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The Painting (The Watching, 1) Now Available!

Posted on May 25, 2013 // Leave a Comment

The Painting The Watching Book 1 thumbnail

Good news! My new book, The Painting, is now available to buy over at Amazon for $2.99/£1.99! Just hit here to be transferred to the relevant Kindle Store.

Here’s a bit about the book:

You think you know the story.

When struggling novelist Donny retreats to a derelict old house, he hopes to find the inspiration to overcome his battle with writer’s block. However, things don’t seem to be getting any easier for him inside the creepy house.

Until he finds the painting.

Reinvigorated by the painting’s alluring presence, Donny finally begins to defeat his writer’s block. But something is changing in the painting. Something is changing in the house.

Something is watching…

As events grow more terrifying and surreal, Donny finds himself not only fighting to write, but fighting for his life and his sanity.

What is the painting? You might think you know.

The Painting is a 90 page/27,000 word suspense-horror novella. It is the first instalment in The Watching trilogy.

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The book has already received some nice initial praise, with one reader informing me that they finished it in one sitting, as well as some great beta reader/ARC feedback.
Again, if you want to grab a copy of your own and see what all the fuss is about, then head over to Amazon. If it doesn’t take you directly to your store, just replace the ‘.com/.co.uk’ in the link with your store and that will do the trick.

As I promised, my new release notification subscribers heard about the book way before anybody else. In fact, they got their hands on it two days ago! If you’d like to be in their shoes next time round, then just click here to sign up. I only ever send out emails when I’ve got a new book out, and I never share your details with anybody. Promise.

*

The Painting is the result of a craving to write a conceptual horror of some sort as well as editing fatigue. I’ve been editing and rewriting my second novel for quite some time now, and finished the draft of my third back in February. By the end of April, I was eager to get writing again.

I actually started what would become The Painting back in January, but dropped it due to other commitments. It’s an idea I’ve always been fond of, even though I didn’t really know what that idea ‘was’ until I wrote it.

The bulk of the draft was written over an intensely creative one-week period where I was penning an average of 5k per day. The more I wrote, the larger the buzz increased. Insert [writing is my drug cliché here]. I wanted to prove to both myself and to my readers that a good story is not necessarily written over a crazy period of time. If you’ve got a tight plan and some solid elements in place, then you can finish a draft in no time.

That said, The Painting totally deviated from the plan. In fact, without wanting to spoil it, some of the key plot moments were completely spontaneous. The three-chapter split of the book pretty much splits in the same way as my mind when writing it. I had an idea where I wanted the thing to go, but I let my creativity run wild.

Big thanks to — Cynthia Shepp, Adrijus Guscia, Leanne Sype, and James Parsons. Your help in each stage really developed and refined my ideas.

I hope you enjoy the book. It’s just the first part of something much, much bigger, the rest of which you’ll be able to check out in the remainder of 2013.

Again, if you want a copy, click here.

Enjoy!
Ryan Casey.

Filed Under: Announcements, My Books // Tagged: , , , ,

Kindle Worlds: Why Amazon’s Fan Fiction Platform is Good News

Posted on May 23, 2013 // Leave a Comment

kindle worldsA couple of years ago, self-publishing was a dirty word.

Okay, okay — it still is. But it’s slowly shaking its negative connotations. People are not only able to publish books that publishers dismiss as inappropriate, but are managing to form stable careers through independent publishing. Criticise Amazon as much as you like, but I believe that KDP has been central to this image change, and I’m willing to bet that a high percentage of fellow writers would agree.

Fan fiction is a similarly ‘dirty’ term. After all, how can something be legitimate if it’s directly based on someone else’s source material? Fan fiction tends to strike the vast majority of people as something of a childish fantasy; a writer’s beginning before moving on to more original ideas.

But some people love writing fan fiction, and Amazon might just have found a way for that hobby to evolve into something else entirely.

Yesterday, Amazon announced Kindle Worlds. Kindle Worlds is the first major platform that allows writers to publish fan fiction and earn royalties for doing so. Currently, there are only licenses for three ‘worlds’ — Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries — but this is expected to grow in time.

A lot of the initial concerns surrounding Kindle Worlds have been questions of quality. Fan fiction writers, some argue, are yet to learn the true mechanics of writing if they feel they should have to rely on rules established by others to create a story.

