Recap and Follow-up to Meeting #2

Another week goes by...and that's another week of blog posts that I planned and never wrote. I'll get around to them eventually, but the actual writing (aka the fiction, aka the fun stuff, aka the stuff that will make me money) comes first and I'm finding myself with less and less time each week.

As a quick preview on some upcoming topics (because, hey, it might motivate me to actually write them), we've got:

Career Observations from "Rain"
Teaching Creative Writing: Instinctive vs Analytic
The Devil's Advocate Speaks! -- Tell, Don't Show
The Devil's Advocate Speaks! -- EXTREMEism

That should take me through the end of the month at my pace, right? :P

Anyways, the meat of the matter here is that we had another meeting of the Pre-Professional Fiction Writers Business Workshop Extravaganza Fantastique...et al. And this one was a highly productive one -- from my perspective. There was some engaging discussion and identification of areas that we will need to explore more thoroughly, as well as a brief (and then long, and then lengthy) presentation from myself on publication process (and then agents, and then indie pub, and then...it was over).

Below, you'll find a quick recap of the discussion's highlights (including the list of topics that we've identified to talk more about in the coming weeks), as well as some supplementary reading material that I sent out after the meeting for folks to look into if they're interested. Peruse at your own pace and discretion.

Pre-Professional Fiction Writers Workshop -- Week 1 Readings

Hello, again.

As I said in the "Overview" email, this week's topics are:

1. Every writer is different.
2. You can make a living writing fiction.
3. This is a business; we need to adjust our attitudes.

We're going to dive right in, then. Below I present the topics again, with relevant links below. You'll find there are Primary readings, and Secondary readings.

Primary readings are those that I think do the best job of communicating the information we need to start having a conversation on the topic. It might not be the most balanced or accurate in terms of the picture it paints, but it'll definitely be the ones we try to talk about at our meetings.

Secondary readings are the "if you want more information" links. These are likely to come up in our discussions (I'm sure I'll reference them without realizing they're secondary), but are by no means required to understand the core of the topic. Sometimes, they present the same information from a different angle or in a different manner, so if you have trouble grasping the ideas or believing what the primary author is saying, then maybe looking at the secondary material will help you.

Again, as I mentioned in the Overview email, the schedule is fluid. If we want to expand our discussions of these initial readings into two or three weeks, that's fine. We'll just see how things go on Monday.

Okay, that's all I'm going to say. Here we go.

Pre-Professional Fiction Writers Workshop -- An Overview

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to the PPFWW.

This is a new project I'm putting together for a group of writers here on campus who are getting ready to make the jump from student writer to published writer.

This is an area that I've been doing a LOT of research on lately, and it's my hope that by sharing this research with others and opening it up to discussion, we'll all be able to learn.

It occurred to me while I was working on the outline for this week (and the next few weeks overall) that there's little reason for me to keep all this information to myself. As a result, you get this series of blog posts. Basically, they're going to be the reading packets that I send out to the group each week, provided for your perusal. Lots of good links in here, so hopefully you all can learn something along with us.

If I think there's a particularly useful or exciting discussion at the group's weekly meeting, I might share some insights I gained from it, but otherwise you're going to have provide the discussion for yourselves.

And, with that introduction out of the way, check out the workshop overview after the jump.

Creativity Bred by Pressure

Last night, upon returning to campus, I went straight to the performance portion of Truman's 24-Hour Theater event.

For the uninitiated:

24-hour theater is an event where, predictably, a group of students puts together a production in 24-hours. Four students begin writing a script at 8:00 Friday night, and then they move into production -- rehearsal, set construction, costume and prop construction, etc. -- until performance time at 8:00 Saturday evening.

It's kind of like the NaNoWriMo of putting on theater. Nobody expects it to be award-winning. They just expect it to be done.

Now, many of you know at this point of my professional admiration of Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch (or at least you should). There both a couple of no-nonsense writers who are in it for the long-haul and view writing as a business. Each of them maintains a blog where they regularly discuss the business side of writing in uncompromising terms, from the perspective of full-time writers who've been involved in the business and watching it develop for 30 years.

In other words, these are folks you listen to, even if you disagree with them.

Dean has a remarkable post on writing speed, where he discusses how the creative side of the brain works under pressure and time constraints and such. It's well worth a read, as it's changed the way I approach my writing. Particularly in the day-to-day sense.

Now, if I ever doubted what Dean was saying in that post above (which I did initially, and still sometimes question), I have to say that going to see the 24-hour theater production helped to dispel many of them. It truly is amazing what this group of STUDENT thespians was able to put together in the space of 24-hours.

