Contest details and update

There are the prizes! I got the pictures done just in time to discover I hadn’t thought of a way to track referrals. You may have seen this already, but I’ll tell you anyway. If you haven’t already, sign up for my newsletter by emailing me at coffeewithdragons2020@gmail.com. Put your name in the subject line, and “sign me up” in the body. You’ll get a confirmation email, and when you accept that, you’ll get a point.

Next, tell your friends to sign up the same way, but with your name in the subject line. Each confirmed referral gets you another point. I’ll add up the winners on October 6.

This went out to the newsletter and Facebook two days ago. I’ve been compulsively refreshing my email several times a day. There’s been one new sign-up, so your chances are wide open.

Thanks in advance!

I need your help

It's time to step up marketing a bit. I don't have a release date yet, but Awakening In The Dark is at the publisher, and they're working on cover art. Things a little backed up there, but what isn't this year? 

Since I'm in a holding pattern with Awakening, and I'm still trying to suss out the Red Sky In Mourning plot, I figured it would be smart to increase newsletter readership. This is the one way I know of that will allow me to reach everyone who wants to be reached. Facebook is all right, but everyone knows we only get about 1/3 of what we like. Direct email is far more efficient.

To that end, I'm going to run a contest here, on the blog, and on Facebook. Tell your friends, and if they sign up, have them tell me you sent them. I'll take the top three referral names for prizes, and I'll release the results on October 1.

First prize: This mug, a 4 oz bag of coffee from Apothacoffee, and a signed copy of Fire And Water.  

Second and third prizes: A 4 oz bag of coffee from Apothacoffee, and a signed copy of Fire And Water.

Rules:

You can refer yourself once if you’re not already getting my newsletter. If you’re not, you should know that the people who are got a two day head start on this contest, and they get content that no one else does, including deleted scenes and short stories.

Stuck

It started last week. Wednesday, I think. It’s hard to say when you need your phone to tell you what day it is. I was working on the book 3 plot, and I blanked. That’s not too unusual, actually. Usually I can call it quits and pick it up the next day. Except it didn’t work well. I got some work done, but not a lot.

I took Friday off and went to the art museum. They had a special exhibit I wanted to see, and Fridays are free.. I thought I might get a little done on Saturday, but we decided to start organizing the garage while it was cool. Sunday was a bust, and yesterday I picked through a prologue I’ll have to rewrite like I was pulling it out of quicksand.

I figure it’s the plotting. I’ve got more plotted than I normally do, but I think the muse is getting bored. Time for a new game plan.

Tomorrow I’ll start writing. I already have a few thousand words in, and it’s best probably to ignore those and start fresh on the next part even though I know there are things I have to fix. I’ve made notes. It will be okay. I plan to keep a running list of ideas for different things I need in the book, and to stop periodically to reassess so maybe I won’t get stuck in the Pit of Despair.

Will it work? Who knows. I’ve been writing more than two decades. Sure seems to me like I should have this figured out, but who knows? All I can do is adapt and overcome. Again.

Ask Me Anything, #2

Today our question comes from Stephen Bagley, who wants to know, among other things, about my daily writing routine.

I tend to be more creative and alert in the morning, so I get into my office between 8:30 and 9. I've been vigilant lately about protecting that time for writing. The process changes somewhat, but generally, I look over what I need to accomplish, and then I free write to figure out where I'm going with it, and to at least try to purge distractions. It's not uncommon for me to think of something I need to do and stop to write it on a notepad on my desk.

I usually have my diffuser going with peppermint oil and some kind of concentration blend. (Yes, I use essential oils. No, I'm not a Millennial. I'm an eccentric artist.) If I'm working on a first draft, I might listen to heavy soundtracks in minor keys and a lot of bass, or some kind of instrumental jazz you might hear in a coffee shop. It really depends on my focus. Sometimes music helps. If I'm editing or working on something particularly thorny, I need quiet.