However, I think this is largely inaccurate yet staggeringly familiar. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that self-published authors were accused of not really understanding story mechanics, hence their lack of traditional publication. Of course, we know now that this is not true. Sure, self-publishing might be full of slush, but that slush remains unnoticed at the bottom while the real good stuff rises to the top. I expect the case of fan fiction to be somewhat similar — some good material, mostly bad material, but nobody notices the bad material anyway so the good material stands out.

But really, I think that Kindle Worlds is another example of Amazon’s wise business practices. Ultimately, the company is majorly profiting from our ability to be creative. Amazon realises that sometimes, in the case of KDP, quality might be an issue, but it takes those risks for the 20% of great reads out there. Amazon is a business who understands the future, and for that I applaud them.

There are a few concerns, of course. The small print argues that once fan fiction has been published through the Kindle Worlds platform, Amazon are entitled to the rights of that world, with your permission. All that means is they can re-use your world or characters if they want to. Personally, I don’t think this is such a big issue. If you have created a character who is so damn appealing they get Amazon attention, then pat yourself on the back.

Or just use the world in your own original work instead and keep all the copyrights. It’s your choice.

Kindle Worlds will upset some people, but the possibilities it opens for a whole new type of writer are unquestionable. Although the catalogue may currently be limited, as it grows, I look forward to observing the results.

And writing that The Walking Dead episode I’ve always wanted to work on!

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The Painting The Watching Book 1 thumbnailMoving swiftly from the world of fan fiction and work of my own, I have a new book coming out over the next couple of days. It’s called The Painting, and I talked about it here. New Release Notification subscribers will be the very first to hear about it, so click here if you fancy being one of the early readers.

Until then, feel free to send me some fan fiction of my work via email. Now that WOULD be flattering…

Ryan.

Filed Under: Publishing // Tagged: , , , , ,

The Painting (The Watching Book 1) Preview

Posted on May 15, 2013 // 2 Comments

The Painting The Watching Book 1 thumbnailOn Sunday, I revealed a brand-new project titled The Painting, which is the first novella in a planned creepy suspense series of three for launch in 2013.

I promised a preview of the book, so here you go. All I ask for in return is that you share this post with somebody you think might enjoy it. If they enjoy it, they’re more than welcome to click here to be notified before anyone else as soon as The Painting is available (late May likely).

Enjoy!

PS: The Painting is still in copy-editing so do excuse any minor typos my tired eyes may have missed. They’ll be gone in the final version.

*

He knew they were still watching him.

‘Donny, you’re going to have to come out of there.’ Banging at the door, muffled voices.

He knew they were still watching him because he felt their gaze; felt it from inside his body, their eyes examining every inch of his being.

The trees.

But there was more than trees. The figures. There were definitely figures. He’d seen them and he knew what they were now. He knew where they came from and what it all meant.

Watching, waiting. Waiting for somebody else to come along.

He pulled his head from under the quilt as he heard a knocking at the door.

‘Donny, you’re gonna have to come out of there at some point,’ she shouted.

He wanted to shout back. He wanted to jump out of the bed and run back to her, but he was completely frozen.

‘We’rewatchingwe’rewatchingwe’rewatching.’

Would they see the figures too? Or was that just him?

Was it all over?

As he elevated himself from the bed, he tried not to look at the painting, not even in his mind’s eye. He still felt their gaze burning through the sheets and engulfing his body.

He knew they were still there.

The creeping of their slender feet squelching across the marshy grass. Their little hands tap, tap, tapping the thin air.

‘Donny, come on.’

She couldn’t hear them. Only he could hear them. Only he was special enough.

Pitter patter up the stairs.

No. They weren’t there, not anymore. It was over. It was over.

They sang a song sometimes — a quiet song. It was hard to make out, but he heard the whispers and calls. It was like a sort of nursery rhyme; a coming home. Something his mother might have hummed to him as she moved back on forth on her rocking chair.

The cracking of a floorboard.

Pitter patter of little feet up the stairs.

‘Donny, I know you’re in there, and I know you’re scared, but you just need to get out of there or we’re gonna have to get you out of there ourselves.’

Sara. She’d found him. She’d come back for him and she was going to take him home and then all of this would be over.

But they were watching.

He pulled his head back under the quilt like he used to do when he was a little boy hiding from the monsters under the bed. Resist them, resist them.

A deeper voice outside the room, then a cough and a sigh. ‘We’re going to knock the door down, mate,’ the man’s voice said.

More mumbling. He couldn’t knock the door down. Knocking the door down would let them in and then they’d see them too and take them away. They’d take Sara away.

