eBooks

Update on the draft:  Almost complete!  For me, getting the story down from start to finish is probably the hardest part.  Now when it comes to editing, I can go for hours and hours and tweak the smallest of things, but I am as happy as a clam.  Maybe I should be an editor...

Anyways, as far as my professional author status goes, I guess you could consider me unpublished.  That doesn't mean I have not been published, because I have, but when it comes to my stories, I have yet to be published.  That's right, I currently have no agent, no publisher, nothing really other than my skill with the pen (ok the keyboard) and my passion.  So what's a girl to do in situations like this?  I could search and search and search for an agent or a publishing house willing to accept me, facing countless rejections and disappointment for probably years before I find a fit.  Or, I could publish within a new media.

Kindle.

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is my plan for this particular book.  Publishing eBooks are on the rise, though I hope they never completely replace traditional books, I cannot ignore that market.  It is perfect for authors like me, no name and directionless.

The past several days I have been researching and researching Kindle, Amazon, and the publishing process.  I've been looking at book covers, colors, attractive fonts, success stories, marketing tips, most popular genres, and a variety of other topics.

Any of you have a Kindle?  I understand that this media tunes out certain people, but it also is my window of opportunity at this moment.  An experiment, a goal for me.

This is MY kinda book

I'm a devout Christian.  A follower of the Lord.  A seeker of His glory and a truster in His ways.  I don't like to watch movies that have unneccessary sex scenes or drop the F-bomb every other sentence.  In the same way, I don't care to read books that are too explicit.  I like a good story, one with lots of imagination and good characters.  I like to be taken away from wherever I am, transported by the magic of an author's words.  I don't like the jab at my spirit that comes with cruelty or vulgarity.  In this same sense, I like to keep my own writing clean.  I hear Christian authors say that if you add cussing, it is not the author who is cussing it is the character.  I understand that, but I wouldn't care to read it, so why would my audience?

My mystery novel is absent of crude language, of sexuality, it is safe for all ages.  I deem it young adult fiction as it is fitting for a younger audience.  But I believe it will be a good and entertaining read for mystery lovers of all ages.  Do not be afraid to by this for your children, yet do not be afraid to sit down and read it yourself.

Black and Yellow

Last week I did not have a chance to write much on my outline / draft / I'm not sure what it is but it's flowing so I'm rolling with it.  This is because I happened to be in Colorado for a ski and snowboarding trip.  I had been to Colorado several times, in fact it is one of my favorite states if not my favorites that I have visited thus far.  But I had never skied or snowboarded, and everyone suggested I ski.  It's easier, they said.  You'll have more fun, they said.  "They" (whoever they are) were wrong.

But they weren't wrong because I took their advice, but they were wrong because I ignored their advice completely and went with the snowboard for the first day.  This was for two reasons: 1) my snowboard was lent to me and thus I did not have to pay for it.  I would have to rent skis.  And 2) snowboarding is just, there's no other word for it, cool.  I wanted to be cool, my boyfriend was there, he's the one who taught me, and he was one of those cool snowboarders. 

First day, I did well.  I fell on my bottom a lot, but I got the gist of it.  Second day, I really conquered all my fears and nailed that sucker;  third day, I was sore and tired but flying down that mountain like a pro (not really, but I did completely conquer the greens and ran the blues).  It. Was. Amazing.

The only problem is that my rear end and the mountain did not really...get along.  They fought the whole trip, it got tiresome.  Finally, the second day, they got into a fist fight.  The mountain won, and my beat up little booty is now all black and yellow.  If that teaches him not to fall anymore, then I'll say lesson learned, and move one.

Point of the story?  Colorado is gorgeous.  Snowboarding is rad.  Writing in new places is inspiring.  Snowboarding is too much fun to write.  I made no progress.  And loved every second of it.

Inspired to write, inspired to not,
Andrea

Drafting

So, I tend to have some trouble finishing novels, but I believe it is because I tend to be too unorgainzed with my story, and I never draft/outline it properly.  I'm beginning to discover the best way for me, personally, to outline my story.  I need to get every idea down.  Write in incomplete sentences, in miniature paragraphs, using no punctuation or dialogue, it doesn't matter how ugly it is, I simply need to put the entire plot onto paper from beginning to end.  I find that I build the story better this way.  I am about half way through my outline which is turning out to be several pages long.  In the past two days I have written over 7,500 words (11 pages) and I am not yet done for the day.  This way, when I finish the entire story in bits and pieces, I can go back and build it more.  Then I can go back and build it even more.  Retouch and retouch until it starts to resemble a novel.  Adding details, dialogue, action that makes sense, flow to the story and actual sentences.  And by writing it in a novel style I will, of course, be adding my length. I actually enjoy revising and editing much more than originally putting my ideas down.  I have a problem, and that is writing a paragraph and spending three times the amount of time it took to write it, editing it.  I don't want to move onto the next paragraph until I feel it is perfect.  Bad idea.  I get frustrated because I gain no length, so I give up.  But this way I can get the entire main story down with only very little detail.  Then I can go back and edit to my hearts content.  If I keep up this pace (which I won't because I'm about to plunge into the weekend where I will be spending time with the boyfriend), I believe I can get the story down within two days.  That would be wonderful and inspiring to me.

Any writers out there?  What are you favorite ways and times to write?  I love how every writer is different and not one way is right.  I tend to be a night writer for example, that is when I gain my best inspiration.  What's your story? (no pun intended)

Writing...and a lot of it

I'm a writer of many things.  Life, novels, articles, thoughts, curiosities, etc.  Right now I am working on outlining a young adult mystery story that I have recently found inspiration for.  Inspiration hits me in random spurts so I try to go with it whenever it does.  That means writing through classes, through lunch, at night, with my friends, pretty much anywhere and anytime I can.  With this blog, you can follow along in my journey to becoming a successful, published author.  If you don't have dreams, they can't come true right?  Who knows, maybe in a years time I'll be on a best seller's list and won't you be excited to be able to say you knew me when I was a nobody? ;)

I hear adding winky faces in blogposts is unprofessional.  Well that one was appropriate.

Signing off of my first blog post,
Writing with Yellow Ink,
Excited about my new novel,
-Andrea  :)

;)