Sure, it's no Emmy-winning musical or anything. The script was simple (and occasionally redundant), the set was sparse (but effective), and there weren't any exceptionally complicated moments of spectacle. But it worked! It was entertaining, had a neat premise, held to a decent structure, and played well to its venue and audience.

I'm almost certain the writers and other members of the team weren't consciously thinking about all of those elements (and more) as they raced through the production process. But the years and years of storytelling techniques that we pick up subconsciously by reading and watching stories throughout our lives came through in that wild rush to GET IT DONE.

(Just like Dean says.)

So I want to thank everyone involved in 24-hour theater for showing me that last night. It really was a clear example and an impressive reminder that the things I've been learning over the past year and a half are true. And it's encouraged me to continue believing that maybe something worthwhile can actually come out of my continued droning as I tap away at these keys (when I'm not trying so hard, anyway).

And for any of you reading this who are uncertain or embarrassed about the things you write or the way your write or the way it comes out, don't be. See Dean above. See 24-hour theater above. It's never going to be perfect, but if you trust your brain to do its job it has a good chance of still being good.

(Inspiration = fail?)

As for the rest of you...well, I'm not sure what you're doing here, I guess. Maybe you find me entertaining. If so, awesome! I'm glad if I brought a smile to your face.

So, until next time...
-josh k.

Legitimacy Bred by Rejection

Well, I can feel marginally more legitimate now.

Today I received my first rejection letter.

Yeah, personal little confession here. Even though I published on Amazon.com earlier this month, I still don't feel like I've really gotten my work out there. I don't feel all the way official yet.

Now, that'll come in time as I continue the story begun in "Reserved for War," but there's something about that external confirmation of an editor that's been deeply bred in the writer's psyche. While I've chosen to not completely shackle myself to the opinions of a single reader (i.e. an editor), I still hope to develop a positive relationship with the traditional publishing industry.

So, to that end, I've begun submitting my shorter fiction to the online magazines.

My first victim was the Hugo-award-winning Clarke's World Magazine. Competition is stiff there, as they only publish three stories a month. Think I'm crazy for even trying?

Hey, all they can do is say no, right?

I will admit that I chose Clarke's World more for their speedy turnaround (most submissions are read and replied to within the first three days), and I think this worked to my advantage. Rather than building up my hopes and expectations over weeks or months, unsure what to expect, only to ultimately be let down (or not, I guess), this way I was able to eagerly anticipate a reply and then move on.

Intense emotion packed into as small a space of time as possible.

Now I can stop worrying and move on with the writing. I received my first rejection. I am an official, legitimate contender in this journey now.

Just as publishing on Amazon was the first step on a new journey -- one of independent publication -- so this rejection is the first measurable step on a similar, parallel journey -- one of traditional publication.

Both are exciting, and I eagerly anticipate watching my own progress over the coming months and years.

(Hm, last statement = slightly narcissistic? Probably. [Shut up, inner editor.])

Until next time...
-josh k.

The First Steps on the Longest Walk of My Life

"The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

And many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say."

-J.R.R. Tolkien

Well, one journey ends...and another begins.

Today I become a published author. The first episode in my serialized story Paradise Remnants, went live on Smashwords.com earlier this morning. You can now buy it for a buck.

Later today, it'll probably go up on Amazon.com. By the end of the week, it should be available on BN.com. And sometime this month, Smashwords will push it out into the rest of the channels. (By the way, Smashwords is the best site to go to if you're a reader outside the U.S. They don't add any kind of fees to the price like Amazon does.)

This is an exciting day, for sure. But it's hardly a stopping point.

Instead, it's almost like the true beginning. Everything leading up to this point is prologue. From here the real story of my journey as a craftsman begins.

Will it be a rough start? A triumph? A slow and steady pace?

I don't know. But I'm ready to see where this new adventure takes me.

And you can bet that I'll be sharing it with you along the way...when I have time.

There's writing to be done, folks!

Until next time...
-Joshua Kehe

2011 in Review

Seems like everyone's already finished their renditions on this topic. Oh, well. So I'm late to the party (as usual).

I've finally counted up all the fiction I wrote last year and reached my final number in "The Journey to 500K."

It's about 222,000.

Yeah, not quite there.

Does this mean I failed my goal?

No. Not at all. It just means I didn't succeed as much as I had planned. Those words are still a major accomplishment. Some people might even be baffled as to how it's even possible. (Here's a hint: few of them are publishable. For now.)