Wouldn’t they?

But he couldn’t get up from under the quilt. They would be watching from the painting. They always watched from the painting. He kept still as his body shook against the dusting white sheets. A little bit of his foot was exposed at the end of the bed but he had to avoid moving it, the coldness growing closer and tickling its way up his ankles.

Crash.

He squeezed his eyes together. The singing started. He heard it inside him, like headphones wired into his skull. The humming. No words, just beautiful bright music.

Crash.

He had to stop them. He had to stop them and warn them and get them out of here.

He threw the quilt out of his face as the door crashed again and the light cut through the darkness of the room, stinging his eyes. He waved his hands towards them. ‘Get… get out, just go, you can’t be here, they’re watching–’

‘Donny, it’s okay, it’s me,’ the man said. He held his hands up in front of him like a perpetrator caught by the police.

‘It’s the painting, they’re watching, and, and–’

‘Donny, there’s nothing on the painting. Nothing on it. See? Look at it. There’s nothing there.’

Donny tilted his head towards it. The bronzing frame, the autumn leaves–

No. They’d be there. He couldn’t go back. He couldn’t risk going back. Manny Bates ended up here and she never got back. He couldn’t risk being another Manny Bates.

‘Just look at it, Don,’ Sara said, pointing her fingers at it. ‘There’s nothing there.’

He squeezed his eyes together. Just check. Just check, then you’ll know. He turned his shaking head to the painting and almost immediately swung his gaze away.

The six trees. The forest. The grey sky. And the figures.

The six hooded figures.

He felt their presence in the room as he smiled and shook his head. The cold crept up his flesh as Sara’s face grew ever more distant.

‘See, there’s nothing there,’ Sara said, her voice little more than a mumble, as Donny drifted away into the darkness.

*

And that’s all for now, folks! Hope you’ve enjoyed this little preview of The Painting. If you have, then sign up to the new release notification list to be among the first to read the book. You’ll never be spammed and your details will be nice and secure.

If you still don’t trust me, then add the book to your GoodReads. I’m trustworthy though. Promise.

Have a great week. It’s my first exam of 2013 on Friday so wish me luck!

R.C.

Filed Under: My Books // Tagged: , , , ,

The Painting: New Book from Ryan Casey, Coming Soon…

Posted on May 12, 2013 // 6 Comments

The Painting The Watching Book 1 thumbnail

Surprise: I have a new release on the way.

It’s called ‘The Painting’, as you can see from the lovely cover to the left, and is the first part of a series I like to call ‘The Watching’.

The Painting is indeed the novella I was working on when I tracked my progress a few weeks ago. Just shows how quickly releases can be put together when we really throw everything we’ve got at them.

What is The Painting?

The Painting is a 27,000 word suspense novella. It’s the creepy tale of a struggling writer who retreats to an old, abandoned house for inspiration.

Finding writing tough, he stumbles upon a painting in the house, and soon becomes inspired to finish his novel.

However, when he notices six figures getting closer and closer from within the painting, everything begins to change. Is he slowly losing his mind? Or is there something else at play?

Of course, you’ll have to pick up a copy when it launches at the end of the month to find out. Naturally, my mailing list subscribers will be the first to hear, so click here for new release notifications (zero spam and total privacy, promise).

If you use GoodReads, you can also add it to your ‘to-read’ list here.

Can I read a sample of the book?

Of course you can!

This Wednesday.

I know, I know — how unfair, etc — but you’ll just have to wait a little longer. I’m really happy with it though and I’m sure fans of my other work will be fond of it, particularly if you enjoyed my short fiction. Beta reader feedback has been positive so far, so that’s always a good thing.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Ryan.

The Painting: The Watching I launches at the end of May. To be notified as soon as the book is available, sign up to the Ryan’s new release mailing list or add it you your GoodReads list.

Filed Under: Announcements, My Books // Tagged: , , , , , ,

Let’s Get Visible by David Gaughran is Now Available

Posted on May 11, 2013 // 2 Comments

let's get visibleAuthors and publishers, stop what you’re doing and head on over to Amazon right this moment. David Gaughran, one of the most self-publishing savvy authors out there, has just launched his new book, Let’s Get Visible: How To Get Noticed And Sell More Books.