Right now, I'm good for about 3 hours of work most days. I work Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturday if I'm on a deadline or a good idea strikes. I try to not work on Sunday, but once in a while I'll pop into the office to get ready for the week, or I'll work on social media posts while I watch TV in the afternoon. Sunday is usually a low-key day for me.

In the last few months, I've learned that not every day is going to be a great writing day. Some days are super productive in the office, which usually translates to not productive out of the office. I need time to move my mental space from Balphrahn to real life. Other days I can’t think clearly enough in the office to free write, but maybe I can work on newsletter or blog drafts. Sometimes I can’t manage that, so I go do dishes or take a walk. It took way too many years to figure out it’s all part of the creative process.

Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

Ask me anything, #1

Updates

Several weeks ago, I posted a request for questions to answer in the Coffee With Dragons VIP Break Room. I'll be answering them for a while, from the look of it! The first question comes from Allen Brokken: How is 2020 different than you thought it would be when you were 20? Or what you thought it would be on January 1?

When I was 20, I don't think I gave 2020 a thought. That was decades ago, and I was planning my wedding. If you'd asked me specifically, I'm pretty sure I'd have said we'd all have Rosie the Robot. I'm a little perturbed that we don't. And don't tell me we do, it's just called Roomba. When they come out with a Roomba that does laundry, dishes, and cleans up cat vomit instead of spreading it around, then maybe I'll be interested.

There's a lot about my life that looks like I thought it would on January 1. I wanted to be mostly settled in my house and spending a lot of time working. I wanted to see my kids a lot. So far, that's happened. Of course I don't think anyone saw a global pandemic and protests coming. The protests were in the realm of possibility because they always are, but it's not something I think about on a daily basis. The pandemic and the fallout? That was a plot twist I didn't see coming.

The biggest personal plot twist would be how 2020 looked to me a year ago. Last summer, we were living just outside of Chicago, thinking we would be there another 10-12 years. I was working for our church and making the best of a situation that was far from ideal for both of us. We were 5 hours from our kids and my parents. Being halfway between them was one of the few perks. While I was happy to be done with apartment life and to have a little patch of yard (which was lovely but pretty high maintenance), we had discovered quickly that urban life wasn't for us.

About a year ago, I made a conscious attitude adjustment to stop seeing the things I disliked about living in a densely populated area, and start seeing the things I would miss when we were finally able to leave. I started doing the things I would regret not doing, like visiting the Field Museum more, and walking to a coffee shop to work. A year ago I lived in blissful ignorance that Eric would get laid off without warning on October 2, or that Christmas would see us living within half an hour of our kids in a beautiful, quiet area. I sometimes wonder if we'd have gotten here sooner if I'd adjusted my attitude earlier, but I suspect the timing was exactly what it needed to be. 

If you have a question you want answered, you can comment on the Facebook post or here on the blog, or you can email me at coffeewithdragons2020@gmail.com.

Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

Feed me, Seymour!

We had a good couple inches of rain last week on the heels of a particularly hot spell. My garden loved it. The tomatoes have gone rogue.

I’d been diligent about pruning. I want tomatoes, not leaves, so I’ve spent a fair amount of time cutting off the branches that weren’t producing. It doesn’t seem to have mattered. This is what it looks like after light pruning and standing my stakes back up as best I could. Obviously, I need to find a better solution for next year. I have some thoughts, but I can’t do anything about it now. I’ll figure it out and get supplies over the winter, and when I clear out the bed in the spring, I’ll install something more robust. I’m open to suggestions if something has worked well for you. Otherwise, I’ll be at the mercy of YouTube.

We are in the awkward stage where I’m getting too many tomatoes to eat, but not enough to can. I made some tomato sauce yesterday, and it was enough for dinner (over spaghetti squash from my son’s in-laws).

You can see from the weeds next to the raised be that I’ve been in my office a lot. My deadline is looming, but I think I’m almost done.

What’s new with you?

Plot twist! I'm plotting!

