... not so much ;). it's a lot the same with any aspect of the arts.
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