No sleep.

I’ve always been a “night owl” to some degree. College reinforced this with late-night study (and Counter-strike) sessions. These days I don’t get to stay up nearly as late as I used to, but sometimes the weekends allow me to indulge.

See, I hit my creative peak in the late hours. Always have. When I do venture off to bed, my mind takes some time to wind down. Lately I’ve found myself browsing a particular sub-reddit on Reddit.com called “Nosleep.” It’s a forum that’s meant to entertain its readers, and everything that’s posted there is done so on the basis that it’s true–even if it blatantly isn’t.

I’ve read accounts of UFO abduction, Slenderman sightings, werewolves, demons, ghosts, you name it. I love that stuff. Usually the writing and grammar usage is abysmal, but I’m not there to critique. I’m there to read stories.

And, well, last night I think I read the best story I’ve ever read on Nosleep. The writing was fairly good, too, which is a big plus. I want to share this story with you because it’s incredibly creepy and, dare I say it, kind of powerful toward the end. I believe the author used a dummy account to post their story, which is a shame because I’d like to know if this person is a pro or just someone who loves storytelling. In any case, I loved the story and it kept me up until 3 o’clock this morning.

Here are links to the parts. There are six in all, and you should go in order. You don’t need a Reddit account to read them:

1 – Footsteps

2 – Balloons

3 – Boxes

4 – Maps

5 – Screens

6 – Friends

I’m still thinking about this story, and it’s still giving me occasional goosebumps. Nothing else I’ve read online has creeped me out as much as this story did, so I thought I’d share it with you.

TK

Various goings-on.

I’ve discovered I have a bad habit of writing blog posts with the intention of posting them later, only to forget about them and eventually remember at a later date when the topic is no longer relevant. A perfect example is how, last week, I asked readers on Facebook & Twitter if they’d ever had their shoulders dislocated. A particular scene in TLM required some research, and I thought it would be fun to ask. I wrote a post to reinforce my social network requests
and then promptly forgot it existed–until now, after having received the info I needed and working through the scene in question.

The point of me telling you this is to explain why I sometimes go for a week or more between posts. Lately I’ve had the urge to blog more, as I feel I’ve got something to say about things happening in the writing world, but finding the time–or the motivation–to do it is becoming increasingly difficult. However, I’m here for the time being, and I plan to bring everyone up to speed:

Edits

For the first time in months, I can honestly say they are going well. My difficulties with previous chapters were equated to writing (and rewriting) new material, reshaping a section of the plot within specific parameters. The end result was the deletion of about 9k words
from the total manuscript, the removal of one character, renaming of another, and in some cases, completely changing the overall tone of entire chapters.

I still have to go back and update earlier chapters with the name changes, but so far I feel confident that what I’ve done is ready to head back to Amelia’s desk for the second pass.

I hoped to finish Ch. 5 last weekend, but I wasn’t feeling well–sinus issues again–so that put a damper on my plans. Currently, I’m half way through Ch.5, and I’m surprised at the consistency of it all. The chapter reads like the others, post-changes–a fact that reinforces my
decision to revise them so heavily.

Completion of Ch.5 will mark a third of the way through the manuscript. At this point in time, the only major rewrites coming down the line involve the epilogue. All the rest will just need to be trimmed or split. Probably both.

Interviews

I’m going to be interviewed on ParaYourNormal’s BlogTalkRadio show next month. I’ll post details as we get closer to the date. I may also have another book blog appearance lined up this spring. We’re still ironing out the details on that one.

American Books of the Dead

My friend Henry Baum unveiled a new cover this week for his upcoming novel, The American Book of the Dead: Part Two. Actually there are two covers–one’s for a bigger volume containing both books. In case you haven’t read the first one, I
recommend you do so.

So that’s it . . .

I can’t think of anything else that needs to be said at the moment. I hope everyone’s doing well.

Until next time,

TK

Goodbye, 2011.

I was on the fence about doing an “end of year” recap post, mainly because I’ve been really busy this week, focusing my efforts on revising Ch.4 of TLM (which is done, by the way). However, I decided to take a look at what I wrote last year and see if I accomplished what I set out to do.

Let’s see . . .

  • ALT certainly did go on sale last January, rising and falling among the Amazon ranks and garnering some awesome reviews. Financially it’s been a failure, but I won’t bitch about that now.
  • Aiming for an October publication date for TLM? Yeah, that’s clearly not happening.
  • That collection of short stories is on hiatus while I finish TLM. I thought I could juggle both, but trying to promote ALT consumed a lot of my time eventually burned me out. It’s still on my radar, though I doubt it will have as much “new” material as I hoped it would.
  • That jog every day? Yeah, that didn’t happen either. I’m going revise that resolution and aim for taking a walk every other day (as time allows).
  • Reading a lot of books. Actually, I think I did. Most of them were indies, and all were digital. I’m going to extend this resolution into 2012 because one can never read too many books.

So what about 2012?