I’ve been a huge fan of David’s work ever since I picked up a copy of his first publishing guide, Let’s Get Digital, last year. It provided me with the tools and confidence I needed to pursue self-publishing, and I owe a lot to him for giving me that final push. If you’re contemplating independently publishing your books, check out Let’s Get Digital.

As for Let’s Get Visible, I downloaded it last night at 6pm and finished reading it an hour or so later. Not only is there a far-from-confusing guide to understanding the mythical Amazon algorithms, there’s some great tips on maximising promotions and getting the most out of a book’s potential visibility. Advice on maximising visibility in certain categories I found useful in particular.

Consider it a manifesto for the independent author. That said, plenty of traditional publishers could learn a few lessons from it too, but don’t hold your breath.

Overall, if you’ve read Let’s Get Digital, then you’ll no doubt be reading this already. If you haven’t, pick up the first book then grab this. Whether new to publishing or more experienced, there’s something for everyone.

Hope you’re having a good weekend!

Let’s Get Visible is available to download from Amazon and other stores. To visit David’s website, click here.

Filed Under: Publishing // Tagged: , , , , ,

Writing for a Living: Preparing for a Career in Making Stuff Up

Posted on May 10, 2013 // 13 Comments

writing for a livingIn three weeks time, I’ll be completely free.

After seventeen years in full-time education, I finally pack my bags and head back home from the University of Birmingham, where I’m finishing up my English with Creative Writing degree programme. I’ve enjoyed my time there and learned a lot of life lessons, so it’s safe to say I’ve no regrets.

That said, I’m ready to leave.

For the last two years, I’ve juggled my fiction writing/blogging/marketing with my degree. Neither have suffered for my extended commitments, except perhaps my sanity (joke — I’ve never been sane). However, as scary and daunting as finishing up and leaving for the real world is, I could not be more excited.

On June 1st, I begin my full-time career of making stuff up and writing for a living.

I’ve thought long and hard about where I want to go in the future. I’ve contemplated journalism, with fiction on the side. I’ve thought about graduate programmes and masters degrees, but all of those would really just be delaying what I believe is my true calling: writing and publishing fiction for a living.

Don’t get me wrong — full disclosure and all that — I don’t currently earn enough from my fiction to make a living. That’s no surprise though, really. I only have one novel out and it’s a standalone. Even so, through judicious use of KDP Select, I’ve earned around $1,200 from the book since November, which is probably more like $700 when all costs are taken out. I’ve made enough to fund another novel, and that was my personal goal with this book.

The truth is, when it comes to writing for a living, I don’t have to make mega-bucks to be happy. I’m totally willing to live on the breadline for two years whilst I see out my upcoming projects. I don’t want to go into too much depth just yet but I’ve got a VERY comprehensive map of releases from this day right up until December 2015. Although the publishing landscape will change, probably for better and for worse, these releases will not. If I see out this goal, I’ll have enough good quality books out to call this fantastic little activity a career.

I have a fantastic family who have supported me through every stage of my life and I know they’ll support me in the next step. I know that this will require patience — financial results are never instant with a growing career — but if I follow my set path, I’ll be in a good position at the end of what I’m now dubbing ‘stage 2′ to consider myself writing for a living wage. Stage 1 was launching the first book, selling copies, building an audience; stage 2 is what follows.

The decision to make writing my full-time activity (I refuse to call it a job) wasn’t easy. I’m well aware that writing for a living isn’t a click of the fingers thing and that I’ll have to pursue part-time employment every now and then to make ends meet. Regardless, I totally believe in myself and know that if I can just commit to a few thousand words per day, this will only be a temporary scenario.

KBoards has been a great source of encouragement lately. Over there, there’s loads of members writing for a living and sharing their stories. See here and here for two fantastic and inspirational examples.

I’ve realised it isn’t about luck anymore. In the old days, it was: you crossed your fingers to be picked up by a publisher, and even then, success was far from guaranteed. Now, it’s just about creating professional products, and plenty of them. Well, that, and constantly seeking to improve writing craft.

I know I can do that. I will do that.

At the end of this month, I’ll be launching a new book (to be notified as soon as it’s available, click here). I’d like to dedicate it to my family; my friends; all the readers of the website; people who email; reviewers, whether positive or constructively critical; Facebook friends; Twitter people, and so on. Basically, to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me going into this exciting yet terrifying second stage.

Here’s to writing for a living and following dreams.

Who’s with me?

Thanks for the support.

Ryan Casey.

