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Post by bill on Jan 14, 2019 3:44:56 GMT
Last week I sent A World Amongst to a beta reader. This week I read through When the Time is Right (my murder mystery) and found a beta reader who has a husband who's a police officer. I'm worried that some of my police procedures are off and I might need to change some things, but I don't know. So hopefully I'll get some direction there.
I'm now looking over Vetrix 4 and want to take it through HTRYN. I won't do the whole course, but will read through it and take the pieces I need to review the novel. I'll work on it and probably jump back and forth on the other two projects as they get returned by readers. Those will be priorities when I have them to work on.
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Post by Admin on Jan 14, 2019 4:37:58 GMT
I'm continuing my study of cartooning. Really happy with the progress I'm making although I'm still drawing what I see to learn the concepts and techniques. I still have to learn how to create my own characters.
I've been trying to head off a cold so I've had some down time this week. Not enough but I seem to be bouncing back quickly. Hoping for a better week healthwise.
We have a new member. Tatiana is writing up a business plan for photography. She is very determined to establish a small business. I thought if she came on here we can encourage and support her goals. Most of what we have on here is writing but marketing and promoting works for any product. Its nice to have someone new. Stir us up. Get us thinking and an energy feed is always welcome.
So, glad you're in, Tati. Hope you'll enjoy the site and become active. We could use new input.
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Post by bill on Jan 14, 2019 13:27:52 GMT
Welcome Tatiana!
Yes, post any time. We can always use more excitement and energy.
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Post by bill on Jan 21, 2019 17:37:38 GMT
Vetrix 4 - I got organized, printed off my manuscript, and started in on HTRYN. I spent most of my weekend working on this and got a good start.
Marketing - I don't have any commitments except for PlanetCon in KC, in March I believe. I probably need to schedule some events, but with nothing new planned to publish this year (until Vetrix 4, which may not be until next winter), and the fact that I've never sold much, I'm not much motivated to commit my time away. I'm not sure what I'll do, but have been ignoring the issue for the most part.
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Post by Admin on Jan 22, 2019 17:33:14 GMT
Me too. I did get a bit added to Journals of Luciana. I have made a firm decision to walk away from the art league. Partly from being in a snit with them due to inaccessibility of their workshops but also just realizing that I will be leaving sometime this year. It might as well be before I pay them any dues.
I've been spending two or three hours a day drawing. Joshua is back on tobii and beginning to do school work again which will lead to him adding to book two. I need to pay my sales tax. when I get to Kansas I really need to talk to you about helping me keep on track with bookkeeping. I'm so bad at it.
I want to send you the years fee for Joshua. If the price is the same I'll go back to last year and see what you charged me. If its changed you need to invoice me so I know the amount I can pay it in full. Just need to get it done.
I'll be home in March. Going to try and make the services for Jimmy. I need to talk to the realtor in Cottonwood Falls and hopefully nail down the building site. and talk the builders to get an estimate on cost of building. I'll either proceed as planned or figure out a way to modify the plans. I'm hoping I can get what I want without having to compromise too much.
I'm waffling on Medium. They want my SS number and I want to use my tax number. but when I gave them my EIN they rejected it. I have one, just never used it for anything. I have an IL tax # but can't find a place to insert it. I'm hesitant to give them my SS#. I guess what I need to do is not follow the email but go directly to Medium and then proceed from there. I'm so leery of Spammers who send emails that look authentic but aren't. I would have sworn I filled out the payment info when I signed up. I'll go through the site itself and not use the email. Maybe I'll be a little more trusting that way.
I got stuff done. But I was under the weather for two weeks so didn't get as much done as I'd hoped.
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Post by bill on Jan 23, 2019 1:26:26 GMT
Definitely go to Medium and check there. You NEVER know where that e-mail came from, no matter the address. The same as last year is fine. You know, I don't care if you pay me anything. I haven't been on Medium in weeks. My last payment from them was $.03. I guess the government can tax it all if they want.  |
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Post by bill on Jan 28, 2019 2:28:35 GMT
Vetrix 4 - I'm making good progress on revising. I've evaluated my world, made notes, and now am working on my characters and plotting. I'm using HTRYN, but condensing some of the steps and trying to create a shortened version and Personalizing it so I can use it on future manuscripts. I hope to internalize the process and make it efficient, so I can learn it and make it quicker with each revision. Then hopefully as I really understand the components I will be able to apply them while writing my stories. One of my main goals this year is to improve my writing.
