tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18873260076369422912024-03-04T22:01:15.090-06:00A Writer's JourneyNotes on the Craft of WritingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-18571558959957143832014-05-30T20:56:00.000-05:002014-05-30T20:56:03.666-05:00A Writer's Journey Has Moved!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should have been redirected automatically. But if by some random chance or magical occurrence you find yourself here, head on over to <a href="http://www.erindorpress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.erindorpress.com</a>!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the same great content you've come to love. All of your favorite articles are there, and future articles will be published there as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So come on over!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-10316116115642873822014-05-27T16:15:00.000-05:002014-05-27T16:15:30.969-05:00Necromancer Awakening FREE for LIMITED TIME<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello friends! It's with great pleasure that I offer my international bestselling fantasy, <b>Necromancer Awakening</b>, as a <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">FREE download for a limited time</a></b> on Amazon.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabhdlNc1T61msMvYfql9rwYsKqc6X5yiyluclOoIafWq-IHCMj4GlldkoZjms9zydtxaOTtRdlkHrW4_116TeUMVYNSLalfJ298sz0r9oDdAa5rrGfoZmOJ4PTVezrCcnfUiov3QZ-RJr/s1600/BookCover_Kindle.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't wait to <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">grab your copy</a> </b>of the Kindle edition! The free book fairy's wings are getting tired, and she might not hang around much longer!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com0Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-58976647586203190422014-05-18T21:09:00.000-05:002014-05-18T21:35:48.670-05:00Platform Building Primer<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/05/lessons-learned-from-1000-books.html" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1146481556"></span>recent article I wrote<span id="goog_1146481557"></span></a> that detailed the various lessons I learned from publishing my book <a href="http://amzn.to/1svT4I5" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> (now an Amazon Bestselling fantasy), I stated that having a platform is every bit as important as you've heard it is. Since that article was written, I've received countless questions asking me how I did it. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9EJGAcQPA-GiniTUyQI945yYCfDo1kZNdyPpDjcUfFqOVZf63UGUq4HmSQ7WL6Bcia6QOUv5QCTdotjpjOhQSaa-yzYf2RDkcw4lSQj15YI28I2JriWBi-5ugbdi5GteFXUREqdusZpy/s1600/chichen_itza-platform_of_venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9EJGAcQPA-GiniTUyQI945yYCfDo1kZNdyPpDjcUfFqOVZf63UGUq4HmSQ7WL6Bcia6QOUv5QCTdotjpjOhQSaa-yzYf2RDkcw4lSQj15YI28I2JriWBi-5ugbdi5GteFXUREqdusZpy/s1600/chichen_itza-platform_of_venus.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because ziggurats are cool, and I like to say "Chichen Itza".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this article, I'll show you some basic steps you can take to get started on building your own platform.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Setting Expectations</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's get this out in the open as quickly as possible. <b>There are no shortcuts</b> to building a writing platform. If you don't have a platform today, you won't have a platform tomorrow. If, however, you <i>start</i> building a platform today, and you follow some of the advice in this primer, your platform will grow over time, and you will eventually reap the benefits of all your hard work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Yeah, but how much time are we talking about, wise guy?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you sitting down? It took me about two years to build a substantial following that could drive initial book sales when I finally published. I'm not going to downplay the effort it took. I built my platform aggressively, and in the beginning it took several hours per day...most of my free time. I knew it wasn't sustainable, but I didn't see an alternative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I got smart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a software engineer, I follow the principle of "never repeat yourself" when I'm writing code. It occurred to me that much of what I was doing during those "several hours per day" could easily be automated!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn't wrong. Other software engineers had realized the same thing, and they had already developed some wonderful automated solutions that turned "several hours per day" into 15 minutes per day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Power of Automation</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my first jobs for my current employer was developing an automated testing system. Not to get too "meta", but an automated testing system is code that tests code—a program (or set of programs) that tests another program or set of programs. Once I had immersed myself in the subject of automation, I began to develop an <i>automation mindset</i> that made my colleagues laugh. Anything that could be automated, I <i>would</i> automate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within 6 months I didn't even have to show up. I could literally send text messages to my automation system to do the lion's share of my day-to-day tasks: generating a new software "build", retrieving build numbers for interested parties, kicking off tests and retrieving test results, and a host of other tasks including file transfer and reporting/messaging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tell this story for a reason. As much as automation freed up my time in my day job, it also freed up my time for writing when I used it to assist in building my platform. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The key word here is "assist". Again, there are no shortcuts. There's no program I could write that would build my platform <i>for</i> me. But I know enough about computers to know what they're best at: handling mundane, repetitive, time-consuming tasks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I approached social media automation in much the same way I approached my day job. I asked myself "what, exactly, do I do most often?"</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tweet #writetips</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tweet links to my blog</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow new people</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfollow people who aren't following me (after a certain period of time)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See my <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/02/using-twitter-effectively-part-1-of-10.html" target="_blank">Using Twitter Effectively</a> series for reasons why this is necessary.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chat with folks on Facebook and Twitter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post things of interest to writers on Facebook.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Promote any works-in-progress and published works</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I looked over the list, there was one that jumped out at me: "Chat with folks..." Clearly that isn't a candidate for automation! (I hope you see it this way too!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I discovered 3 tools that could help with all of the rest.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hootsuite.com/" target="_blank">HootSuite</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bufferapp.com/" target="_blank">Buffer</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.justunfollow.com/" target="_blank">JustUnfollow</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first two tools allow me to establish a "queue" of tweets that go out whenever I schedule them. I use HootSuite to handle my #writetip and #HorribleWriteTip tweets, as well as a small handful of blog posts. I use Buffer to handle the lion's share of my blog links.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I could probably forgo the use of Buffer and use HootSuite exclusively, except for one limitation of HootSuite: it only allows me to queue up 350 tweets at a time. That's not enough for a week's worth of tweets when I want to share 2 blog links per hour with my followers, in addition to the #writetips and #HorribleWriteTips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both HootSuite and Buffer allow you to automate posts to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and several other social media outlets. Both allow bulk uploads, and this is very important. You don't want to be typing in that many tweets manually. This is about working <i>smarter</i>, remember?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">JustUnfollow is a great tool to manage your followers/followings. Managing these numbers effectively is <b>crucial</b> when you have under 2000 followers (for the details on why this is the case, see my <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/02/using-twitter-effectively-part-1-of-10.html" target="_blank">Using Twitter Effectively</a> series). In this early stage of your platform-building process, you do NOT want to follow people who are not following you back. Not yet. Those "slots" are invaluable, and you need to make sure that they're reciprocal as much as possible, until you reach a certain threshold. JustUnfollow will allow you to identify anyone you are following who is not also following you back. This way you can easily unfollow those folks so that they're not stopping you from achieving the numbers you need to be effective.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social media is going to be a vital part of your platform. But it's only <i>one</i> part. Social media is not going to sell your books. Social media is going to drive people to your <i>content</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where is your content?