Filed Under: Progress Reports // Tagged: , , ,

Ageism and Writing: Why to Take Pride in Your Age

Posted on May 9, 2013 // 8 Comments

ageism and writingI don’t comment on my reviews.

Generally, I’m pleased with how things are going. The last time I checked, my debut book had a pretty good average. Naturally, there are a mixture of opinions out there. Some think the characters are great and really capture that youthful nostalgia, others don’t particularly enjoy the voice of the characters. That’s fine: it’s a taste thing, so I can completely buy that.

I’ve taken my fair share of 5, 4, 3, and 2-star reviews, and pretty much all of them have revolved around a matter of taste and preference rather than content or quality of writing. For that, I’m happy.

However, there are two comments in (otherwise well-argued) reviews that have always stuck with me and probably always will.

They read as follows:

‘Overall, the writer needs to grow up a bit…’

And another:

‘At several times I concluded that the writer was disconnected from reality, then I realised they were young…’

Probably two of the most scathing comments I’ve ever received, and what’s the common theme? Age.

Despite being aware of ageism, I’m very open about my age in my books, on my blog, across social media, etc. In case you don’t know, I’m 21. Yeah — I’m just finishing university and I’m publishing books. If you find that uncomfortable, then don’t read my stuff.

Something else: I’m proud of my age. I’m proud that I’m not just writing for a hobby at 21 but actively going out there investing in editing and cover design, and putting my work on the market.

The notion that age correlates with quality is, quite frankly, absurd. Now, I totally appreciate that writers improve with experience — that’s a given. And sure, people naturally put out more books the older they get. However, by this logic, a first-time novel from a seventy-year old is automatically better than a tenth novel by a twenty-five year old. Right?

Wrong.

That first-time novel might be fantastic. I’d imagine it won’t be quite as fantastic as the writing of someone who has been studying and practising craft for ten years, even if they are half their age. Writing quality isn’t a matter of age — it’s a matter of experience. Well, that, and a whole load of personal preference.

99.99999% of the writing and publishing community are fantastic. I was actually stunned by the lack of ageism between authors when I first started writing. I rather cynically expected at least some ageism, but it just hasn’t worked that way, so thank you for that.

99.99999% of readers, whether they love or loathe my stuff, are also great, and I appreciate every comment. It is interesting how what I believe is reader ageism affects things, though, even if it is in the minority. If I leave something open and ambiguous in a novel, it isn’t because of a desire to provoke debate from the reader but because, ‘oh, he’s young, so it’s wrong, so he’ll learn.’

Think about it: if I decide in my own conscious mind that I’ll break convention somewhat by not hooking up the protagonist and his love interest, refusing to give readers a clichéd ending, it’s not because I’m ‘just young’ — it’s because, as a writer, I’ve decided to make that conscious decision. If you didn’t like it, that’s a taste thing.

But of course, I’m young, so that conscious decision is probably wrong.

This post isn’t a rant, by the way. Like I said, ageism is something I came into the field expecting and I’ve been rather surprised by the lack of it I’ve encountered.

This post is also not not NOT a way of branding all negative commenters as culprits of ageism. If you read my book or anybody’s book and you don’t enjoy it, you’re 10000% entitled to feel that way and express those views, but just do us all a favour and give us legitimate criticism that we can take and work on in future rather than putting it down to age. In my case, sadly, I can’t get old with a click of the fingers.

I can imagine some would suggest to hide my age in my books but the truth is, I’m proud of it. I’m writing and publishing books at 21. Yes, 21. If you can’t deal with that, then I apologise, but I’ve got another book to work on and more experience to gain.

Have you ever encountered ageism in writing? 

Image courtesy of MC Speedy via Flickr

Filed Under: Focus // Tagged: , , , , ,

Draft2Digital: Why I’m Leaving Smashwords

Posted on May 1, 2013 // 4 Comments

draft2digitalI love Smashwords and I’ve got nothing but respect for the service. Enabling authors to upload our books to the likes of Apple’s iBookstore and Barnes & Noble all from the comfort of one portal is very handy, particularly to those of us based in the UK who can’t upload directly through those stores.

However, Smashwords is also a bit of a nightmare.

The user interface is slow, the epub creator leaves much to be desired, and although the best of intentions are in place with the ‘meatgrinder’, it often causes more headaches than it’s worth.

And after the majority of those headaches, it can still take weeks before your book is distributed to another store, and even then they might not look so great.

Enter Draft2Digital: a new platform for creating and publishing eBooks.