My dad will be here any minute so I won't get a lot of work done this next week, or two, depending on how long he stays.
I need to make a plan of what marketing I want to do this year. It will be scaled back from last, as I don't have any new books coming out until the end of the year. But I still need/want to do some.
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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2019 4:19:34 GMT
I asked my book club if they would read what I've got so far on Journals of Luciana. I need some cold readers looking at it. I really thought I was done with trying to publish traditionally but I went to bed one night and realized that the Journals is the real beginning of the mystery I started several years ago.
The writing on Journals is different from what I usually write. Its darker and delves deeper into human emotion and questions we probably all ask at some point in our lives. I've decided to go the agent route once again. I think I must be a masochist of something. But I think I have to.
I also decided to use Patreon to compile KNock Knock. I'm having trouble making myself work on it and I know its because putting all those chapters in order and cleaning it up is not fun. It's work. And its frustrating work. So I thought if I add that to my Patreon site, readers are getting even more for their patronage and I will get KNock Knock ready to publish.
When I look at what Patreon is doing for me, I realize that even if I'm not making much money from it, I am producing work that will be published. Its encouraging me to be productive and because my mind set over there is outright rebellion, I'm writing exactly what, and how, I want the work to be.
At some point, I'm going to have to clean the house. I've been really lazy. the bitter cold is keeping us home. I'm hibernating and really don't want to go out. I need to pick up my painting from the gallery next week and then I'm done with the art league. One less stress. Little by little, I'm breaking my ties with Illinois.
Have fun with your Dad. Hank is going to Texas the end of Feb. and Josh and I will head for Kansas first part of March. the winter will fly by. I really want the new house built and the move made. I want to be on the other side of this.
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Post by bill on Jan 28, 2019 5:02:14 GMT
If you go traditional publishing will it be a problem that you've put content on Patreon? I would think they would frown on that. I need to get on there and read them!
We are going to Susan's next weekend to watch the Super Bowl. Looking forward to it!
With your move and everything, do you plan to go to PPWC this year? I hope to make it happen again.
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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2019 20:04:57 GMT
I hadn't given much thought to PPWC because of the amount of work I need to do selling this house and building a new one. I'll think about it but I have so much on my plate this year that I might have to skip this year.
I don't know about Patreon being an issue. I know indie writers who have been picked up and their books re-issued by traditional publisher. I will most likely approach an agent before I get everything written and posted just to see how much interest the character generates. If it gets ignored like all the other queries I've sent, I'll proceed with indie. but if I see it giving me potential markets, I can switch my focus on Patreon and bring Knock Knock higher up and pull back exposure on Luciana.
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Post by Admin on Feb 4, 2019 22:43:14 GMT
I got Journals of Luciana pulled together and ready to print out for the book club. I emailed three copies to the ones who asked for email. I updated my tax info on Medium. I should be able to start being paid again. they mailed me the 10-90 or whatever the number is and I made 27 dollars and a few cents. I made more than that on Patreon. I have 43 followers on Medium and only 4 on Patreon. I need to find a way to up my patrons but I haven't a clue. If the items I offer aren't tempting then I'm out of ideas.
I'm going to start compiling Knock Knock on Patreon. At the very least, it will get me working on it consistently. All I need to do is post each chapter and clean it up as I post it.
Working consistently on my art but not happy with results. I'm beginning to think I'll never be quite happy with the results. If I was, I wouldn't strive to get better. I picked up my painting from the gallery and I walked away from the league. I'm done. I've been passed over for one too many workshops. Being excluded but holding it in an inaccessible room has finally done me in. I can only imagine what Joshua must have felt over the years wanting to do things and not only not being able to get to it but not even able to tell me he wants to do it.
Hank goes to Texas end of this month and Josh and I head for Kansas first part of March. Its going to be a busy time.
I hope you're enjoying your Dad's visit and had a good time at Susan's.