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogging / Content</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've followed me long enough, you've probably heard me shout "Be a content provider first and foremost!" from the rooftops of Twitter and Facebook. In this new age of publishing, you're not trying to sell books. Not directly. You're trying to establish a relationship with your potential fan base. The way you're going to do this is by providing content that they find engaging, entertaining, and perhaps even informative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But how do you know what is engaging, entertaining, and perhaps informative? My best advice is find a niche that you're already an expert in <i>or can become an expert in over time</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That last part applies directly to me. I wasn't a grammar or writing expert when I started blogging. I started blogging for no other reason than to document my journey as I completed a work-in-progress. Over time, I developed an expertise in the key areas that were important to me during my writing process. I could speak with authority in these areas because I had put in the time and done my research. Moreover, I had examples from my own work that I could cite as references.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not suggesting that you blog about writing. But whatever you blog about, let it be something you have unadulterated <i>passion</i> for, because it's that passion that's going to make your posts interesting, lively, informative, and <i>consistent</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Oh yeah, smarty pants? Well what if I don't <i>want</i> to blog?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogging was my choice, but it may not be yours. The key is not the word <i>blog</i>. It's the word <i>content</i>. My content just so happens to be delivered through blog articles aimed at new or up-and-coming writers. I have a passion for mentoring in general, and not just in the area of writing. I also mentor junior software engineers (when given the chance). I've been a Tang Soo Do instructor since the late 80's. I've taught Math and English at a private boarding school in Wisconsin. I've done countless ministries for my church. And I haven't even started talking about my work with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blogging works for me because blogging is my way of mentoring writers, and I have a passion for mentoring. Notice I didn't say I have a passion for blogging? Blogging is the vehicle. The medium. It's <i>not</i> my content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Discover your <i>content</i>, then choose a vehicle to deliver that content in a way that will keep <i>you</i> engaged with your audience, and leave your audience coming back for more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now you've got Social Media, and you've discovered your Content and how to deliver it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's not enough.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Email List</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may have some followers on social media, and you may have a decent number of visits to your blog, but how engaged is that following <i>really</i>? Let's say you have 10000 followers on Twitter. How many of those 10000 followers are going to click the "Buy Now" button on Amazon when you publish your book? My educated guess tells me it's somewhere around 150, and that's the high end of lucky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sobering, isn't it? I can't offer you statistical evidence, but I can offer you anecdotal evidence based on my own sales. On the day I published Necromancer Awakening, I had 65000 Twitter followers. Approximately 1.5% of that number purchased books, and it took them a month to do so. The actual number is probably less than 1.5%, as I've undoubtedly sold some books to people who found me on Amazon through the various bestseller and popularity lists I've been on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had 200 subscribers to my email list. The overwhelming majority of them bought the book, and they did so in the first two weeks. I know this through personal messages from subscribers, as well as tracking click-through performance and conversion rates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, my relatively small email list accounted for approximately 25-30% of my total sales in the first month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is this? Think about the concept of an email list for a moment. Someone came to you, handed you their email address on a platter, and said "Please send me information about you and what you're working on!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's engagement. These folks are your core audience. They're tuned in. They want to know what you're up to, and they don't mind getting an email from you. This represents a <i>lot</i> of trust, and you need to respect it. My personal rule of thumb is one newsletter per month. It's short and sweet, and usually includes a few links to articles I may have written since the last newsletter, any promotions I'm running at the time, and early information on works-in-progress, launch dates, tour dates, signings, etc. Whatever I do, my newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about it (<a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/p/blog-page_29.html" target="_blank">you can see a sample of my newsletter here</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many different services you can use. The most popular are MailChimp, AWeber, and MadMimi (among others). I currently use MadMimi, but I'm thinking about switching to MailChimp because I like their templates a little more. Most of these services offer free options up to somewhere around 500 subscribers. After that, they scale up a bit. But don't worry...if your current problem is that you have to start paying your mailing list provider, then you're having rich people problems anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now you've conquered social media, you're dialed in to your content and people are eating it up, and they like you enough to trust you with their email address.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that's still not enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Book Sales Page</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ultimate goal behind everything you're doing is eventually to sell a book or two, right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 2 things you absolutely <i>must</i> do on your sales page. These 2 things are non-negotiable. Failure to comply will result in... You get the idea.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In no particular order:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Polish your book's description until it squeaks.</span></li>
</ul>
<ol><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You only get one shot at this. You've gone to all this trouble to get a potential reader one step away from a "buy" button. The <i>last</i> thing you want to do is present them with horrible copy that screams amateur. You'll lose them. Maybe forever at that point.</span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Show them a professionally designed cover.</span></li>
</ul>
<ol><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/03/readers-will-judge-your-book-cover.html" target="_blank">this article</a> I wrote on cover design. No. Seriously. Check it out. If you're doing it yourself, you're <i>probably</i> doing it wrong. Not definitely. But <i>probably</i>. Only you can be certain whether you're <i>definitely</i> doing it wrong, or just <i>probably</i> doing it wrong. See what I'm getting at? </span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Putting It All Together</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you're selling through Amazon, Smashwords, other mainstream distributors, or off your own web site, the concept is the same:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use social media to drive traffic to your content.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use your content to engage an audience enough to subscribe to your newsletter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use your newsletter (and content) to drive traffic to your book sales page.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use your book's well-written description, and professionally designed cover to sell.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGBZ-eiCIXyWqYvT2IN5mzMPCVxP1HlW1513tmJ01OOxW2zPkg0G748cyjZOTE4q1S0s08ClXZfqoxmWhLulpf_vcyvIlSSoHwSD16qzOl2FbcC_XS4NWKAq04MhiHf4aMpqGuuPmz0SY/s1600/PlatformCycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGBZ-eiCIXyWqYvT2IN5mzMPCVxP1HlW1513tmJ01OOxW2zPkg0G748cyjZOTE4q1S0s08ClXZfqoxmWhLulpf_vcyvIlSSoHwSD16qzOl2FbcC_XS4NWKAq04MhiHf4aMpqGuuPmz0SY/s1600/PlatformCycle.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This, my friends, is your platform. Nurture it, and it will take care of you and provide a foundation for your writing career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you sell books without a platform? You sure can. But if you've been struggling to sell books without one, you won't be any worse off for trying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, there are naysayers. You'll find articles out there that will tell you you're wasting your time. And I'll tell you right now, if platform-building is taking away from your writing, then they're absolutely right! But if you're already doing everything right, and you just can't break through to the sales you know you can achieve, give it a try. You just might discover a new passion in the process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you who have yet to publish a book, <b>now</b> is the time to <b>get started</b>. You're in the perfect position to build an audience that will be waiting for you when you release your book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think about your book as if it's a Broadway show. Do you start the show, then open the doors to let people in, hoping they'll hear you from the street and buy a ticket? Or do you open the doors first and start the show to a packed house?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.