Plotting books is not something I do naturally, but in an effort to minimize content edits, I’m giving it a try. My usual style is like archaeology. I just dig until I find the pieces. Sometimes I’m not in the right spot and have to try again somewhere else. When I do find the story, it has to be put together like an ancient puzzle. It’s a long process, and usually I don’t get the pieces in the right spots the first time.

Plotting, I hope, is more like using ground penetrating radar to find the right spot, and analyzing it to see how the pieces are laid out in the ground to maybe help figure out where each of them goes.

If this is hard for you, too, here’s what I’m using:

Scapple is a mind mapping software created by the folks who brought us Scrivener. Mind mapping is useful for me. Scapple helps make sure it’s legible, and since it’s on my computer, the odds are better that I won’t lose it. When I remember to save it in iCloud, I can even access it on different devices.

I’ve listed all the scenes I can think of that I know I need, and I’ve noted the season and location when I know it. They’re not in order. There are clumps of character POVs. So far I have 27, but that’s more than I usually start with, so I think this will be helpful. I’m using Excel because it will be easy to move scenes around. The goal for this is to be able to divide the scenes into chapters from which I’ll write a synopsis to send to the editors before I get into the actual writing. (I suspect the editors will be raising their hands to the heavens when they read this.)

Since two heads are better than one, I’ve already called my friend Jenn to talk through some possible plot points. She was the one who started this whole thing, and she knows the world almost as well as I do. Also we tend to think alike, which will no doubt be alarming for you, but I promise we’re using our Wonder Twin Powers for good. For now.

There are other things that will work for other people, but the bottom line is there are ways to plot that don’t involve traditional outlines. You can read more about them here and here. (Note—there is some swearing if you’re sensitive to that.)

If you know of other things that are helpful, I’d love to hear about them.

One week later...

Photo credit: pexels.com

This isn’t me, but it’s a fair representation of the last week. As usual, Realm Makers filled my head to overflowing. It usually takes about a week to get past the conference hangover and start to be productive again. I learned a lot. Now I just have to sort through everything to put together a plan.

One new thing I’m going to try is a Cutting Room Floor feature in my newsletter. Once a month, I’ll post a deleted scene. If you like directors’ cuts, you might want to sign up for my newsletter. I send it once a week, and your information will stay private. Leave me a comment if you have questions.

I should be in Atlantic City

It's time for the Realm Makers conference again. It was supposed to be on the Jersey shore. I was looking forward to early morning walks on the beach. Alas, the dreaded pestilence came upon us, and they've moved the conference to a virtual platform.

I'll be honest. I was bummed. I like to travel, and Atlantic City is someplace I haven't been. I hoped for a room that faced the beach so I'd be able to hear the ocean, maybe drink my coffee from a balcony with an amazing view.

Then they started telling us how it would all work, and honestly, I think it will be better. I won't get to see friends in person, but I will have access to all of the workshops. I can watch and re-watch sessions, and I won't actually have to get properly dressed. This also gives everyone the ability to watch everything applicable to them, even if they're all scheduled for 1:00 on Friday. So while I'll miss the beach and meeting my editor in real life, I think this will be more efficient.

I haven't gotten a lot done with the edit this week, but I am making progress. I have 154 manuscript pages cleared of comments and changes. It’s safe to say there will be no progress for the next three days. I’ll be taking notes and reducing my snack stockpile.

Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

Balphrahn Critters: Glomach

Glomachs have changed since I've been developing Balphrahn. Initially, they were a type of weasel, but with shaggier fur. One day I was wondering through the taxidermy at the Field Museum. I found the South African Springhare and knew that was what I had been looking for.

In terms of North American mammals, they're a cross between squirrels and rabbits. However, glomachs aren't ordinary rodents. They have an adaptation that allows them to be invisible to magic senses. Without spoiling anything, I can tell you that will be handy for one of the characters.

Glomachs are part of the fairy family, and they help monitor the magical border between Slan and Annwn. They investigate border breaches, and if they sense the person means no harm, they will follow and watch. If the person does mean harm, they scatter and leave them to the nearest water dragon.

While glomachs do stray across the border into Slan, they are rarely seen. They are shy and hide well.