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Post by Admin on Feb 17, 2019 4:10:08 GMT
I handed out the Journals of Luciana to my book club. We'll discuss it at the next meeting. I bought a new Apple iPad Pro and began learning how to use it. I've spent the last 3 months relearning how to draw. Now, I'm going to learn how to draw using Procreate. Interesting journey. I'll be looking at lots, hopefully buying them, and talking to builder in March. Hank leaves for Texas next week. I still need to clean my house from one end to the other. Need to pull everything out of closets and began to purge. I don't want to spend another winter in Illinois.
I've been transferring Knock Knock over to Patreon. Using Patreon as the tool I need to get the book published. It wouldn't take very long to pull it together if I could just stay focused. Nothing finished. I feel out of control but I did get a lot done.
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Post by bill on Feb 18, 2019 0:54:25 GMT
It's great to see you making progress each week now! You've definitely turned a corner and are productive again. I'm looking forward to you being in Kansas and hope everything falls into place.
My dad left yesterday, so I didn't get much done the last 2-3 weeks. Now I'm back at it. I'm reading through lesson 10 of HTRYN now. I read 9 and decided I didn't need to do it. I'm picking out what I think I need the most. This is for Vetrix 4. My other two manuscripts are at beta readers and I haven't gotten them back.
Well, back to it. I have a dream to chase...
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Post by bill on Feb 25, 2019 4:40:11 GMT
I'm back at it with Vetrix 4 and HTRYN. I'm on lesson 13. I'd like to get through them by the end of March. We'll see if I can make it.
Marketing - I haven't done any events yet this year. I have coming up at the end of March that I scheduled months ago. I schedule another for the summer and made another contact for one sometime in the next few weeks. I have three more I want to check into this month. I don't think I want to do as many as last year, but I need to do some, especially the ones that are free in the area.
PPWC - I need to look into this and decide if I'm going. I want to, but haven't taken the time to do it.
Ghost World - I haven't heard from the person that is supposed to be beta reading this. I told her I wasn't in a hurry, but I'm not completely sure she'll come through. I need to find out because I would like to have it beta read by the end of March so I can work on it before PPWC. I think it's the story I want to pitch, unless I get feedback from my mystery that influences me to try it again.
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Post by Admin on Feb 25, 2019 5:22:08 GMT
Its been a rough week for me. Hank is in Texas and I'm really happy he made the trip. He and Richard need this time together. But, Drake attacked Dixie Friday. I broke it up before anybody got seriously hurt but it brought home to me that I cannot keep doing this. At some point, I won't be strong enough, or my timing will be off, or I won't be in the right place at the right time. I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon to put him down. I can't ethically give him to somebody else. I really think he has cancer. The tumors are popping up all over and growing way too fast. He's been fine for a year and a half. For him to be having these vicious attacks is only in the last two months. I don't consider them normal behavior. I'm mentioning this only to explain why I'm not functioning very well. I'm feeling guilty, and sad, and helpless and I don't like feeling any of those things. I'm eating too much, and avoiding dealing with everything. Hank gets home Wed. so I'm hoping I can pull myself together and start being productive again.
I did get ten chapters posted on Patreon. I'll keep putting the chapters up until I get them all compiled and a clean copy then fire it off to the editor as soon as I can get in line for it.
Book club is on the 13th. They will hand me back my Luciana story. Hopefully, I'll get good feedback that will help me decide if I want to query agents again.
I'll head home on the 14th. I don't know if you have heard but Jack is in ICU. He fell at home and Rhonda got him hospitalized very fast. He has a brain bleed again and is showing symptoms of stroke. He has a long rehab road ahead of him but I think he'll be okay. I don't have any reason to think otherwise.
I don't think I can go to PPWC this year. I'm going to be spending all my time and money getting the house started in Kansas. I want to be moved before next winter. I want to buy the lots and talk to the builders in March. I know that I will have to be making a lot of trips back and forth. I'll probably have to wait until 2020 and who knows. I might see a different one I might want to try. I'd like to try Killer Nashville if I could ever get my life organized enough. But going to Colorado has the added benefit of seeing Rhonda. That's a win/win.
I'll be better tomorrow night. Or worse, depending on how Drake reacts. I feel like such a traitor. I texted Drew and Lindsay Sat. morning but haven't heard back from them. I wanted to prepare them and if they have an alternative they don't have much time to get hold of me. I really hate feeling guilty but I see no alternative.
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