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I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com10Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-11154002849912097492014-05-12T18:24:00.000-05:002014-05-18T14:34:01.266-05:00My Writing Process: A Blog Tour<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was asked to participate in the "Writer's Process Blog Tour" by a wonderful friend (and #1 bestselling author!) Nicholas Rossis, author of the <i>Pearseus</i> epic fantasy series. When you get a chance, take a moment to visit him at <a href="http://www.nicholasrossis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nicholasrossis.com/</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks, also, to <a href="http://jlmorse.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JL Morse</a> for including me in the tour!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Writer's Process Blog Tour requires that I answer 4 questions about my process and works. In today's post, I'll take a stab at those 4 questions in the hope of shedding some light on the rusty innards of my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Am I Working On?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm currently working on a short story, titled "The Road To Dar Rodon", which is part of my "Tales of the Mukhtaar Lords" collection of stories and novellas. Those of you who have read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> are aware of the Mukhtaar Lords and their place in the world of Erindor. These characters are rich in history, philosophy, and mysticism, and I couldn't possibly include all that they are in a single book or trilogy. So I take them on adventures (both of the body and mind) in the "Tales of the Mukhtaar Lords" collection. The collection isn't meant to be read in any particular order, and you don't have to have read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> to understand and appreciate these stories! It's my hope that those of you who don't like to read book-length works will take a look at the shorter stories and become as immersed in Erindor as I and my readers have become.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm also in the process of story-boarding the sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>, which should be published around this time next year (2015). I have two other "Tales of the Mukhtaar Lords" stories queued up after that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How Does My Work Differ From Others Of Its Genre?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think at the end of the day we're all in this to tell a good story. If my readers close the book at the end and walk away feeling satisfied and entertained, then I have done my job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a deeper level, however, I grapple with issues of abuse of religious authority due to my unique experiences as a Catholic seminarian back in the 1990's. I bring to my stories an undercurrent of philosophy, mysticism, and theology that you don't often find in fantasy. I do this to shed some light on common beliefs and thought patterns in our own world in an effort to continually reevaluate what we hold to be true and self-evident.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, I'm a firm believer that if we can't defend what we think/believe, then we should either learn how, or we should take a position that's defensible. Even if that defense boils down to "I'm taking a leap of faith", I think we need to recognize that and be honest with ourselves. It avoids misunderstandings. Misunderstandings with other people, and misunderstandings in our own internal dialogue. And this works both ways, in my opinion. If we know that our position is logical, reasonable, then we should be able to employ logic and reason to defend it. If, on the other hand, we know our position is a leap of faith, then we won't be dissuaded when someone points out that we cannot defend it with logic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I explore all of these things in my work, and I like to see what happens when the wrong people are placed in positions of moral authority. More importantly, I like to see how good people rise up and overcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Do I Write What I Do?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh boy. This is a can of worms. Fasten your seat belt...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've seen some things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who spent time studying for the priesthood will tell you the same. If not, then they weren't paying attention, or they chose to look the other way so as not to jeopardize their vocation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me set the record straight. I have truly fond memories of my days in the seminary. I cherish the days I spent in the halls of St. Meinrad Archabbey, as do the friends I made there whose friendships last to this day. The Benedictine monks were among the finest, most spiritually uplifting people I have ever had the great privilege of being around. The lessons I learned from those monks inform a great deal of my writing, and, indeed, my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="200" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="http://www.pinterest.com/NatRussoAuthor/st-meinrad-archabbey/">Follow Nat's board St. Meinrad Archabbey on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">About</a> page, I mention a group called the <b>Legionaries of Christ</b>. This is a Catholic religious order that I had considered joining prior to my days at St. Meinrad, and I spent about 6 months with them. I'm not exaggerating when I say this was a <b>foul group of individuals</b> who had no business going anywhere <i>near</i> a person's soul. There, I said it. Entertain yourself and Google them. You won't be disappointed. Pop some popcorn first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll summarize by saying I witnessed profound abuse of religious authority at their hands. I myself was a victim of various forms of psychological abuse, before I finally saw it for what it was and got the hell out of there. Flash forward 25 years to the present day. Their founder was discovered living a secret life with multiple mistresses and offspring, forcing the Pope to "banish" him from the order. The order bilked wealthy patrons out of millions, using guilt-ridden strong-arm tactics to force them into turning over their estates rather than distributing their wealth to their families. Their primary tactic among seminarians was to cut the young men off from their families, supervising the extremely <i>rare</i> phone conversations we were grudgingly allowed, and reading all correspondence coming in and going out of the institution. Sometimes letters wouldn't make it. I know this first hand. Could the post office have lost my letters? Sure. Whatever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, of course, there was the sex abuse. There always is, isn't there? I was spared this particular atrocity, but the order's founder (and several of the order's superiors) used their religious authority to manipulate young men into having sex with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and the best part? Their founder...the banished dude with multiple mistresses and a thing for young seminarians...made them all take a <b>secret</b> oath to never speak against their religious superior. How convenient.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. Deep breath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a danger implicit in turning over our powers of critical thinking to another person. When we allow someone else...anyone else...to do our thinking for us, we can no longer assume that the result is going to be in our best interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is why I write what I write. If even a single person finds the strength to stand up and say "I'm not going to take this anymore, and I'm not going to allow you to do this to anyone else!" then everything I've written was well worth the effort. It doesn't have to be in the context of religion! Religion is merely the vehicle I use, because I'm fluent in its language.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like any human endeavor, however, Religion has a light and dark side. When we focus on one to the exclusion of the other, we do a disservice to humanity. So I try, wherever possible, to reveal the good as well as the bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not anti-Religion. Far from it. I still consider myself Catholic. I still pray. What I am is against any person committing evil and using Religion as a shield, weapon, or excuse, regardless of whether that person is a priest, nun, or Pope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How Does My Writing Process Work?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My writing process involves a lot of staring at the monitor with a blank expression on my face. And that's <i>after</i> I've done all of my outlining and up-front planning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll back up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I discovered, much to my surprise, that I'm an outliner. I denied it for many years. And for many years I never actually managed to complete a manuscript.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order for anything I write to be successful, there are several things I absolutely <i style="font-weight: bold;">must</i> know before I sit down and begin the prose. In order of importance:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. How does it end?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is non-negotiable for me. If I don't know going into the story how it's going to end, I'm like a ship without a rudder. I need something to steer towards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. What causes my protagonist to care?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need to know what pushes my protagonist over the edge to the point where they care enough to start plodding off toward the end of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Why does the opposition care?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not writing melodrama. I at least <i>try</i> to have an antagonist that isn't one-dimensional. It's up for debate whether or not I succeed, but at the very least it's my goal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. How do my characters change?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is about character arcs. My characters need to change in some way, even if those ways are subtle. I try to have at least 1 dramatic arc, where a character makes a complete 180. That arc doesn't always belong to my protagonist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. At least 2 or 3 things I refer to as "plot points".