Life Stuff
Back to school?? No dice. For the first week after school "opened", we staff assistants (or "support staff" as we are called) were making up for the lack of student supervision by finding other ways to support the teachers wherever we could: straightening up classrooms, organizing bookshelves and cabinets, running copies, stuffing folders... But all that vanished when word came down that the district was putting all of us--a couple hundred at least--on "temporary furlough", effective in about 2 weeks. Then "Smoke Week" hit (sounds like a marijuana festival, doesn't it??) and schools were closed for one of those two weeks we had to "get our affairs in order" (at least, that's what it felt like) before we would not be reporting to work "until further notice." Not quite laid off, not quite "out of a job", nor even on "standby"--just "furloughed."
I've been coping with the situation by practically throwing myself whole-hog into writing. I've logged 150 days of writing straight since May, making this my most productive year since I even started tracking my word count--maybe even ever!
Reading? Not so much, but maybe that's because I've thrown myself so hard at keeping up with my writing and whatnot that I've slacked on my reading a whole lot. That might also be because I've got some pretty thick books that are not wholly enthralling enough to keep me reading for long stretches. More on that later!
I've been coping with the situation by practically throwing myself whole-hog into writing. I've logged 150 days of writing straight since May, making this my most productive year since I even started tracking my word count--maybe even ever!
Reading? Not so much, but maybe that's because I've thrown myself so hard at keeping up with my writing and whatnot that I've slacked on my reading a whole lot. That might also be because I've got some pretty thick books that are not wholly enthralling enough to keep me reading for long stretches. More on that later!
Monthly Stats:
Words Written: 36,830
Books Read: 2/4
Writing
The Last Inkweaver
Now I go all the way back to where I left off to write the "trouble" part, and keep piecing together what I had from the earlier draft, along with what I need to write anew so that it comes off better than it did the other time. Also making sure that lines of dialogue or references to sequences that no longer exist are dealt with, and that new lines are inserted to create a sense of continuity with the new events that have been written into the beginning.
I keep telling myself that this sort of thing is normal for the writing gig. We write the same four beats over and over again, each time discovering a little bit more about the characters, the world, and the story as a whole, cohesive piece. It doesn't mean it "wasn't any good" the first time around--and there are still shades and hints of things from Draft 1 that have survived a whole lot of rewrites--but the more I make it all the way through to the end of the story, the more I can figure out about how everything leads to that ultimate end!
Fun fact: my parents recently discovered an old printed-out copy of Draft 1--I remember how immensely proud I was when I finished it, now to look back on it, I just think "Boy, I've come a long way as a writer!"
The Undersea Saga
Meanwhile, I've been piecing together the sequel, and I think I've decided on a plot that just might work! Again, it's 11 chapters--so at the very least, I know I can keep the books at a consistent length--and I already know the 3 stories that are going to serve as the "Tales from Crossway", so that's going to be fun to provide. I will say, it's kind of not exactly "Pinocchio" in the way that Princess of Undersea related so closely to "The Little Mermaid"--but it should be a smashing story that provides readers with all the feels and paves the way for interest in the rest of the series!
Speaking of the rest of the series--what do you think of the thumbnail for this section? I made it--so those aren't like the "official" title fonts or anything... but I was kind of thrilled to find symbols that matched the feel for each story: a fancy heart that looks like a pendant for Princess of Undersea; an angular sun/star that is kind of reminiscent of a circus tent for Fugitive of Crossway; a cog for Fury of Outwest; and a flower for Queen of Overcliff. PLUS, those four colors are going to be like the "color theme" for each cover: Book 2 is going to have that dark red tint, Book 3 has kind of more purple in it; and Book 4 will definitely have more blues and stuff. I put it together just to see how those colors would look side-by-side, and I really think the jewel tones work really well together, don't you?
Also, as a fun little piece, just in the last week, I've gotten to fill out a couple author interviews: one with Michael Baker on his Thousand Scars Blog, and one with Melissa Sell--those were really fun, and I got to talk about some behind-the-scenes information about Princess of Undersea in particular, so check them out!
Priscilla Sum
Now they're all out again, and I have to get things in order for the Big Climactic Face-off--which, as I'm writing it out, is not quite what I thought it was going to be when I wrote the "fake climax" for the "Flashes of Inspiration" series two years back. (For one thing, it's going to be in first person--I'd framed it in third person when I skipped ahead to write that bit!) It's just a little bit different, but in a good way! We're almost there! And so far my Muse seems to be cooperating, so I intend to stoke that urge and keep it going for as long as possible!
The Clan of Outcasts, Season 3
I spent "season 1" having a heyday with all the flashbacks to introduce my main characters, and then in "season 2" I could move on and just tell a straight-up story because the readers already had enough background information.