Regardless of I have or have not come as a writer in this past year, I'm still proud of what my efforts. I didn't finish much, but I made progress in a lot of ways. I started actively working on projects that I've been holding off "until I'm good enough" (seldom a good idea). I learned which of those have potential NOW and which ones simply need to simmer for a little while. I experimented in several different subgenres and practiced a few new forms/styles/perspectives in my writing. I even discovered a few things about how to work more efficiently. (Two things to keep in mind, Josh: 1. Do the writing early. 2. Research doesn't count as writing.)

And now, as I move into the new year, I've find myself farther along than I ever thought I could be, looking ahead at the end of 2010.

I'm writing short fiction. Regularly. And enjoying it. (And, dare I say, growing more skilled at the craft?)

I attended a major convention and spoke to professionals in this field as friends (or at least acquaintances).

I'm learning about the business of writing, publishing, and living the creative life.

I'm on the eve of releasing my first story to the public, launching an ongoing series of episodic fiction.

This is really exciting stuff for me, and I feel like I'm just getting started.

Until next time...
-Joshua Kehe

The Final Story of 2011

In literature, only trouble is interesting.

-Janet Burroway

Although much of my time during the first few days of this new year has been spent in preparation for the release of "Reserved for War" next week, I did finally have some time to sit down this evening and write out an ending for a story I started on New Year's Eve.

For that reason alone, really, I feel like I'm finally done with my writing for 2011.

So, I think it's time to do a bit of a look-back.

I won't be able to do a memorial for the whole year until I get back to my records on Thursday (yeah, I should keep those with me). But I at least wanted to look back on this "Short Story Spree" I started in December.

As predicted, it didn't accomplish nearly as much as I intended it to.

But it was definitely successful.

I wrote five short(er) stories, the beginnings of a sixth, and reworked a seventh over thirty three(ish) days.

I'd call that a success.

In all, it's about 34,304 words of new fiction, plus "Reserved for War," which clocks in at around 6800 words.

So 40,000 words of work in a month.

I'm happy with that.

What's more, there is (I think), a clear trend of improvement throughout all that work. While the first couple of stories were a bit fumbling, they turned out well-enough in the end, and the most recent few stories I've written (two in the past week!) I consider to be competent and engaging members of the form.

(As in, they're actually stories that conclude within their short framework. Wow.)

Really quick, now, let's just run through what I worked on, shall we?

Coming Soon: Published Fiction

Reserved for War, Paradise Remnants Episode 1, will be published January 9th on all major electronic distributors (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Apple, Sony, Kobo, etc.)

Paradise Remnants is a 12-part military science fiction series set in the broken city of New Eden.

Reserved for War will be the first monthly release in this series. Read the blurb below:

"When the government needs to uproot a group of seditious rebels in the heart of their city, there's only one man the commander of the operation will go to in order to ensure the mission's success: a reluctant former soldier with deep regrets about his time in the military.

The mission that follows is the first episode in a tale of friendship, loss, and betrayal that continues in February's release, Provided for Victory, and will conclude with its intense finale December 2012."

Stay tuned for more announcements about this exciting new project.

2012 Goal #2 -- Traditional Publication

Goal: Submit 12 short stories and 4 novels to traditional markets.

Deadline: 25 December 2012

2012 Goal #1 -- Amazon Publication

Goal: Publish 20 items on Amazon.com through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Deadline: 25 December 2012

Second Story: Complete

Well... this is taking longer than expected...

Over the weekend, I finally finished the second short story. It's about an android infiltrator who goes to college. It's got a couple of fun bits, a creepy turn toward the end, and what I think is a beautiful last line. (I tweeted it when I finished.)

Unfortunately, there's a big chunk of missing character conflict in the middle (easy enough to fix, really; I just need to add a scene in) and the concept sounds far more fun than the reality. So it needs work.

But it's finished. In the midst of Finals and everything else, I managed to rise up out of my procrastination and Resistance in order to finish it.

So now I'm struggling with the next one.

Sigh.

I'll keep you posted.

Until next time...
-josh k.


Second Story Stats
Title: "The Changer and the Student"
Genre: SF-lite.
Length: 4,859 words / ~17 pages.
Premise: Robby, an android shapeshifter, learns what it's like to live with a roommate.

First Story: Complete

Finished the first short story earlier today. Took me about two and a half days to complete it, and it clocks in at about 7,800 words.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. It took me longer than I would have liked, ended at a longer length than I would have liked, and all around was more difficult to write than I would have liked.

That being said, I'm still excited about the world that this story comes from. It's what I like to describe as a clockpunk western. It takes the feeling of isolation and lawlessness from frontier American life, and mixes it with the crazy inventions that rise out of the Steampunk genre, without relying on too much of the fantastical magic.

December Project -- the Short Story Sprint

Okay, I think it's finally time to lift the veil of mystique from around this new project.