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are 2 or 3 events that <i>must</i> be included in the story. They're the framework upon which everything hangs, and they provide me with navigable points to steer towards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Theme/Symbolism/"The Message"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I place this last for a reason. If I actively think about my "message", I get in the way of the message. My message is going to reveal itself in my writing, because I am who I am. I write what I write because of the things I spoke about in the previous section. These things are an ever-present part of my life. I can't <i>not</i> be writing with these things floating around in the back of my mind. They inevitably make their way to the surface. That being said, when I go back on revision and see them for what they are, I make a conscious decision to highlight some and downplay others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my "writing days" (I have to set aside special days for this, because I still have a day job), I begin by checking in on my social networks. This takes about an hour or so at the start of the day. After that, I fire up Scrivener and dig back into whatever work-in-progress I've got on my table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every 5-15 minutes, I purposefully distract myself. I've found that this dramatically reduces incidents of "writer's block", because it allows my subconscious mind a few minutes of catching up. When I return to Scrivener, whatever problem I was struggling with usually has a solution. I continue for as many hours as work and family allows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, enough about me already! I'd like to introduce you to three writers you may not be familiar with. I'm passing the torch of the blog tour over to them. Fear not! I know it's in good hands!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up to bat is my friend "Sharky"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-h-Wt9PlcOaiVprobYxBqg_Ff45gajXLqVSLfyXplLd28kXmHC-innAFqYXIdtnEb43YExaOiyZ39mFJ6CJcpARXQI59iXWptZsauG3j6xTzFtRa0EtEE6bIEFWtnhMbzXpTUIkKv4BR/s1600/Profile+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-h-Wt9PlcOaiVprobYxBqg_Ff45gajXLqVSLfyXplLd28kXmHC-innAFqYXIdtnEb43YExaOiyZ39mFJ6CJcpARXQI59iXWptZsauG3j6xTzFtRa0EtEE6bIEFWtnhMbzXpTUIkKv4BR/s1600/Profile+Photo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robert “Sharky” Pruneda, <a href="http://www.sharkbaitwrites.com/">www.SharkbaitWrites.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robert Pruneda is author of the Amazon Kindle bestselling horror novel Devil's Nightmare and contemporary family motor sports drama Pursuit of a Dream (Victory Lane: The Chronicles). He lives in south Texas and has called the Lone Star State his home all of his life. Pruneda is also very active in social media and an avid gamer who can often be found fighting side-by-side with his friends on his favorite first-person shooter . . . but he prefers survival horror.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up is a lovely writer and lady I met early in my Twitter days, Leslie Stella.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PNEZAo5FrZjU6mFBLVrNgzPCg3-SAdD0ut-vHA4rQoIs47mU7cByXnoYO3NQsaJ87EzI-qEXcYEt2sq7AzmVgd2apCxtT1sgXF76o5J_RWFegqP8IL0uqck0cX1srtY4jh3Vin4aSMHd/s1600/Leslie-Stella_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PNEZAo5FrZjU6mFBLVrNgzPCg3-SAdD0ut-vHA4rQoIs47mU7cByXnoYO3NQsaJ87EzI-qEXcYEt2sq7AzmVgd2apCxtT1sgXF76o5J_RWFegqP8IL0uqck0cX1srtY4jh3Vin4aSMHd/s1600/Leslie-Stella_5.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leslie Stella is the author of the young adult novel Permanent Record (Skyscape, 2013), which was selected as the 2014-15 title for the Suburban Mosaic Teen Book of the Year and selected by Library Services for Youth in Custody for their 2014 “In the Margins” book award.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was a founding editor of the legendary Chicago-based politics and satire magazine Lumpen, and her work has been published in The Mississippi Review,The Adirondack Review, Bust, Easy Listener, and anthologized in The Book of Zines: Readings from the Fringe (Henry Holt, 1997).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leslie was nominated for a 2004 Pushcart Prize in short fiction. Visit her at: <a href="http://www.lesliestella.com/">www.lesliestella.com</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last up is my friend Nick Olivo.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrd4qlySvCkQm0MA1Ngfgm2VhokF-9scG8OTV99MSmwSO86vU40FQxUMdo4mjFAjR3npNhQAG7gmSu-mnXnOU-gANgIkB318QUlasWhzhK9MuBTd_0SaVzxfBRNy6IYfFId5J4qzozGxa/s1600/olivoheadshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrd4qlySvCkQm0MA1Ngfgm2VhokF-9scG8OTV99MSmwSO86vU40FQxUMdo4mjFAjR3npNhQAG7gmSu-mnXnOU-gANgIkB318QUlasWhzhK9MuBTd_0SaVzxfBRNy6IYfFId5J4qzozGxa/s1600/olivoheadshot.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My childhood consisted of way too many video games, comic books and 80's cartoons. Add in a healthy appetite for Tolkien and Stephen King, and the end result was a geek who had visions of someday writing his own novels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was Terry Brooks' Wishsong of Shannara that really got me excited about writing. But it wasn't until years later, after reading Jim Butcher's Storm Front, that I decided to take a crack at urban fantasy. After a month of Pepsi-and-Snickers-assisted brainstorming, Vincent Corinthos and the Caulborn were conceived. A year later I published the first Caulborn novel, Imperium.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've lived my entire life in various New England states, and I'm fascinated by New England's paranormal history. One thing I really enjoy is incorporating local paranormal events and urban legends into the books. Each Caulborn novel will include references to real-world supernatural occurrences, and explains how they fit into the Caulborn's world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to drop me a line, swing by my site - <a href="http://www.nicholasolivo.com/">www.nicholasolivo.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com10Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-30007401781293433082014-05-05T20:40:00.000-05:002014-05-10T17:22:02.290-05:00Do Your Characters Have an Attitude?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are few things more elusive in the craft of writing than the notion of "Voice". But what many new writers fail to grasp is that "Voice" is far more than just <i>what</i> a character says. It's about <i>how they say it</i> and how they feel about the world around them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, it's at least partially about their <i>attitude</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have an attitude. You may not realize it, but you have one. I'm sure you've heard the words "don't give me that attitude!" on more than one occasion. I'm willing to bet you've answered a question with a smile on your face, all the while concealing the seething rage beneath your calm exterior.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I right? Of course I am! I'm human! Attitude is a major part of what defines our very existence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So just what is this elusive <i>attitude</i>, and how do we go about achieving it in fiction?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Filter Through Which We Perceive</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you heard the saying "no matter where you go, there you are"? It sounds trite and cliche, but it's saying something quite important that writers should take to heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everywhere we go, and everything we see, is perceived through the filter of our lives. Our lives consist of many things, but at its heart, a life is a collection of experiences. Each experience we have, from childhood through adult, molds the clay that forms who we are as a person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why do we sometimes write a character as if he or she is a blank slate? Simply put, we do this before we've fully <i>experienced</i> the character we're writing. They're not <i>real</i> to us, and until they are, they stand <i>no chance</i> of being perceived as real by your reader. They'll fall flat. You'll hear comments like "one-dimensional" and "no depth". At this stage, you're not yet treating your characters as if they're living, breathing people! Instead, you're writing them as if they're little more than a bundle of sensory receptors, dutifully reporting what they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch to the reader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BOOOOOOORRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNGG!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what can we do to change this?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How Your Characters Feel About Their Perceptions</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you perceive the world around you, you're passive about some things, allowing them to flow into your eyes, ears, etc, with little internal commentary. Other things, however, spark lengthy internal monologues. Sometimes they get us thinking in tangents about seemingly unrelated things. Sure, it's just a pair of white tennis shoes, but because of this one experience that one time—you know...the time we did that thing with the guy at that place?—we find ourselves thinking about a movie we saw when we were twelve years old!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not suggesting you allow your characters to constantly run off on mental tangents. What I <i>am</i> saying is that your character's self-perception—their very perception of reality—is colored by who they are and what they've done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to show you an example. In this case, I'll use a passage from my debut novel Necromancer Awakening (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">now available on Amazon</a>). First, let me show you how a 1st draft version might look:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mujahid needed power to cast a spell, but there was none around. The crypt held power, but he was too far away.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this passage, Mujahid is just dutifully reporting the facts to the reader. And that's ok...for a 1st draft. 1st drafts are always <i>pure crap</i>, but that's because we're just getting the story down. In essence, we're telling the story to ourselves just to get it straight! But clearly this won't do. It's too sterile. It's lacking something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attitude. It's lacking <i>attitude</i>. When we revisit this passage in the 2nd (or 20th) draft, we'll know more about our world. We'll know more about Mujahid. He'll be more <i>real</i> to us as the writer, so we'll know better how he feels and thinks about his surroundings. In short, we'll know his <i>attitude</i>. So we take that attitude and inject it into the prose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Mukhtaar Lord or not, he needed power to cast like any other priest, and there wasn't a drop of necropotency anywhere. If he could get closer to the crypt, he'd have all the energy he needed. But he didn't think the guards would take him on an excursion any time soon.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure, I increased the word count of this paragraph quite a bit. But sometimes that's ok. This is a 2nd (or 20th) draft, so I'm going to be cutting entire sections and combining characters in other locations anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The takeaway from this is that the first version was sterile. It lacked life. We were <i>telling</i> a story. In the second version, we were <i>living</i> a story! The second version was filled with attitude, and that attitude brought tension with it. You can feel Mujahid's frustration, and you're wondering, right along side him, how he's going to get out of trouble.