This time, I set it three years in the future from the end of "season 2", mainly because I wanted to see if it would be possible to include references to a fanfiction I wrote, tying the world of The Clan of Outcasts in with another world from a series of which I am an ardent fan. For that to succeed, though, I needed to imply that the particular character I used for the fanfic was gone for a whole year, without telling anyone, and she'd rather not dredge up what she found out there--but many changes had happened, all the same.
Not to mention that there were quite a few new characters I wanted to bring in, but it wasn't like I could just "flashback" my way through their stories like I did for "season 1", because they weren't characters that the readers meet all at once--and there's another plot going on behind it all, moving forward in the manner of "season 2", so the challenge became where and when to fit in those flashbacks.
Of course, I don't stop there, now, do I? Perish the thought!
Of course, I don't stop there, now, do I? Perish the thought!
To make things even more complicated, I had enough characters to split them all up by the handful, so instead of having one or two locations between which to divide up the focus in each installment, I've got like four or five, and sometimes that's not even including a flashback I might need to give the reader more backstory about a character, so that they can still follow what's going on in the "present day" plot line!
I've got 2 segments posted so far--mainly because there were a couple weeks where the plot for Priscilla Sum kind of dried up... but she's back at it now, so I might get back to finishing that up so then it's just "all Clan of Outcasts all the time!" Be sure to drop a comment (or click a reaction) to let me know how you're liking it!
I've got 2 segments posted so far--mainly because there were a couple weeks where the plot for Priscilla Sum kind of dried up... but she's back at it now, so I might get back to finishing that up so then it's just "all Clan of Outcasts all the time!" Be sure to drop a comment (or click a reaction) to let me know how you're liking it!
Speaking of Clan of Outcasts...
Wattpad
Do you have Wattpad? Have you looked at those first installments of "Season 3", but you're a little confused as to what's going on? Would you like to read it all the way through from the beginning, just to get to know the characters better?
Since submitting The Clan of Outcasts for the "Wattys 2020" award, I've garnered one solitary read. One person clicked one chapter one time. What gives? Is nobody interested in a story like that? I can almost guarantee you don't see a whole lot of this type of story! Go on and try it for size--let me know at which point you just completely lose interest... I ought to know if that's my problem, as long as it isn't something else that's just turning people off!
Meanwhile, I've just finished reposting Red, The Wolf on there, and I've also started adding my Once Upon A Time fanfiction, Poor Unfortunate Soul--obviously the story of Ariel, as it would have been told in Season 1 or early Season 2, back when the show was actually concerned about creating a good contemporary adaptation of various fairy tales, and not just a cash-grabbing "Real Housewives Of Disney"! Fun Fact: I consider Poor Unfortunate Soul to be "Draft Zero" of Princess of Undersea, since that was where I put a lot of thought into re-telling the story of The Little Mermaid!
Reading
The two books I marked as Read in the last month were Dawn of Destiny by Amy Hopkins and Michael Anderle, the "Reader's Review" book I managed to post this month, and The INFJ Writer by Lauren Sapala.
I've already posted my review of Dawn of Destiny, so if you want to know what I thought of it, you can follow the hyperlinked text to the review.
I've already posted my review of Dawn of Destiny, so if you want to know what I thought of it, you can follow the hyperlinked text to the review.
That second one was interesting because I don't do a lot of nonfiction reading, and besides, I'm pretty sure it was the first time I made a "purchase request" of the library, and actually got it! (I made another request that still hasn't been filled--it's probably obsolete by now, since I am pretty sure it's been six months... worth a shot, I guess!)
Firstly, for those who don't know, the letters INFJ refer to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. There are four primary areas that they've identified as factors that contribute to one's personality: Where you focus your attention – Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I); the way you take in information – Sensing (S) or INtuition (N); how you make decisions – Thinking (T) or Feeling (F); and how you deal with the world – Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).
As for the book itself--the more I read it, the more I realized it emphasized the fact that I'm really almost evenly split between INFJ and INFP--and when it comes to my personality as a writer, I'm definitely more on the INFP side. So there was quite a bit of "INFJ-specific" information that didn't quite help me where I needed it.
Firstly, for those who don't know, the letters INFJ refer to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. There are four primary areas that they've identified as factors that contribute to one's personality: Where you focus your attention – Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I); the way you take in information – Sensing (S) or INtuition (N); how you make decisions – Thinking (T) or Feeling (F); and how you deal with the world – Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).
As for the book itself--the more I read it, the more I realized it emphasized the fact that I'm really almost evenly split between INFJ and INFP--and when it comes to my personality as a writer, I'm definitely more on the INFP side. So there was quite a bit of "INFJ-specific" information that didn't quite help me where I needed it.