What is Draft2Digital?

Draft2Digital acts in a very similar way to Smashwords: it enables you to upload your books for publication in four of the biggest eRetailers (Amazon, Apple, Kobo and B&N). It’s designed by self-published authors for self-published authors, and it’s my new favourite publishing website, to the point that I’m pulling my short stories from Smashwords and going all in with Draft2Digital.

Why is it so different to Smashwords?

1. Better user interface

The user interface is gorgeous and easy to use. The uploading process was an absolute breeze and I was all up and ready to publish in a matter of moments. After publication, you can easily keep tabs on your books and which platforms they’ve sold any copies via. There’s plenty of white-space and the place simply looks pretty professional.

Part of the professionalism is probably down to the fact that Draft2Digital is not a ‘store’ like Smashwords but a tool for conversion and uploading. That said, I don’t see much of a problem (personally) there — I barely sell any copies on Smashwords, so I’m hardly missing out.

2. Effective epub creator

One of the major downsides with Smashwords is its reliance on the .doc format. I know, I know — they accept epub now — but it’s still a frustrating process that results in hundreds of rejections even though you’re absolutely certain your epub file is as perfect as it can be.

Draft2Digital is .doc uploading done right.

I was a little underwhelmed initially when I saw that the recommended format was .doc. However, I decided to go down that route, and the options and ease-of-upload is fantastic.

Firstly, there’s no draconian style guide. You simply put your chapter headings in bold, make sure everything is as you want it, and upload.

Even more impressively, there’s no need whatsoever to format the table of contents of your book. If you put your chapter headings in bold, Draft2Digital does the hard work for you.

You don’t even need to create your own copyright page, title page or ‘about’ page if you don’t want to. I prefer to format my own ‘about’ pages, but with a simple click of a button, Draft2Digital does all that for you too if you want it to. Afterwards, they send you a nice, well-formatted ePub/mobi copy of the book (which you can use elsewhere). Not only a great, easy publishing process but a great book formatting tool all in one.

Smashwords: I love you, but it’s time to up your game on the ease-of-use front.

3. Faster publication

Little anecdote: I withdrew my short stories from KDP Select back in February.

Through Smashwords, Silhouette became available on Apple’s iBookstore a few weeks later. Something in the Cellar, on the other hand, was never shipped.

The formatting was fine. In fact, everything was fine, but for some reason it was just never sent out to Apple. I waited for months and resubmitted several times but to no avail.

Ten hours after uploading Something in the Cellar via Draft2Digital, the book is now available in Apple’s notoriously difficult to break iBookstore.

Frankly, I’m stunned. I don’t know why this is the case, and I’m well aware that Apple can vary the length of time it takes to publish, but the fact is, the book’s there now. I can finally, FINALLY forget about having to publish it and just let it do its thing (hopefully sell!) whilst focusing on future projects.

4. Real-time reports

I’ve obviously not seen this first hand but apparently, Draft2Digital offer close-to-real-time sales reporting, which is something Smashwords also lack.

Any fellow obsessive indie author will be well aware of what a big deal this is. We don’t want to have to wait for weeks to see if we’ve sold any — we want it now! Draft2Digital offers this through its sleek, clean interface.

5. CreateSpace options

Finally, I should mention a lesser-noticed feature in the form of a CreateSpace option. That’s right: Draft2Digital will take your book and turn it into a paperback without any of the formatting hassle (I can vouch for it being a real hassle) found if you do it yourself.

I’ve yet to experiment but I’m sorely tempted to do so with my next novel. I know it means slightly reduced royalties, but if it’s that vs. paying hundreds for professional print formatting, then it’s worth it, right?

Competition is healthy

On a whole, I can’t see the rise of Draft2Digital being anything but good news for Smashwords. Ideally, Barnes & Noble and Apple would enable easy distribution from the UK, but until that point, it’s nice to have a stress-free way to get our books out to the remaining major stores.

And for US-based citizens, sometimes it’s nice to just have everything under one dashboard. Right now, I believe that Draft2Digital offer the best dashboard, and I’m certainly not alone in that sentiment.

What do you make of Draft2Digital? Do you use Smashwords? How is it for you? Direct upload vs. one dashboard?