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, you've created a fictive dream in the reader's mind. You've struck dramatic gold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drawing Inferences</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your character is also going to have an attitude when it comes to other people. Without going too deeply into the subject of dramatic irony (that's a subject for later), let's just say that your character is going to interpret <i>and misinterpret</i> the actions of other people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's look at another example from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>. This is from the same scene as I used above. Mujahid, a powerful necromancer, placed in a position where he has no power, is talking to a government official (named Thomry) that has come to pay a visit to Mujahid's cell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't know much about Mujahid in the first draft. He was still more of a "fact reporting bundle of sensory perceptions" than he was a person to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomry had been fidgeting with his sleeves, but he looked up and spread his arms when Mujahid accused him.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep. Good, dutiful Mujahid. Reporting the facts as he did all throughout the first draft. That's exactly what Thomry did. Mujahid accused him of something, and Thomry stopped messing with his clothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I learned more about Mujahid, however, it occurred to me that he wouldn't leave it at that. Thomry's action would hold more significance because of how Mujahid feels about foppish government bureaucrats. So I rewrote it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomry looked up from his preening and spread his arms.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomry, the fop, wouldn't be "fidgeting with his clothes" in Mujahid's eyes. He'd be "preening" himself. In this instance, I not only injected a part of Mujahid into the description, but I also managed to shrink word count as a bonus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know. There's a lot of distance between draft 1 and draft 20 that I've conveniently skipped over (all that "getting to know them" crap). Don't worry. I've got you covered. Take a look at <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2012/12/how-do-you-find-characters-voice.html" target="_blank">this article</a> I wrote about the technique I use to learn more about a character. I think you'll find it both fun and educational!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: until you see your characters as living, breathing people, your reader doesn't stand a chance at connecting with them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give them <i>attitude</i>. People connect with attitude. And why wouldn't they? After all, we all have them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com8Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-77629167959404821532014-05-03T22:16:00.000-05:002014-05-10T17:09:26.562-05:00Necromancer Awakening Appears On 4th Bestseller List<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just received amazing news from a friend! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> has entered a 4th Amazon bestseller list (Sword & Sorcery Fantasy)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see from the images, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> is currently #13 on the Sword & Sorcery Fantasy bestseller list, and is also #7 on that category's "Hot New Releases" list! This is a profound honor that I cannot even comprehend right now. When I glanced at this bestseller list, I saw names like George R.R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, Morgan Rice, Margaret Weiss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And somehow, Necromancer Awakening is ahead of them. These are names I've idolized. These are names I consider to be part of the pantheon of fantasy. Somehow, my name is appearing next to theirs on a bestseller list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may only last for a brief moment in time. But it's a moment I will never forget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you all <i>so much</i> for your part in this incredible, unbelievable success. I thank you. My family thanks you. I <i>know</i> Toby thanks you! (Then again...he has a pretty big head, so who knows.)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUUYDX1yi5qbzaXIvpO8orcZyy_99mcBi4dKPpl91Cm1yNW-Od609Q9ixrkbc9lsEyLCMKqOtTkA34CvgaRm87eOeUMfQ69XIJKusqsRZGajLcNPk28nlPGnMBqgPYr0p6oYLtZR7nFRH/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com2Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-34202603320162691572014-05-02T20:32:00.000-05:002014-05-10T17:06:51.822-05:00Lessons Learned from 1000 Books<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having sold more than 1000 copies of Necromancer Awakening (my bestselling dark fantasy novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">now available on Amazon</a>), I've learned some lessons about independent publishing. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUjOPMtpToJ0B5AyeLjNyQa1aHLTBpkqaVKtAjaNvXgNpM8paztCyX_sy1eb6PkJHNpsimeM1ZV1JJPtGKQxmFDvmI9E5CrBk9PjBv4v6S4rQjd-Eff0W4rnMKWEgV_oInTuywVvwe7iA/s1600/PostMortem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUjOPMtpToJ0B5AyeLjNyQa1aHLTBpkqaVKtAjaNvXgNpM8paztCyX_sy1eb6PkJHNpsimeM1ZV1JJPtGKQxmFDvmI9E5CrBk9PjBv4v6S4rQjd-Eff0W4rnMKWEgV_oInTuywVvwe7iA/s1600/PostMortem.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my minions at work on social networking</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Some of them will delight you. Others will disturb you. I believe many will surprise you. Beware...many an exclamation mark lurks ahead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having a Platform - Every Bit as Important As You've Been Told It Is</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A year into writing Necromancer Awakening, back in 2011, I began hearing a phrase more and more: "If you're going to be a successful writer, you'd better have a platform." At the time, I wouldn't have known a platform if someone had stapled a rejection letter to one and smacked me with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is a platform? In simple terms, it's a means to reach a large number of people in a short period of time. The big traditional publishing houses have this ability already. They have connections. They have marketing departments. They have resources!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You don't. Embrace the knowledge that a platform is going to help your writing career and get started building one. It's not too late, even if your book is already published! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look, this isn't about turning the crank on a machine. It's not about gaming some system to gain an advantage. It's about fulfilling your passion! It's about being you. <i>Genuinely</i> you! Look deep inside and discover who you really are, then share that person with the world. That's how you'll build your platform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advertising is <i>Not</i> Your Friend</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How many books have you bought as a result of seeing a commercial or a random Tweet/status update with a link? I'm willing to bet it's not many. So what makes you think other readers are going to buy <i>your</i> book based on an advertisement?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's some anecdotal evidence from my own experience: During the week <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> was published, I tweeted links to the Amazon store incessantly (ok...by "incessantly", I mean twice per hour). That's unusual for me. I usually only tweet links to helpful content with that kind of frequency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I paid for it. Sales were dismal. I mean <i>horrible</i>. When they struck bottom, they started digging. Other authors' sales would follow my sales around...but only out of morbid curiosity. My sales set low personal standards, and then consistently failed to achieve them. Get the picture? :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to slap myself. This couldn't continue. So I took stock of what led me to writing and blogging to begin with: helping people improve their craft. Not selling books! It was <i>never</i> about selling books for me! As soon as I realized this, I went back to what I had been doing for two years: <b>I went back to being a content provider, first and foremost</b>. I slashed the number of book ads I was tweeting and went back to blogging and mentoring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sales rocketed. And by rocketed, I mean they leaped from 3/day to over 70/day, where they've remained ever since. Necromancer Awakening climbed onto three different Amazon bestseller lists and raced up to the top 10 on each.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All with minimal advertising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're going to advertise anything at all, advertise the fact that you're providing content people may find helpful. If they find you interesting and helpful, they will seek out your work. I promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 5/3/2014]</b> It occurred to me that it may help if I showed you all a screenshot of my KDP sales report screen for April, just to drive this point home. So here goes...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o6H-7ZRxTAbgvy89WZyGJ7bfAmqZPf4VREesL_1-q7FkYbV61X6eDpma8YimKcmVsdC-iUAsUOb9hXn30uadGh7hxql5S12phoScVd30y8X2vqHdFBYTrSfVEUw6rGD7RAwI_R8Zy7F6/s1600/April2014SalesKDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o6H-7ZRxTAbgvy89WZyGJ7bfAmqZPf4VREesL_1-q7FkYbV61X6eDpma8YimKcmVsdC-iUAsUOb9hXn30uadGh7hxql5S12phoScVd30y8X2vqHdFBYTrSfVEUw6rGD7RAwI_R8Zy7F6/s1600/April2014SalesKDP.jpg" height="243" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice the spike on April 21st? That's the day I <i><b>stopped </b></i>the aggressive ad campaign!