Monday, September 24, 2018

Upstream Updates: September Edition!


I realize this post comes much later in the month than I ever intended... Very sorry! I've tried to update all the sections, as I accomplished quite a bit more than I initially thought I would. Let's get to it!

Writing


The Last Inkweaver

We have arrived at Chapter 20! Yep, there have been FOUR chapters since August's Upstream Update--I think it's fair to say that I am well and truly FLYING through this manuscript! After Aberon, Callista & Co. arrived in Criansa, a small town with a BIG secret! Fun Fact: "Criansa" is a name I saved from my early days as an after-school tutor; there was a girl whose name was "Crianca" (with the second "c" pronounced as /s/) and I loved it so much that I have now immortalized it in this novel. Criansa is also the place where they receive their third "gift" (the first two being the sword and shield), and Callista finds the motivation she needs to stop pining after any sense of normalcy, and just welcome the mystery of where the Tapestry will take them. Also, it's where the fantasy of what she wanted her relationship with Matthias to be ends, and hopefully they can start rebuilding their friendship on truth and companionship. So yeah, MASSIVE turning points all around, and I think we've officially hit the halfway point in our "Hero's Journey," so lots more fun and games in store for these four friends! Next up, Ronni the bounty hunter, new and vastly improved from Draft 1!



A Writer's Tale: The Series


Yes, it is now a thing! Just this week, I found the wherewithal to finish Book 2, "The Commander's Courage", which was my fun little space adventure, and now it's on to Book 3, "The Sheriff's Showdown", which takes place in the Wild West!

At least now Laura doesn't have to feel like she's on another planet... just another time period. What can a simple, introverted author who rarely likes traveling (though she claims to "dream" of traveling all sorts of exotic places!) do against a rowdy band of thieves and gunmen who continue to terrorize a small Western town through force and violence? Stay tuned!



Flashes of Inspiration

We've hit 16 flash pieces! I will say that No.s 15 and 20 are Parts 1 and 2 of a really exciting idea that kind of just flew together on a spur of the moment--and meanwhile, I need to hurry up and finish some of the ones in between that I kept "saving" because I would hit a snag or I would change my mind about them... But you'll like them once I finish, I am sure! Meanwhile, I want to know (if you're in the business of answering questions on a blog post!) What's been your favorite Flash of Inspiration so far?


Wattpad 

Things are still progressing on that front--though viewership has seriously slacked, it seems. I'm on the sequel to my first Grimm fanfiction, FAIR TRADE--but somehow it feels like Wattpad readers aren't as excited about it as the FanFictionDotNet (as it's affectionately spelled out when one doesn't want to link it; a.k.a. "FFNet") readers were when I initially posted it. Also... If you're interested in reading A WRITER'S TALE--and not just the original, short version I have here on The Upstream Writer, but the Series that is what I am currently writing, then you'll want to follow that hyperlinked, capitalized text to the Wattpad story where I'm posting basically the whole thing.
Meanwhile, can I interest you in perhaps one of the 25 other books that I've posted over the last 3 years, that maybe you haven't seen? That's the beauty of having these monthly updates, I think--back when these were originally uploaded, I didn't even think about letting people know here on my blog! Well, no more! I'll just list all the stories I currently have on Wattpad and let you all have at it!

<> READ BETWEEN THE LINES (A Grimm Fanfiction) <> THE CLAN OF OUTCASTS<>
<> NEXT-GENERATION GRIMM ~ KEEP PORTLAND GRIMM (A SuperGrimm Crossover) <> ANGELS TAKE MILWAUKEE (A SuperWho Crossover) <> THE WATER-MAN <>
<> THE DAY OF RECKONING <> SINCE WE FOUND SERENITY (A Firefly Fanfiction) <>  <> PROTECTIVE CUSTODY<> POTTERLOCK DOWN (A Harry Potter/Sherlock Crossover) <> <>THE TELMAR TRILOGY: Vol. 1: The Legend of TelmarVol. 2: Her Ladyship of Telmar

*****Special Announcements!!*****


PUBLISHING ANNOUNCEMENT! 

Go >HERE< to Preorder!

October 21 is the release date for yet another anthology I'm featured in--and this time, it's Heartsong, the story that started from a random prompt I came across, and it ballooned into a short story I serialized here on this blog--I cannot wait for you to read it in print! You definitely want to get this anthology--a couple of the participants are authors whom I have reviewed before; it's truly an honor to have my name listed alongside theirs! I'm really enjoying this whole business of short-story publishing; it's simple, the groups have been great, and it's a LOT of fun! Short stories really do give me a sense of productivity while I'm still plugging away at The Last Inkweaver.


BLOG HOP ANNOUNCEMENT! 

October is sometimes designated "Blog-Tober", so me and the other members of Bookish Blog Hops are coming together once again to share book recommendations, favorite characters, and so much more! Since it's going to begin next Monday, I'll compile and official "launch" post (with all the questions and participant blog links) then, and you can revisit it all month long to follow the shenanigans! I can't wait!

Word Count 
Alas! This month, I suffered a really bad setback at the very start, since starting work at a new location was pretty stressful, I found my drive to write a bit stymied, so I am phenomenally behind on my goal. Here's hoping that progress on "The Last Inkweaver" will help make a difference, and I've even resorted to seeing if I can't finish "The Amazon Triangle", just to get all the words in before the end of the month!

Reading


In recent weeks, I've acquired some furnishings... namely, a small swivel armchair that is oh so comfy, which in turn inspired me to take this pink shelf that I was trying to install unobtrusively in my closet (but the Command fasteners didn't work out and I wasn't ready to commit to using screws just yet...), paint it PURPLE (because that's the accent color I've chosen for my room) and install it under the window for an extended Indie Bookshelf, so I don't have to worry about cramming books on the top shelf of my computer desk any more! And it makes an adorable little reading nook! Very nice for quietly humming through the many books I have yet to read!

That being said, a recent trip to the library netted me a few books I've been eyeing for some time--a new Anthony Horowitz book The Word Is Murder, a shining example of self-insertion done in a very non-aggrandizing manner! Very entertaining, and what a twist at the end! Meanwhile I'm still trying hard to plug away at The Sword of Shannara--it's picking up a little more in the pace, but I still find myself skimming a lot... those tiny Mass Market paperbacks are hard to hold when they're so thick, too! I'm making progress on Uncommon Type by none other than Tom Hanks--and it really helps to hear his warm, inviting voice reading his words in my head. UP NEXT though, I find I have to prioritize library books, or (as in the case of Death Masks by Jim Butcher) they come due before I've even read them--and it does me no good to see that pesky designation of DELINQUENT when I'm trying to check out new holds that have suddenly come in! So Tom and Terry are going to just have to wait while I enjoy A Sliver of Stardust by Marissa Burt, Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen, and The Fallen by David Baldacci!

On the ebook front, I've finished my 99th book! Chasing Rabbits by Erin Bedford is a twist on "Alice in Wonderland", and it's quite twisty, dark, and wonderfully entertaining! Now on to Book 100, an honor I've reserved for a very special book I cannot wait to read, Painter Place by Pamela Poole!
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Whew! That's another month down! See you all in October! And as always...

Catch You Further Upstream!

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