PS: I know I promised a summary of my writing diary today but I’ve been kinda busy (read: eating) so I’ll be sure to post one either tomorrow or Friday. I also need to do part 2 of my eBook marketing summary. Ah, blogging — I wait weeks for inspiration to creep along and before I know it…

Filed Under: Publishing // Tagged: , , , , , ,

Diary of a Novel: Day Five

Posted on April 30, 2013 // 7 Comments

diary of a novelNew readers: start here. If you’ve been following the novel diary, feel free to skip ahead beyond the italics for day four.

I’ve always fancied chronicling the writing of a novel in a ‘diary of a novel’ format and sharing it, but it’s always one of those things that I’ve never quite got round to.

However, inspired by a recent series of fantastic posts by Dean Wesley Smith, I’ve decided to actually go and do it.

The project is a 30,000 word novella I started a while back but put on hold due to other commitments.

I won’t be sharing any spoilers — it’s just a way for you to see how I write and motivation for myself to keep on writing with it being in the spotlight. I’ll be creating an individual post for each day of writing, and updating each day’s post after I’ve had a writing session.

For Day One of the diary, click here, and scroll up the blog page for more.

*

Progress Report

Day One: 3,876 words/1 hour 59 mins

Day Two: 4,398 words/2 hours 2 mins

Day Three: 3,524 words/1 hour 26 mins

Day Four: 3,538 words/1 hour 31 mins

Novella total at start of day five: 20,378 words.

Diary of a Novel – Day Five: Session One

13:27 – Set up in the usual spot of the dining table. Decided I’m going to try to find three 1 hour slots today and try to get this first draft finished.

Just before I start — I know I’ve said it before but a big thank you to Dean Wesley Smith for his inspirational series of blog posts on writing a 70,000 word novel in ten days. Not only has he dispelled the myth that writing quickly = lesser quality, he’s also motivated a bunch of other writers (myself included) to focus on the most important thing: the writing.

I know where this novella is going and I’m going to try to finish it today. If I don’t I won’t sweat it: I’ll still have three writing sessions and see where they take me.

Time to write!

14:12 – Time for lunch. Managed 1,610 WORDS in that 40 minute session. Definitely finishing this novella today with a couple more sessions, which should bring the word total to around the 26,000 mark.

Overall, things are going well. Returned to the creepiness of the first section the book whilst raising the stakes for the protagonist. Hopefully it will all make for a very satisfying conclusion.

Anyway, lunch time! Then I’m going to get a bit of exam revision done, then another writing session a little later. Cool how it all adds up, right?

Day Five: Session Two

It’s 16:30 and I’ve pretty much finished my Shakespeare revision for the day. I reckon I could squeeze an hour in now and work towards wrapping this novella up.

The novella is well and truly into its final stretch, so I’d better get started. Do Not Disturb mode is a godsend if you have an iPhone by the way. I like to listen to music using my phone so I need it switched on. DND mode makes sure you’re not, well, you get the picture.

Time to do a little five minute plan then GO!

17:51 – And that, my friends, is a wrap! 2,986 words written (although I cut and paste around 800 of those from an earlier section of the book so more like 2,000) in that last 1 hour and 13 minute session, bringing the novella to a conclusion at a total of 24,959 words. 19,932 of those words have been written since Friday, or in the last 9 hours of writing if you prefer to look at it that way.

Hopefully by following this journey you’ve been able to realise how important it is to 1.) set session goals rather than daily wordcount goals and 2.) just how damn quickly you can actually write a novel.

All I need to do now is rewrite, edit and polish. Then, it should be ready for release. Sorry I’m a bit wordshy but I DID just complete a 3k session.

Full report and review of the process tomorrow. Hope you’ve had fun!

Ryan.

Image courtesy of Barnaby via Flickr.

Filed Under: Progress Reports // Tagged: , , , , ,

Diary of a Novel: Day Four

Posted on April 29, 2013 // 1 Comment

diary of a novelNew readers: start here. If you’ve been following the novel diary, feel free to skip ahead beyond the italics for day four.

I’ve always fancied chronicling the writing of a novel in a ‘diary of a novel’ format and sharing it, but it’s always one of those things that I’ve never quite got round to.

However, inspired by a recent series of fantastic posts by Dean Wesley Smith, I’ve decided to actually go and do it.

The project is a 30,000 word novella I started a while back but put on hold due to other commitments.

I won’t be sharing any spoilers — it’s just a way for you to see how I write and motivation for myself to keep on writing with it being in the spotlight. I’ll be creating an individual post for each day of writing, and updating each day’s post after I’ve had a writing session.

For Day One of the diary, click here, and scroll up the blog page for more.