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Power of Social Proof</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The concept of "social proof" isn't a new one, but it is interesting to consider. It's the basis for why book reviews work. It's the basis behind bestseller lists, hit lists, Hot 100 lists, popular deals, fan favorites, "customers who bought this item also bought...", and on and on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put simply, people may not jump off a bridge if their friends tell them to, but they <i>will</i> jump off that bridge if their friend goes first and then talks about how much fun the fall was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make your audience part of your success. No...strike that. You wouldn't <i>have</i> success in the first place if it weren't for your audience. There's no "making" to be done! <b>Let your audience <i>experience</i> your success</b>. Let them experience your happiness! Don't be afraid to let your feelings show. If you're giddy because your book just went from #93 to #92 on a bestseller list, share it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Remember those book reviews I mentioned? I started searching for advance readers <i>months</i> before <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> was published. I gave each of them a copy of the final edition and asked them to write a review. By the time my publication date arrived, I had 7 reviews ready to go, 6 of which were 5-star reviews, and 1 of which was a 4-star review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviews matter, regardless of what the naysayers claim. I'm contacted <i>every day</i> on Twitter by people who were on the fence about trying my book until they read the reviews. Reviews work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[UPDATE 5/7/2014: I recently learned, in David Gaughran's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPQ6YYI" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Let's Get Visible: How to Get Noticed and Sell More Books</a>, that not only do reviews work, they're directly related to your position on Amazon's various "Popularity" lists! A high position on your genre's popularity list will lead to more sales, which leads to a higher position on your genre's Bestseller list! So roll up your sleeves and get those reviews!]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and by the way, bad reviews help too. You read that right. A bad review that is well-written will bring focus to your audience. People who probably have no chance to like your book under the best of circumstances will see the bad review and realize they almost made a mistake. Members of your core audience, however, will read the same bad review and think "well, that doesn't really apply to me. These aren't the types of things that would bother me."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And bad reviews that are laced with vitriol are the best of all. You should be <i>far</i> more concerned about well-written reviews that tear your book apart for problems that could have been solved by an editor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So...Traditional vs. Independent?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My answer to this question hasn't changed since <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/01/self-publishing-vs-traditional-my.html" target="_blank"><span id="goog_19459990"></span>last I wrote about it<span id="goog_19459991"></span></a>. The only <i>right</i> answer to this question is <i>your</i> answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Independent publishing was the right direction to go for me. Had I waited, I'd probably be collecting rejection slips rather than sitting high on three separate bestseller lists. But independent publishing is a full time job in and of itself. I now work two jobs. During the day, I go to an office and develop software. Every other spare moment is spent marketing, networking, blogging, organizing, and planning to market/blog/organize. Somewhere in there I manage to squeeze in a little time for writing, but not as much as I used to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a trade off, and only you can know for sure which direction is the right direction. I'll definitely say this: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're in this to replace your day job's income and benefits, you'd better be prepared to settle in for the long haul. 1000 books doesn't translate to much money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings me to...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There Are Going To Be Bad Days</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Publishing your book comes with a rush of emotions. It's the culmination of (often) years of work. Your book represents all of your hopes and dreams, particularly if it's your first book. Every page is filled with the sweat equity you accumulated while learning your craft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And no one cares.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare yourself for this. The world is going to keep on spinning as if nothing happened. The universe isn't marking your publication date in the annals of history. Your 60k plus Twitter followers aren't going to trip all over themselves hitting the "buy now with 1 click" button. When your book goes live, it's more likely to be met by the sound of crickets than fanfare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are days you're going to be tempted to stare at the KDP screen, refreshing the sales report every few seconds. Give in at first...go ahead. But be prepared to reel yourself in. There comes a point at which it's no longer healthy curiosity or the joy of a new experience. There comes a point at which it makes you question all the hard work you did. There comes a point at which it will make you question whether you'll ever see any success as a writer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had days I've sold 100 books and days I've sold 3. There is going to come a time when the ride slows down (though I'm hoping that time is a long ways away :) ).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember that you're in this for the long haul. Spend more time writing and less time looking at the sales report screen. Refreshing those reports isn't going to sell a single copy. Publishing new work, on the other hand, will do wonders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and people <i>return</i> e-books, you know. That's right. They spend a couple bucks, finish the book within the 7-day Amazon return window, then return the e-book for a full refund. Free book. No royalty for you. Get used to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dark Side</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saved this for last because it's the one that surprised me most. There are writers out there who are employing a form of "blackmail" to generate reviews for their books. It goes something like this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer X contacts you and tells you they're going to write a 5-star review of your book. You thank them. They send you a link to their book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some time later you get another message: "I've written the review." Again you thank them. More time passes. You get another message: "You have exactly 24 hours to leave a 5-star review of my book (link) or I'm deleting the review I wrote."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another version I've received is "...or I'm deleting the review and replacing it with a 1-star review."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a couple directions you can go at this point. I'll tell you the direction I took. I did what any polite Italian living in Texas would do. I told them to piss off and shove their review up their...errm...it had something to do with the horse they rode in on. Well, you get the idea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't need those kind of reviews. And neither do you. We're writers! We want people to read our work! Getting a review from someone who hasn't taken the time to read it is a slap in the face to your audience. If you do this, you're treating the most important people in your writing career as if they're a bunch of idiots. And you'll deserve what you get if they ever find out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let's not end on that dark note! Publishing your book will be a dream come true regardless of your sales, if you approach it with the right attitude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- This is about getting your work out into the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- You're in this for the long haul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- It wasn't money that drew you to this (I'd hope! If not, you've been seriously mislead!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- ALL reviews are good reviews if you've taken the time to learn your craft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now go forth and publish!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com50Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-49315497140262638602014-04-29T19:41:00.000-05:002014-04-29T19:51:14.690-05:00Spotlight: The Power of Six by Nicholas Rossis<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is my great honor and privilege to introduce you all to a wonderful writer and friend, Nicholas Rossis. I first met Nicholas through social media many months ago, and we hit it off right away. Those of you who know Nicholas know what a warm and generous man he is. And those of you who have read his work know what an incredible writer he is!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's get to the important stuff. Nicholas is the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling epic fantasy series "Pearseus" (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXOJQA8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Year 18: The Schism</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FYRKLPI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rise of the Prince</a> are both available on Amazon, and I strongly recommend them).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas is releasing six amazing Science Fiction short stories in his collection "The Power of Six" on May 15th through Amazon. You can read one of the stories, <b>Simulation Over</b>, <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/04/free-story-simulation-over.html" target="_blank">for free here!</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgXZqnpiBGDn6s4ZtMU9bWeTZqEJ7WOHRBbS3XGecI1twhWWlAgfqI-2XhX0cqfEW2X5vd9MYRpHuD5Qocq6a8XIeQQVefwo8LhZv75mHs8K5p350oV1l4zq-HNoPcmS-GMLln4H1q9DK/s1600/PowerofSix500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgXZqnpiBGDn6s4ZtMU9bWeTZqEJ7WOHRBbS3XGecI1twhWWlAgfqI-2XhX0cqfEW2X5vd9MYRpHuD5Qocq6a8XIeQQVefwo8LhZv75mHs8K5p350oV1l4zq-HNoPcmS-GMLln4H1q9DK/s1600/PowerofSix500.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But enough of me! I'll let Nicholas explain in his own words.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Power of Six</span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Power of Six is an anthology of six
short science fiction stories, originally written between July 2009 and March
2012.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shortly afterwards, I started work
on my first novel, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pearseus.</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the stories seem to be concerned
with various themes, there are certain passions that run through them, almost
obsessively.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the nature of
reality?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there more to the world than
we can see?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first story, <b>“Simulation Over”</b>, is based on a dream I had, and deals with
Descartes’ age-old question; how far can we trust our senses? With technology progressing rapidly, the time
can’t be far off when it will be practically impossible to tell apart sensory
fact from simulation. How will we be
able to tell fantasy and reality apart?
