Writing updates

Got things chugging along on a few fronts these days.

For my fiction, my current WIP is moving steadily up the wordcount scale. I'd wager I'm near the 2/3rd mark of my estimated end goal, though I haven't done a tally lately. It's been fun to see this story develop, especially considering it's something of a remake of a manuscript I wrote during my earlier writing years. After I'm done, I'll do a more in-depth post on the original story versus this latest incarnation and how it marks some of the ways I've developed as a writer.

Write-Strong.com continues to develop satisfactorily. Recently got a post up about how writers can use Twitter to their benefit (vs. the detriment many complain about it being). Plus, the Books section has been filled out nicely, and I added two more to the list just yesterday. Check it out if you've been wanting some great inspiration and teaching on all aspects of writing.

The freelance writing is also going well. I've been working with a new client for a marketing campaign--one that, hopefully, should keep me steadily developing blog posts, email blasts, handling some Facebook and Twitter activity, and otherwise throughout the year. More work = happy copywriter.

Upcoming plans include a couple more book reviews on the Speculative Fiction Examiner column, a few more scenes done on the WIP, and otherwise trying to keep juggling these various priorities without letting any of the balls drop.

How are things on your end? Any new, exciting news?

More Spec-fic book reviews

I just posted two new book reviews on my Speculative Fiction Examiner column, one for a science fiction entry, the other for a fantasy debut. Both come well-recommended. Here's a quick glimpse:

Cowboy Angels

This science fiction novel from Paul McAuley marries spy thriller structure and fast pacing with the multiverse theory, covert agents, and debates about American expansion. The full review is here.

Of Blood and Honey

This debut novel surprised me with its strong characters and brutal plot that leaves nearly everyone in tatters by the end. Not usually into novels about the Fae, but this one dragged me in and wouldn't let go. Full review here.

I also got review copies of Stephen R. Lawhead's new release, The Skin Map. That's right. Copies. As in two. One for me to peruse, and one for me to give away. I'll put up a note on Twitter and this blog when I figure out the easiest way to pick who wins the extra! Here's a quick synopsis from the book jacket:

Kit Livingstone has led a terribly humdrum life. Even his girlfriend is dull. But soon all that changes when, with the help of his deceased great-grandfather, Kit is catapulted into worlds unknown in The Skin Map, the first book of the Bright Empires series by prolific writer Stephen R. Lawhead. Dynamic settings are mixed with unpredictable adventures as we follow Kit through his new life, which includes parallel worlds and time travel. Most interesting is the lost map many are battling to find, the map that is crucial to traveling the cosmos and, more importantly, getting back to Earth. And yes, it's tattooed on the mapmaker. But soon the reader discovers that, as intriguing as the map is, that's not the real prize. It's only square one.

Any good reads on your end lately?

Videos on the publishing industry

If you haven't seen these before, they are well worth the watch. Jonny Geller, an agent with the Curtis Brown Literary Agency, has a series of videos touching on numerous book publishing topics. The one below is a more general "Advice for writers starting to get into the business" coverage. Other videos deal specifically with How to Find a Literary Agent, Publishing Contracts, and Signing Book Deals.

Great inside peeks at a business that can be very confusing and daunting for some.

Getting A Book Deal:
The Literary Business

"What Works" blog entries on Oxyjen

Bit of a selfish point to Oxyjen, the blog of fellow writer JJDebenedictis (aka. Goblin). She runs a seni-regular series called "What Works" in which she highlights short stories, novel excerpts, and otherwise that do something right...be it characterization, tension, making the reader believe the impossible, etc.

In her latest entry, she was kind enough to use one of my flash fiction stories from the Clarity of Night flash fiction contests. It's fun to see her analyze the piece with both an eye for the reader and writer. So check out this and the other "What Works" posts for some great thoughts on various aspects of the writing craft.

Thanks, JJ!

A Merry Kindle 3 Christmas to me

Thanks to several generous gift-givers this Christmas, I finally got enough saved up to nab a Kindle 3. I've been antsy to get an e-reader for a bit now, partly because I'm a geek (okay, maybe that's more than just part of the reason), partly for reading-on-the-go, and partly because I wouldn't feel quite as in-the-loop as an aspiring author. Ebooks and e-readers continue to broaden their percentage of the market, continue to expand their usefulness as platforms writers can use to market themselves and distribute their work, and are an aspect of the evolving nature of publishing as a whole. So...I want to be involved in that, even if it's on the consumer end for now. 

I'm pretty sure I'll remain one of the generation that enjoys the tactile element of reading a book...of having that hefty epic fantasy that I could swat down a charging rhino with, should I be inclined. I enjoy having bookshelves sagging under the weight of a growing collection (which, my wife believes, will be the death of me, as I will someday be found crushed under a collapsed mountain of novels). So this hardly heralds my giving up of the paper and ink interface. However, beyond enjoying a more lightweight reading experience, perhaps I'll also get a bit more insight into what all the hubbub is about. 

Until then, I'll be camping on the doorstep, waiting for a box to arrive with one o' these.

Anyone out there already got the jump on me? I'm sure many of you have. Nook? Kindle? One of the many other readers suddenly appearing on the shelves of Best Buy like colorful gremlings? What's your experience been like?