It's pretty simple, folks. During the month of December, I plan to write one short story per day.

Exempting myself for Christmas, that means I should have 30 new stories by the end of the month.

Daunting? Yes.

Very much so, because I am utterly incapable of writing a short story. And that's the main reason I'm doing this. I feel reasonably confident of my ability to write longer fiction, but telling succinct stories (and, really, just straight-up finishing things) is still difficult for me.

Thus, I am going to practice.

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 30

So, this is weird. I feel like I'm sitting in limbo.

For the first time in weeks, I don't have a writing project on my hands.

Now, that's all going to change tomorrow (I'll talk about that then). But for now, it's... actually kind of scary. I'm floating around looking at all the time I have on my hands and not getting anything done (more or less). I made some progress on my reading, played some video games, and generally wasted time.

It was kind of miserable. Not having anything to write felt... wrong, somehow.

I did enjoy it, sure. And I do think it was a good thing (that's a big shift, by the way; for the longest time I felt terrible every time I took a day off). Breaks are necessary in order to "refill the well," as Brandon Sanderson likes to say.

All that being said, though, I'll be glad to get back to writing tomorrow. I don't want to lose this momentum.

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 29

Way, kitty. I'm finished.

Well. That's that. My NaNoWriMo adventure comes to a close. Sorry I've been quiet for the past week. Between the holiday and the traveling and the trying-to-get-the-book-done, I've been a bit busy. I would have liked to offer my insights on the last leg of the project, but... well, it just didn't happen.

Wow, though. This feels good.

You may or may not know this, but Sentinel is only the third book that I've managed to type "The End" on (and I'm going to type "The End" on all my books, it just feels too good to pass up).

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 21

No, you stupid cat. I'm allergic! :-(

Well, I guess that's what I get for sleeping in this morning.

So, for those of you who don't have to live with me this week, you should know that I've been getting up consistently at 7:30 in the morning to do two hours of writing before getting started on other things for the day. It's been an amazing practice to get into, and it's probably the main reason I've gotten so much done.

I've also been sleeping on the couch. That detail is important for this next bit.

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 20

No comment; just cutes.

K, I'm all caught up now. :D

On a few other notes, here are some things I've realized over the past 24 hours.

1. I no longer complain about not having enough time.

Now, I'm not saying that I got more time, or even that I do have enough. Rather, I stopped complaining about it.

For those who don't know what I mean, here's an example. If you knew me when I was younger, you might have found me wishing for more time, complaining that "I don't have enough time for that." Heck, I used to put "Time" down half-jokingly as the first item on my birthday list each year.

That's how much I wanted time to write (and do other things, of course, but mostly write).

I don't do that anymore.

What changed?

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 19

Yeah, that's kind of how I feel right now. :-)

There we go. That's more like it.

Somehow, even though I've been home almost all day, I've still managed to sit myself down for TWO whole writing sessions.

Which, as you should know from reading these posts, gives me almost 5,000 words for today!

WOOHOO!

Granted, I'm not caught up yet. But if I pull this off for the next four days, I can finish the NaNo before Thanksgiving Day! (Which would be lovely for a number of reasons, but I'm going to focus my energy on the actual writing for the moment.)

Anyways, not much else going on right now. It's the weekend, so I don't really feel obligated to offer and incredible insights or anything.

However, I do have the two new chapters of the NaNo I wrote today posted over in my Writings section. Lots of action (finally) and some big twists. Go check it out. I enjoyed writing it, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading it.

Until next time...
-josh k.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Progress
Today: 4,912/1,666 words.
So far: 29,982/31,666 words.
Total: 29,982/50,000 words.

NaNoWriMo 2011 - Day 18

Hey, you. You're cool.

I'm home, now! :D

It's the beginning of Thanksgiving Break for me now, so I've finished (most all of) my papers and homework that needs to be turned in. I've survived the moderate drive back to St. Louis, and now I'm home.

Which is dangerous for the writing... but at this point I'm not really concerned. I'm just glad to have some time off from school.

In other news, I've made more progress on the NaNoWriMo novel, which means I've finally finished chapter 9! (Took me long enough.) Hopefully I'll be able to get back on track and make regular progress on the book again. There's a write-in on Sunday that I'm thinking about going to, but that's thinking just a little too far ahead right now.

First, I'm going to celebrate my sister's birthday. Then, I'm going to settle in and reconnect with my family.

Tomorrow, I'll try to make more progress on the book, and get back on track with things.

For now, though, like I said, I'm just happy to be home.

Until next time...

-josh k.

NaNoWriMo 2011 Progress
Today: 780/1,666 words.
So far: 25,070/30,000 words.
Total: 25,070/50,000 words.