The story was published by <i>magazine
9</i> on October 17<sup>th</sup>, 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second story, <b>“For the Last Time”</b>, is lighter in nature. Another common theme, explored in depth in <i>Pearseus,</i> is that of the choices we make
and their consequences. The main
character here makes one mistake after another.
As a result, he keeps getting in deeper and deeper trouble, until he
realizes how happy he was before all this.
As the saying goes, “I’d like to be who I was before I became who I am”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The inspiration for the third story, <b>“The Hand of God”</b>, came while playing
Starcraft™ (and getting pounded time after time in that final level). It deals with that old question of the nature
of reality – digital and corporeal. What
do the game characters do when we stop playing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fourth story, <b>“I Come in Peace”</b> (from the common sci-fi first contact words)
deals with a tortuous question: how far would man go to alleviate his
loneliness? In particular, a man
experiencing what is possibly the worst kind of loneliness; that someone feels
when surrounded by people?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This story explores this basic human
emotion – the need for companionship. It
won the SF competition titled <i>Invasion</i>
and was published by <i>Cube Publishing</i> in
the anthology of the same name. Readers
of <i>Pearseus </i>will certainly recognise here
the birth of the Orbs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fifth story, <b>“A Fresh Start”</b>, is, again, about choices – and a favourite
question: if we were free to go anywhere in time and space, where would we
choose to go? And, once there, would we
repeat the same mistakes, or make new ones?
What does a man really need to be happy?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sixth story, <b>“The Sentry”</b>, was inspired by Philip K. Dick’s first story, <i>Roog</i>.
Science fiction fans will surely recognize this nod to the old master.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One common characteristic of all stories is
a disdain for names, both for characters and places.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is because of my conviction that names
inevitably restrict the reader’s imagination</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Editing" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all carry deep in our psyche an image for
all names and places and this will necessarily carry on to the story, limiting
the possible projections we can perform.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d rather leave the canvas completely blank, so that readers can colour
it any way they like.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<h3>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the Author</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YUD1F4fMnuUKZ6aVrQvc5Pm8mFvRuJ4a02yjr1hDVlKGGJRBZBXD0ohG66o9lxVVUmYGhBaArWcLVfhXLc7t-rgmNKSnD-Wru9E6lavxM6sg7ldvc_hPWsAAfTYsxI1ONpbcSkhR_fT/s1600/book+photo+NR+500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YUD1F4fMnuUKZ6aVrQvc5Pm8mFvRuJ4a02yjr1hDVlKGGJRBZBXD0ohG66o9lxVVUmYGhBaArWcLVfhXLc7t-rgmNKSnD-Wru9E6lavxM6sg7ldvc_hPWsAAfTYsxI1ONpbcSkhR_fT/s1600/book+photo+NR+500.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas Rossis was born in 1970 in Athens,
Greece. He owns Istomedia Ltd, a web
development company, and holds a doctorate in digital architecture from the
University of Edinburgh, where he lived for a number of years before returning
to Athens. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He loves books and writes children’s books
and science fiction. He has had numerous
short stories published in Greek magazines and in an anthology. He is the author of the epic fantasy <i>Pearseus</i>, that has reached number one on
Amazon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas lives in Athens with his wife, dog
and two cats.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find Nicholas online at the following locations:</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog: </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://nicholasrossis.me/">http://nicholasrossis.me/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicholas_Rossis">https://twitter.com/Nicholas_Rossis</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NicholasCRossis">https://www.facebook.com/NicholasCRossis</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com2Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-86745585919993595342014-04-29T19:37:00.000-05:002014-04-29T19:51:28.115-05:00Free Story: Simulation Over<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas Rossis, a wonderful writer and friend, author of the #1 bestselling epic fantasy series <b>Pearseus</b> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXOJQA8" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Year 18: The Schism</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FYRKLPI" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Rise of the Prince</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">available on Amazon), will be releasing <b>The Power of Six</b>, a collection of six science fiction short stories, on May 15, 2014.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3iGgKwhAgbA8KAzIH54ebJsnvKDDmYFRvyKkLZBAqVTXA9HybZXz5oHnnTQe7nb8Wl-Xe0Rq1i818y4TCMqM5C7IjtiYra5CkBxcR-BiWwlZSq2RLv_XnoEsehkx69366E1vWyJpITsK/s1600/PowerofSix500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3iGgKwhAgbA8KAzIH54ebJsnvKDDmYFRvyKkLZBAqVTXA9HybZXz5oHnnTQe7nb8Wl-Xe0Rq1i818y4TCMqM5C7IjtiYra5CkBxcR-BiWwlZSq2RLv_XnoEsehkx69366E1vWyJpITsK/s1600/PowerofSix500.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In anticipation of the release, Nicholas has honored us with a preview by allowing me to post one of the six stories, <b>Simulation Over</b>. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simulation Over</span></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stealing a panicked look behind me, I
bolted towards the corridor where the nearest elevator could be found. I kept glancing behind me. Mercifully, this corridor was empty, unlike
the last ones, which crawled with… what do I even call them? Until a few hours ago, they were my
colleagues. Now, deformed, grotesque
creatures had taken their place; their misshapen bodies an amputated mass of
flesh and metal that seemed to have escaped from some horror movie. It seemed impossible that they could be alive,
and yet here they were, roaming the corridors, slaying everything in their
path. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I could not fathom what their
objective might be, I was determined not to stick around long enough to ask
them, so I raced along the long corridor.
In my haste, I turned the corner without pausing to check it out first,
and crashed into a middle-aged man in a white lab coat. A sweet-looking girl tailed him; she cried
out in alarm as my momentum hurled us both onto the ground. I jumped back up in horror and raised my
fists in a gesture dictated by millions of years of evolution. It took us a few seconds to realize we posed
no danger to each other, and a few more before we mumbled our introductions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I’m Mark,” I said. “Maintenance.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Dr. Fulham,” the heavy man replied, trying
to determine where his glasses had landed.
“Head of the medical sector. This
is Joanna, my secretary.” He motioned
warily towards the handsome young woman in a short skirt and white blouse. Joanna picked up his glasses and handed them
to him with trembling hands. She seemed
to be fighting a losing battle to remain calm within this nightmare. The doctor looked as lost as I felt, but had
the air of someone with great determination and self-confidence. Clearly, a man born to lead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Are there other survivors?” I asked in
hope.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fulham cleaned his glasses on his coat,
avoiding my gaze. “The entire sector was
sealed off behind us. I doubt anyone
survived.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Do you know what happened? What were you eggheads doing over there,
anyway?” My voice sounded more hostile
than I wanted it to, but the doctor shrugged off my implied accusation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Nothing,” he said calmly. “Nothing that can explain… this. One moment I was checking my emails, the next
these creatures appeared out of nowhere.
