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Sundry
Black Gate Update
I have almost all of the book reviews in now for issue 12, and almost all of the game reviews as well. The cover is excellent, one of my favorites. I need to get John to post it. Need it be said, then, that issue 12 should soon be ready? If it weren't for the required delay between layout and printer, I think we'd have a version ready by the end of this month. John's been working at it for a while now.
Which brings up an interesting point -- is anyone out there interested in a PDF version of Black Gate (in addition to the printed version, of course)?
Writing Thoughts
In the past I would stick with the writing of a scene as I'd planned it, doggedly persisting even if it felt like it wasn't going well. I suppose I used to do this because, well, NOT writing is easier than writing, as any writer can tell you, and this writer at least has to be constantly on guard about making excuses to NOT write.. I realized the other day, though, after I was about 1000 words into a new chapter, that the scene was boring me. I polished it up and re-read it and walked away, thinking I was being lazy for not writing on... But I'm glad I walked off. I realized that I needed to ditch the scene and write one that was interesting to write -- after all, if I'm not enjoying writing the scene, how much fun will it be to read?
So my tip to myself for the day was to learn to trust my instincts. If there'sa reason I don't feel like writing the scene, maybe the answer isn't laziness, but that the scene isn't working. The odd thing about this tip, though, is that I couldn't have told this to young Howard and have had any affect on him. It's all fine and well to trust your instincts, but my epiphany this time was that I should learn when I've developed the instincts to trust.
Howard
I have almost all of the book reviews in now for issue 12, and almost all of the game reviews as well. The cover is excellent, one of my favorites. I need to get John to post it. Need it be said, then, that issue 12 should soon be ready? If it weren't for the required delay between layout and printer, I think we'd have a version ready by the end of this month. John's been working at it for a while now.
Which brings up an interesting point -- is anyone out there interested in a PDF version of Black Gate (in addition to the printed version, of course)?
Writing Thoughts
In the past I would stick with the writing of a scene as I'd planned it, doggedly persisting even if it felt like it wasn't going well. I suppose I used to do this because, well, NOT writing is easier than writing, as any writer can tell you, and this writer at least has to be constantly on guard about making excuses to NOT write.. I realized the other day, though, after I was about 1000 words into a new chapter, that the scene was boring me. I polished it up and re-read it and walked away, thinking I was being lazy for not writing on... But I'm glad I walked off. I realized that I needed to ditch the scene and write one that was interesting to write -- after all, if I'm not enjoying writing the scene, how much fun will it be to read?
So my tip to myself for the day was to learn to trust my instincts. If there'sa reason I don't feel like writing the scene, maybe the answer isn't laziness, but that the scene isn't working. The odd thing about this tip, though, is that I couldn't have told this to young Howard and have had any affect on him. It's all fine and well to trust your instincts, but my epiphany this time was that I should learn when I've developed the instincts to trust.
Howard
I like the writing note. It sounds familiar. I try not to push too hard or the writing turns out pretty useless. That said I will not give up on a scene right away. I tend to give a scene a few chances before I go write something else. It is a good thing you don't have to contend with young Howard, he sounds pretty tough to deal with. jk
I had the same thing happen the other day as well. Part-way into a chapter, not liking it, and so I call it a night. And sure enough, bang! -- just before dropping off I come up with a better, more active way to begin the chapter. I couldn't wait to get the kids out the door and get to it the next morning.
So yeah, instincts are good. May they keep clicking in. :)
Postage to here because you have the craziest in the world post office ain't good.
Exactly!!!!!!!
I had this same realization while working on my latest novel. It's tough to find that balance between hard work and pointless effort especially if we are the driven sort, but it's important.
Instincts make or break us apparently. Who knew? LOL!
(Anonymous)
It might be interesting to see if that generates more hits to the site and more subscriptions. It seems to this outside observer that it really pulled a lot of attention to projects like "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom." [ http://craphound.com/down/download.php ]
The key is ease. You want interested parties scanning your sight to be able to quickly see what BG is all about.
Had this been available to me before my first subscription, I would have downloaded the PDF, seen the artwork, read a review, started a story and then ordered. I don't use a e-book reader, but I do look at .PDFs to check the content when available. For me, it is kind of akin to flipping through a book at the store: I'll never read the whole thing in the aisle, but I'll know pretty quickly if it is engaging enough to pick up.
Of course, you'll have free-downloaders who never pay you a cent, but I'd just consider that the cost of mass marketing.
If you get a really strong response to the download of the sample copy, that would be the time to start making every issue available electronically by subscription. Electronic-only subscriptions, if you ever get that far, should be noticably lower in price. Not necesarily 50%, but at least 20%. If you can't make that discount work financially for New Epoch, my opinion is to not bother doing it. While I'm happy to pay for BG hard copies, I think I'd want to benefit from the elimination of the printing of my issue if I ordered an e-only.
Hope that helps.
---Daniel
2. Online is easier to find. I have a hard time finding BlackGate (and most other fiction magazines for that matter.) A time ago, I had to request it from a different Barnes and Noble. The last time I tried that, they wouldn't even deliver it to the local store. They called around, found a store that carried it and said they would hold it for me, but I would have had to drive 30 minutes away...
I like holding a book in my hand, but the reality is that if I have a choice of an issue online for 2.50-6.00 vs a store magazine that I have to go and buy or a subscription...I'm going to take the 2.50 to six bucks every time.
As to feeling like a scene is dragging, I can't say that I've felt that in a strong way, but I do know when it is really humming along. And of the two, I want the later feeling more. :-)
During the last year or so the idea of an instinct, either for what is right or what is wrong, about my writing has been developing. This seems particularly true in the area of beginnings. I know a good one when I see one. Sometimes it takes having the whole story laid out to find the right starting point, which makes it feel like a gestalt-instinct sort of thing. And like you, I don't the younger, less experienced Fritz would have been able to listen to those instincts.
Fritz. (http://fritzfreiheit.com)