*

Progress Report

Day One: 3,876 words/1 hour 59 mins

Day Two: 4,398 words/2 hours 2 mins

Day Three: 3,524 words/1 hour 26 mins

Novella total at start of day four: 16,836 words.

Diary of a Novel – Day Four: Session One

12:36 The sun is shining, tea is brewing, and it hasn’t even hit 1pm yet. Granted — it is a little windy outside, but one of the perks of being stuck indoors is the way you can pretend it isn’t and simply soak up the sunshine whilst writing.

Anyway, I got up around 10:30 and saw to a few bits and bobs before taking a shower and piecing together where I want the novella to go. I find the shower is one of the best places for me to think. Don’t ask why, it just works for me. But yeah — now, I have a real end point in sight and I can begin working towards that conclusion today.

Without spoiling anything (I want to keep the details of the project top secret before actually releasing it), I’ve been having a little think about potential sequels. The plan always was for this project to eventually make up a trilogy of three separate but related stories, however the wrapping up of certain plot points in novella 1 will take away much of the mystery that I believe makes this book so appealing.

As a result, I’ve settled on a new direction for the trilogy that will give me plenty to work with. More on that when I actually get round to launching the thing.

12:58 – Forgot about the brew so had to make another one, damn delays. Anyway, I’ve mapped out the key points in the remainder of this novella so I’m all ready to go. Freedom app activated, soundtrack on. One hour: here we go…

13:53 – Wow, great writing session. Managed to wrap up a scene and write a whole new one to really propel the story and characters forward. Really happy with where this is going now, even if it is completely bonkers and nothing like my original vision for the project.

Finished the session just shy of an hour with 2,113 WORDS written. At this rate, I’m set to break the 20k mark later this evening and at my current average of just under 4,000 words per day, finish the first draft by Wednesday night.

I actually worked with a slightly different soundtrack this time round. As much as it’s good to have on project soundtrack, it’s interesting to see the new ideas a different set of sounds can offer. I stuck with the work of Reznor and Ross but instead listened to their Oscar-winning The Social Network soundtrack, which is a treat whether writing or not.

Something to consider: this story would be no better/richer if I’d laboured in it for a year. Actually, quite the opposite: it would probably have been far inferior. I can’t imagine sustaining the same level of passion and momentum for a project when spending so long on it, and while this is by far my quickest writing project ever, I don’t think that retracts from the quality of the prose. I’ll still be rewriting and polishing, so that’s not an issue.

Anyway, time to have some lunch then get a bit of ‘real work’ done. I’ll probably get another hour or so written this evening. Enjoy your day!

Day Four: Session Two

21:55 – A little later than initially intended but am going to get another 1,500 words or so written. I have an idea of where I’d like to work towards in this next session so hopefully I’ll be able to maintain the speedy words per hour average I’ve managed over the last few days.

Just a little something before I start — I’m having a lot of fun writing a diary for this project, to the point that I’m actually considering doing it (for myself) every project. The whole process is much more… ordered, and rationalised. It helps to be held accountable too.

Anyway, the clock’s getting nearer to ten. Time to plan and write!

22:43 – That’s me done for the day, and a perfect way to finish: the plot enters its final stretch and shifts back into the same dark, mysterious territory that was so present in the opening section.

Overall, 1,425 WORDS written in this 39 minute session, which is interesting because it’s the second evening in a row where I’ve not written as much in session two as session one. I’m learning a lot about my own writing habits by doing this diary. I always considered myself a late-night writer, but the most productive sessions have been slap bang in the middle of the day or early evening.

Daily totals:

Overall, I spent 1 HOUR 31 MINUTES writing today and wrote 3,538 WORDS, making it a pretty identical day in words/duration to yesterday. The entire project is now at 20,378 WORDS IN TOTAL, with a seemingly staggering 15,336 of those born in the last seven hours of pure writing time (that’s four days of two writing sessions per day).

See what I mean about setting smaller wordcount targets? If on Friday I’d gone, ‘right, by Monday evening, I want 15,000 words written,’ I’d have struggled. However, by finding a couple of hours each day to write, creating a solid plan before each session, and inspiring myself with music, I’ve smashed that word target and am well on course to wrap this novella up by Wednesday.

Thanks again for reading. As always, comments/thoughts/questions in the comment box. Cheers for the words of encouragement so far — appreciate it!

Ryan.

Image courtesy of Barnaby via Flickr

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