World building flip book

I'm working on flip books for my rpg work, copywriting techniques and customer needs.

I think I'm going to work on a flip book for world building in the South Reach series. It's sort of done to an extent, because I've taken a lot of notes and put them into a binder, tabbed for easy referencing. But I think I'm going to design a more structured technique for it and build that into a brainstorming exercise. They will be 15 minute a day brainstorming exercises.

Maybe once I have the basics down as it works for me, someone with experience producing a lot of books, such as Holly Lisle, could make it into a model that others could use. She's done a lot of paying it forward to me, maybe this could be a way I could pay it forward to her - so to speak.

A bit of a snag....

I've been organizing my time to allow me to work daily on my fiction, non-fiction, information products, and copywriting.

On the fiction front ... I may have multiple novels in the works, but it will take me awhile longer to get my main series going. Seems the timeline for it doesn't quite work with the map design. So, back to the planning of the steps for the two parties before they meet at the end of book one.

I suspect there will be some gaps that I have to fill in. Could end up with another book's worth out of it.

For now, I'm going to work the in-human series and post it to OWW. Then, I've decided to use it as a blog-book. Have to figure out a decent title for it before I can make the blog though.

Patience in Publishing

The more I get into what it takes to get recognized and given a chance by those in major publishing circles, the less it appeals to me. I want to be published, I want to have my books available to everyone, and I want to make this a paying career.

But ... I've been silently observing a friend's trials recently of getting the query letter just right. The amount of time consumed in getting that one letter just right is incredible. Another book could have been written! She's excellent at providing information on how to get a good proposal package together, and is doing an awesome job. I'm sure some good books will now get the chance at publication because of her effort.

If you're in the process of figuring out how to get an agent or publisher to notice you, see her blog at Jenn's Realm It's worth it. She's also heading up a proposal package group through OWW.

I thought about participating on the group, but I'm glad I'm not. I would like to observe it though.

I just don't have the patience to devote the amount of time some people do. I'd rather just write. For me, I'm going to stick with submitting to small publishers, self-publish the projects that are suitable for it, and be more involved in the marketing of my own books.

Trials of a writer gaining respect

I've written before how others don't take the career of a writer seriously - or many other forms of self-employment, for that matter. When you couple writing with internet marketing, it really gets a little tougher.

To get your name out there you have to do things that are considering "playing around" online. It's called networking, but it's also a lot of internet talking and playing.

Message boards - You talk to people. They like what you say. They check you out through your signature links.

Blogs - You write things people need to know or hear someone else say. They check you out through your profile, or through the links you list.

Membership Community sites like Facebook, Myspace, etc also give you exposure - and they are proving to be valuable networking tools.

But if a non-writer sees you "playing around" with anyone of these, they suddenly think you're not working and that makes being taken serious by them that much harder.

At least until you really start making money, and become a consistant income producer. Or so I've heard. I still haven't made it that far.

On being a writer

And all that comes with it.

I'm a hermit type of person. I like my privacy. I like not being the center of attention. But once you're published and you have a fan base, that goes away. And sometimes you're targeted.

BUT I would like to be financially successful at it. And that means taking the good with the bad.

This has been on my mind since last night's episode of Murder She Wrote. Jessica is targeted because her plot in a mystery book is like that of another real-life incident that she knew nothing about.

In this world, it's so easy to come up with a storyline that mimics someone else's life, or a storyline that is close to another's creation, without any knowledge of the other's existence. If most people weren't so busy, this type of thing would probably crop up all the time.

I have no fear of being a writer. No fear of being published. But I do have a fear of being targeted. Guess it's a fear I'll have to deal with.

In the meantime, I have to go check Mundania Press's reading periods before I get the manuscript out to them. Seems there's a change in them.

Vacation's over

Just had five days off with family time. Now it's back to work.

Have large non-fiction project #1 to work on.

Have a novel and novella to prepare for Claw and Quill Writer's Guild and OWW.

General Progress

I've made it through one small report course, and am working on a series of reports that will fit into a big course package once I'm done.

Going is good, although slow. This is a busy, busy week for the family. We have family coming in this week, a graduation party to throw, and a banquet to attend. I hope to get one small report ready before chaos slips in this week, and work on getting it posted and for sale next week.