Monthly Wrap Up
Marching Through March
March zoomed by as if in double-time march mode. I accomplished a lot, but not as much as I wanted on some projects. New things came up to add to the fun with more activity at church, with the family, and adding my side of the expertise that rounds out my husband’s sign making business.
Writing
I’m 60% through the draft of the way through book 3 of the Light Series, Council of Light. I was hoping to be at 80% by now, but those other adventures sucked up some time. However, I like how it is flowing even if it is pretty rough. After all, it isn’t called a rough draft for nothing. I aim to have it done in April.
I don’t run off to see if I have new reviews every day. I honestly don’t get that many, but they help any author if you bother, especially the ones with only a few reviews. I owe Karyne one for Blood of the Stars, but I finally finished reading it as one of my other things I had to do in March. But let me get back to the two reviews, one online and one verbal, that made my month.
You can’t read any of my stories without at least some level of my Christian faith in them, especially the Light Series. The verbal came from a lady at church who had shared the book. The person had found four or five places in the book that helped her understand what a relationship with Jesus should be like. So that part I nailed in my Christian fantasy. But not long after that, I got a one star review. It’s the best one star review ever. Why? The person bothered to read 15% of it and put a review up about how they did not read books with religious themes. It isn’t like I hid the fact that I labeled it as a Christian fantasy. So again, this proves I did my job correctly. If they are ready for the seeds to be planted, it will happen.
I also love that two people on two different writings told me that my stories are twisty. Some things they see coming and some they don’t. One even asked how I come up with this stuff when commenting on my serial dystopian, Cataclysm. I just have fun with some what-ifs. For Cataclysm, I had, “What if a fighter pilot who survived the Big One also survives a plane crash thanks to relatives returning from space? And what if the relatives left long ago to keep technology from the evil ways of man like the ones who made Stonehenge or Atlantis?” That’s what got me back into novel length writing again and diving into a dystopian rather than a fantasy. Haven’t checked it out yet? The first three episodes are free and you can start with The Return.
I’m also not an introvert. I have fun talking about what I do when asked and I usually get told, “I like your enthusiasm.” I LOVE storytelling, but writing is HARD. That’s how I put it because the story may be good, but is it readable when I’m done? I’m just wondering how many rewrites and editing passes Council of Light will need compared to the first two books of the series.
I finally put up the two flash fictions that published on Havok in 2022. I had full rights to do what I wanted with them after six months, but almost two years later, I finally added them to Tales of Karnum and Beyond. There is a poll at the end asking if you want to see more of these two. I have some idea of what I could do as an on the fly weekly serial. The two flash fictions are Mission Host Required and Boared Troll. I was definitely going for a play on words and my own twisted humor for Boared Troll.
Fun and Worthwhile Distractions
My husband retired at Thanksgiving to step into a volunteer job doing something similar. This has allowed him more free time and to see if he should work on a sign making business he has wanted to do. I help with making templates he can transfer onto the signs and some of the final painting.
We got a rack system for hanging signs and gave it a test run at a pancake breakfast fun raiser for our church. It worked out well and we will continue using this system. Now if the weather had not put a kibosh on the event, it may have proved far more fun and profitable for everyone involved. However, we still had fun with our church friends and sold a few things. I got to meet the president of the village’s library board and give her my information.
I also had a fun evening at church with our Art for Life program doing a painting using masking tape for a layering effect once you peel it off. I love painting and other creative things that use my brain differently than writing. It allows the muse to putter over things behind the scenes, but I better be ready to jot a note if I’m in the middle of a painting event, so I don’t forget it when I get home.
April Goals
Finish the draft of Council of Light sooner than later in the month. I have fewer distractions this week and next, even if still a few outings in the mix. It’s ramping up now toward the climax, so it makes the storytelling more exciting. It still means I might spend some time staring at the screen trying to work a scene out correctly even with my scene card note.
Determine what to work on while Council of Light gets a rest period after the drafting is done. I want to have a serial I put on Tales of Karnum. It’s going to be an easier idea from something I can overhaul (probably an understatement) that I wrote way back in 2002 or the fun of expanding on the two flash fiction pieces mentioned above.
I have a few more ideas toward how to play with Kickstarter, but there is a lot more work involved to pull it off the way I want to. One thing to determine is how I can get some cool hardcover books done for the series and set boxes for backers only. That takes some custom printing. The lower end rewards for backing are easy enough. It is coming together. Part of the plan will include ending my exclusivity with Amazon, which means it would not be on Kindle Unlimited any longer. However, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing considering KU is definitely not where my money is coming from on the first two books despite having page reads. I suggest if you want to read either on KU, do it in April!
Leave me notes of any ideas of a story (flash, short, serial, novel) you may want me to write. I know the next serial I will change up based on reader feedback as I go for the fun, so be sure to let me know your thoughts whether in comments, in response to emails, or via my socials.