The points that helped me the most, though, was when she started talking about in general the personality type category she calls "Sensitive Intuitives": the ones with the "Intuition" and "Feeling" combination. Many of the things she posited about this group in particular hit home with me in a lot of ways; she shared things that are true about the way Sensitive-Intuitives function (based on her own experience and observation, and her understanding of the theoretical science behind the personality categorizing) that are a bit of what I've noticed about myself over the years--but never really understood why. I appreciated the bit of affirmation that said, "Here's why; this stuff that you've been experiencing is totally normal and it happens to everyone who disseminates information and makes decisions the way you do."
I did make notes of the different exercises she recommends for writers having trouble in the areas I've struggled with off-and-on... One thing I will say, I think I did learn about this book and put in my request near the beginning of the year, when I was, indeed, struggling to get words on a page and find time to really get into the discipline of writing... But ever since I've been out of work, I've really found my stride and I haven't struggled in the same way at all since then! So... Thanks to this book for really driving home and defining those things that I was coming to terms with the hard way? Who knows?
I did make notes of the different exercises she recommends for writers having trouble in the areas I've struggled with off-and-on... One thing I will say, I think I did learn about this book and put in my request near the beginning of the year, when I was, indeed, struggling to get words on a page and find time to really get into the discipline of writing... But ever since I've been out of work, I've really found my stride and I haven't struggled in the same way at all since then! So... Thanks to this book for really driving home and defining those things that I was coming to terms with the hard way? Who knows?
Meanwhile, in the realm of fiction reading, I've got four books on my nightstand and one ebook that I'm plowing through.
In terms of "Reader's Reviews" books, I'm currently coming up to halfway through Deception by Katika Schneider. I read the first book in the series Tales of the Fallen, Devotion, a few years ago, and I had very mixed feelings about it, as you'll probably notice by my review. It's just tough when you get attached to certain characters over others, but it seems to run at cross purposes for what the author wants to tell in their story (trying not to be spoilery here!) and I'm really trying to give the other characters their chance to prove their mettle and make me care about them here in the second book--and I have to say, it is working, just a little! The world-building is still absolutely on-point and the pace was a little slow at first because I had to find characters to care about... but now I do care, so it really does feel like the pace is picking up! Here's hoping the rest of the book is smooth sailing.
Meanwhile the next book is one that I'm reading as an ebook, and that is Ace of Clubs by Patricia Loofbourrow. Her series The Red Dog Conspiracy is really a work of genius, and there is no shortage of characters to love and enjoy there! I'm finding the same old feelings dredging up, in the midst of shocking revelations and more intrigue and mystery than ever before! All you readers will have those two reviews to look forward to in the next month!
In terms of "Reader's Reviews" books, I'm currently coming up to halfway through Deception by Katika Schneider. I read the first book in the series Tales of the Fallen, Devotion, a few years ago, and I had very mixed feelings about it, as you'll probably notice by my review. It's just tough when you get attached to certain characters over others, but it seems to run at cross purposes for what the author wants to tell in their story (trying not to be spoilery here!) and I'm really trying to give the other characters their chance to prove their mettle and make me care about them here in the second book--and I have to say, it is working, just a little! The world-building is still absolutely on-point and the pace was a little slow at first because I had to find characters to care about... but now I do care, so it really does feel like the pace is picking up! Here's hoping the rest of the book is smooth sailing.
Meanwhile the next book is one that I'm reading as an ebook, and that is Ace of Clubs by Patricia Loofbourrow. Her series The Red Dog Conspiracy is really a work of genius, and there is no shortage of characters to love and enjoy there! I'm finding the same old feelings dredging up, in the midst of shocking revelations and more intrigue and mystery than ever before! All you readers will have those two reviews to look forward to in the next month!
And lastly, the remaining books on my nightstand, the other library checkouts, are as follows:
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik--the start of it was a lot of wartime skirmishes, so there were a bunch of technical jargon and sequences that I wasn't really invested in... but Temeraire is definitely more dedicated to keeping Lawrence within reach, no matter what kind of trouble that lands the two of them in--rather entertaining to see humans try and intimidate a dragon!
I also started Blood Rites by Jim Butcher--it's almost as good as reading another Grave Reports novel... ALMOST. But really, I do enjoy the Dresden Files. He still stays entertaining, with every book.
The one I picked up most recently and I'm exercising great restraint to finish the books I'm already reading before starting that one, is The Masked City, the second book in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. I absolutely adored her first book, and I'm excessively excited to read this second one... but I know it's going to go a whole heck of a lot faster to read it than reading these other four, so I must wait!
So that brings me to the end of what all I have for you in the way of updates. Next time I post one of these, I'll be talking about the new release--hopefully I'll have some reviews to share with you--and I hope there will be a lot fewer projects to talk about as I finish them up! In the meantime, feel free to comment and let me know what books you've been reading, or if you're a writer, what projects you're working on! I read all my comments, and very often I respond, too! As always...
Catch You Further Upstream!
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