My primary goal is the publication of TLM. I want it to be available in print and digital formats before the end of the year. Earlier if possible. That’s what I’m going to shoot for.

Last year I ended on a positive note, wishing you all to make 2011 your year. I hope you did, and I’d like to hear about it. I don’t know if 2011 was my year–it felt like it at times, and other times, not so much–but I’m going to try and make 2012 a little better. You might say I’ll live as though it’s our last year on Earth.

Just kidding. Maybe.

For now, I wish all of you a safe, happy new year. I hope 2012 treats you well.

See you next year,

TK

Happy holidays.

Hello, everyone.

I don’t have much time to write a real post, so here’s a quick update: I got over that road block in Chapter 4. It’s back on track. I plan to have it finished sometime next week.

For now, I’m going to kick back, eat some fattening Christmas treats, and enjoy the extended weekend. I hope you all have a safe, happy holiday.

Best,

TK

Frustration.

Hey, folks. It’s been a while since a I had a normal post, so I thought I’d take some time to give you all an update on TLM’s status, and to get some things off my chest.

On Monday I tentatively completed edits of Ch.4. I’m not happy with them (I’ll come back to this in a moment), but I got through it. This chapter was a long one, clocking in at 10k words, and I wanted to trim it down as much as possible. The rewrites and tweaks to the plot line made these cuts a little easier, but I still had to deliberate on new material to fill in the gaps of the scenes that were cut. In the end, I cut it down to about 6.5k words.

However, I realized I was starting to lose sight of the “big picture,” so I decided to take some time and read through what’s been edited so far. I did that last night, reading through the prologue and all four chapters.

The prologue and first three chapters are solid. The 4th chapter, however, is not. It’s all over the place, and ignores the main points which are so tightly woven through the previous three. On top of that, I’m not really feeling the changes I made anyway, so . . .

I’m rewriting it. Well, most of it. I outlined a new path this morning. Plotting a novel is one thing–you’ve got a wide story arc over all, with plenty of growth between the beginning and the end. Reshaping a chapter with its own mini-arc to fit seamlessly between two solid chapters is much trickier, and much more difficult.

Amelia and I decided last summer that taking a slower approach with the TLM edits was best, and I still agree with that decision. However, I didn’t anticipate reaching a stalemate with myself over changes that would have to be made.

You’d think I’d be used to this by now, but I’m not. I hate backtracking, and I hate being indeciscive. I’m an impatient person. Just ask my wife–she’ll agree.

Years ago, what I wrote was law, but now everything I write is subject to change. I can’t help but examine a dozen different possibilities for a character’s course of action, and to do that also means examining the repercussions of said actions. I can’t write them all down, though, or else I’d never finish anything. So I pick a direction and go with it. Lately it seems I keep picking the wrong ones, and it’s frustrating the hell out of me. It only makes me question myself even more.

So tell me something, writers. Do any of you suffer from second-guessing your decisions? Does it ever make you wonder why you keep doing this to yourself?

Sound off. Please reassure me that I’m not alone.

TK

P.S. Sorry this turned into a rant. I just needed to vent. Thanks for reading.

And the winner is . . .

Time certainly flies. Hard to believe it’s been over a month since the contest began. There weren’t as many entries as I’d hoped, but I’m okay with that. Those of you who did enter are awesome.

So, as promised, I used Random.org to select the winner. And that person happens to be . . .

@LittleBit824

She is the lucky winner of the following prize package:

  • A signed, hardcover copy of A LIFE TRANSPARENT
  • A “Who is Donovan Candle?” T-shirt
  • One Amazon gift card for $30.00 USD

 

I’d like to thank everyone who shared the link about this contest (and ALT) to their friends. Your support means a lot to me, and sometimes it’s what keeps me going in this business.

We now return to our regularly scheduled silence.

(But really, there will be more posts coming up in the next few weeks.)

Until then,

TK

Breaking for the holidays.

Hey, folks. Just wanted to drop in real quick and wish everyone  a safe, happy holiday.

I’m not able to post the photos of the signing at this moment in time, but they are up at my Facebook page (the link’s over on the sidebar there). I’ll write more after Thanksgiving, once I’ve recovered from a sizeable food coma.

Be safe and enjoy!

TK

When time escapes.

I looked at the calendar yesterday and discovered it’s the middle of November. Where the hell did the last two months go?

Edit Updates

Work continues on TLM. I think most of the major rewrites are behind me. I could be wrong, but for now I remain optimistic. Right now I’m tackling chapter four, the first long chapter of the current draft, and my goal is to trim it down from 9k words to 7k. This will be accomplished by eliminating a full scene and ending the chapter sooner, leaving the rest to kick off chapter five.

Right now my goal is to have Ch.4 done before the Thanksgiving holiday. With any luck, I may have Ch. 5 done before then, too, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. This is the plan. I still can’t say when the book’s going to be done; Amelia and I still have another pass after this one, to tidy and tighten up things.

Hopefully most of you are still interested in TLM by the time it’s done.

Book Signing Event

My signing at The Book Nook in Boyertown has been rescheduled for this Sunday, 11/20/11, from 1 to 4 PM, barring any freak snow storms and other random acts of chaos. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hello.


That Twitter Contest

It’s still happening. We’re halfway through November, which means you’ve only got a couple more weeks to get the ALT ebook for free and be entered into the contest. All you have to do is go here and click the big button. That’s it.

Speaking of Clicking Buttons . . .

Recently, someone brought this to my attention. On Amazon, you have the ability to click “like” at the top of a product’s page, next to its title. The more “likes” it has, the more visible it becomes to others on the site.

So, if you have thirty seconds to spare, and if you liked ALT, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could go and click ALT’s Like button. I have 5 so far. I’d like to see it grow to 10 or 20.

Also, if you haven’t done so already, please rate it and leave a review. I try not to pester people about this too much, but those little things make a huge difference to a book’s visibility, so if you’ve got a couple of minutes, please consider giving it a rating and/or a review.

Well, I think that’s all for now. Erica’s going to take some photos at the signing. I’ll try and post them before the holiday.

Until then,

TK

Cancellations, Features, and NaNo

I was going to post about these things separately, but time got away from me, so I’m doing a single post.

Cancellations

My book signing at the Book Nook in Boyertown, PA was canceled this past weekend on account of a freak snow storm that blew over the Northeast Coast and dumped about 8 inches of snow in my area. A snow emergency was declared in my town, and a lot of people lost electricity for several days.

All in all, it sucked. I hate that the signing was canceled, especially because it was a Halloween event, but honestly, who could’ve predicted something like this at the end of October? James and Holly, the owners of the Book Nook, are looking into rescheduling.
I’ll post here as soon as I have more info.

Features

For the next two weeks, I’m in the Author Spotlight over at the book blog Your Need to Read, and they’re helping me promote that little Twitter contest this month. Drop by, check it out, and ask me questions. Ask anything, really. I’ll do my best to answer.

NaNo

If you’re a writer, you probably know that November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo). Several of my friends are participating this year, so if you want to link up with them and compare word count goals, feel free.

I’m not participating this year (nor have I ever). My ideas–the good ones, anyway–always tend to pop up prior to November, and the stars have never aligned. I also don’t want to start something new when I’m trying to rewrite & edit TLM. Speaking of which . . .

TLM Edits

Rewriting takes longer than simply clicking “accept” next to Amelia’s suggested changes, so I’m moving along at a snail’s pace right now. The good news is that I’m almost done with Ch. 3 rewrites (which includes a couple of new scenes) which concludes what I hope will be the only major rewrites that have to be done. I hope.

I think that’s it for now. As always, thanks for reading.

TK

Edits, events, and other things.

Hey, folks. Here’s a Monday info dump:

Book Chatter

Firstly, a big thanks to everyone who tuned in to Friday night’s Book Chatter. It was my third appearance on the show, and the most fun yet. I had a great time chatting with hosts Stacey Cochran, R.J. Keller, and Kristyn Holleran, as well as fellow guest Craig Lancaster, who divulged the secret to getting me to record audio for his book trailer. Seriously, Craig, those were some awesome nachos.

In case you missed the show, an archive can be found here. You can listen to me stumble my way through trying to explain ALT, offer advice to Ms. Holleran, confess how I found the time to write my first novel, and reveal the best review of my work to date.

Signings

This won’t matter to 99.9% of you, but for those of you in the Boyertown, PA area, I’ll be signing at The Book Nook this Saturday, October 29th, from 4 PM to 7 PM. There will be candy for the kids, door prizes, and costumes are encouraged. I hope to see you there!

SPR Reviewers

Self-Publishing Review is looking for book reviewers. The best part? It’s a paying gig, with 100% of the funds going straight to you. You can check out the guidelines here. Not bad for 500 words.

TLM Edit Updates

After several weeks of pulling my hair out and sobbing in a corner, I finally stitched together TLM’s second chapter. The second chapter went from being almost 8k words to 4.6k. Granted, a couple of scenes are going to be relocated into chapter three, but there’s still a huge chunk of text cut from the book.

Writing new scenes after being in “editor” mode for weeks was a challenge, and it took a while for me to get back into that groove. I’m not 100% comfortable with what I’ve written–it seems too fast for my liking–but I have to remind myself that I felt the same way about ALT’s final edits, too. So much of TLM was built around a central theme, and I’m afraid that if it moves -too- fast, that theme will be lost. The same goes for Donovan’s motivation in those early chapters.

But, for the time being, Ch. 2 is tentatively done, and I’m moving on to Ch. 3 which will require even more surgery. This whole process is a lot like sculpting: sometimes it’s knowing what to carve, and what to leave alone.

I think that’s all for now. There will most likely be photos from the signing next week. Stay tuned.

TK

P.S. By the way, it would be very awesome of you to tell everyone you know about my Twitter contest. Pretty-please?

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