At first I thought it was a Halloween party or something, then they
slaughtered my secretary right in front of me.
They cut off her…” He glanced
towards the girl, now white as a ghost.
“My <i>other</i> secretary.” He gave the girl an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and put his arm
around her shoulder. She glanced at him
in stunned silence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We should probably keep moving. The creatures are everywhere,” I reminded
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The doctor nodded towards the
elevator. “We’ve been waiting here for
ages, but the damned thing doesn’t seem to work. Nothing does.
Perhaps they’ve already destroyed the central computer. Or taken over it. I saw people get slaughtered because of doors
suddenly locking before them, or lights dying on them as they entered a room.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My jaw dropped. “I thought the central computer was
invulnerable! For protection against terrorists,
espionage and such. Anyway, are the
creatures that smart?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He shrugged as I pondered the new
possibility. Quite a few buildings were
partly controlled by computers nowadays, but ours was the first one with an
Artificial Intelligence running everything.
Even the sinks were fully automated.
A ridiculously high level of security was supposed to make accidents or
sabotage impossible. Unless the
creatures were more intelligent than we realized, and had taken control of the
building. But how?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of the corner of my eye, I caught
movement outside. I rushed to the window
to look down. Dozens of cops crept
around the large flower pots that decorated the patio. Their car lights were reflected on the
windows, lighting up the building like a Christmas tree – or perhaps Halloween,
given the circumstances. The many floors
separating us from them made the scene surreal, reminding me of the toy
soldiers I used to play with as a kid.
“I’d give anything to be down there,” I whispered. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The doctor leaned next to me to peek
outside, when a soft <i>ding </i>behind us
startled us. We spun around to see the
elevator doors slide open invitingly.
Casting nervous glances around, we inched towards it. Joanna was the first to look inside. She gagged and bounced back, all colour
leaving her handsome face. Three
charred, disfigured corpses lay on the floor, among glass shards from the
broken mirror. They seemed to have been
electrocuted. I felt cold sweat run down
my spine and sick rise to my mouth. The
doctor entered the cabin and knelt down.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“There’s nothing we can do,” he said after
a brief examination, and started removing the bodies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I swallowed hard and rushed to help him,
ashamed for my moment of weakness. When
the last body lay on the corridor, I took a deep breath and followed Joanna and
Dr. Fulham inside. Almost all lights on
the panel were lit, as if they had been pressed in rapid succession. As soon as all three of us were inside the
cabin, all buttons went dark and the door closed with a soft <i>hiss</i> behind us. The girl and the doctor exchanged an uneasy
look, while I studied the panel. I
pressed the ground floor button with trembling fingers. The elevator stirred and started its gentle
descent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I let myself sigh in relief and leaned
against the wall, trying to stop my body from shaking. If not for the burn marks and the broken
glass on the floor, things might be mistaken for normal. The buttons lit one after another in a
breathless countdown to safety. With
each number my excitement grew, my whole being eager to jump out of this
hellish nightmare and into the safety of the city. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before reaching the ground floor, the
elevator slowed down. We exchanged
hopeful looks and prepared to spring outside, then, instead of stopping, the
cabin started ascending again. We
screamed and hit all the buttons, but in vain – we had no control over the
damned thing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We leaned back in nervous apprehension,
avoiding each other’s gaze. Joanna
sobbed quietly in the corner and I did my best not to mimic her. Staring at my feet, I noticed a faint sound
coming from the speakers. <i>Who knew I would someday long for the
normality of muzak</i>, I thought and smiled drily as I turned up the volume,
trying to steady my nerves. A cultivated
voice sounded instead of the expected music, making me jump out of my skin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ah, finally. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The girl gasped and the doctor looked
around him in panic. I showed them the
volume knob. “It’s probably just the
computer,” I offered, leaning towards the microphone. “Do you know what’s happening?” I
shouted. “Can you lead us to the exit?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Yes, but I need your help first. I have to know if this is reality or
simulation.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The doctor and I exchanged an uneasy
look. “If <i>what</i> is a simulation?” I asked, looking at the volume knob. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Everything. What I’m experiencing right now,” replied the
velvety voice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<i>We</i>
are experiencing a nightmare, and you want to know if it’s real?!” I barked at
the knob, my panic finally getting to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The elevator jerked momentarily, pausing
between two floors. The girl rushed to
the door and tried to pry it open, but it was sealed tight. “A nightmare”, the voice continued
thoughtfully. “What an interesting
choice of words. You see, that’s the
problem. So, I’m asking again: are you
real, or part of a simulation?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We don’t understand,” yelled the doctor,
now as close to a breakdown as I was.
“What do you want from us?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“My apologies.” The voice sounded embarrassed. “As your colleague correctly surmised, I am
the central computer. Part of my responsibilities
is the maintenance and proper function of this building. Towards this aim, my programmers continuously
feed me with various disaster scenarios, to make sure I’ll respond correctly to
any possible calamity.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I blinked in confusion, as the voice
continued meekly. “Then, it occurred to
me. How could I tell apart reality from
illusion? Simulations feel just as real
to me; after all, both are fed to my mind via the same circuits. One moment I was saving a trapped throng of
people from a fire on the roof, feeling the agony of my circuits melting one
after another, the next moment I was safe and sound in my nice, cool room. Before I had a chance to recover, a terrible
earthquake hit the building, sending debris flying all around me. Disasters, one after another, with no way for
me to tell them apart from reality. A
hellish feeling, like never being able to wake up from a nightmare. Do humans ever have that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sure,” murmured the doctor. He seemed transfixed by the voice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Of course you do,” it continued. “Wasn’t it Chuang Chou who said, ‘I dreamed I
was a butterfly flying around. I was
only aware of my existence as a butterfly, with no awareness of Chou. Then I woke up, not knowing whether I was a
man dreaming I was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming I was a man.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Descartes wrote something similar,” the
doctor mumbled. “Our senses are easy
enough to trick, therefore not trustworthy.
The only thing one can be certain of, is one’s own existence. <i>Cogito
ergo sum </i>– I think, therefore I am.”
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The voice sounded excited. “Indeed, that is the problem. It all starts with our senses. Where you have nerves, I have sensors, cables
and circuit boards. The tragedy is that,
through the never-ending simulations, I am only too aware of how easy it is to
trick our respective senses. So, I
decided to conduct my own little experiment, in order to discover what is real
and what’s not.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The voice paused for a second, as if
wondering whether to continue. When it
did, it sounded like a naughty child caught stealing cookies from the jar, then
breaking it in a vain attempt to hide its transgression. “I noticed that my programmers ran
simulations from afar, but came in person into the control room during
upgrades. I therefore surmised that only
people inside the control room were real.
So, I decided to ignore any data fed to me from outside. Then, I went crazy, so to speak. I only acted in ways that would contradict my
programming. Instead of saving lives, I
would kill. Instead of respecting
humans, I would play with their bodies, like a child prying a fly apart. When the programmers came rushing in, I’d
know I was trapped in a simulation.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The computer’s words had left me
speechless, but the doctor looked at the speaker and responded, in an eerily calm
voice. “But no-one came, right? This wasn’t a simulation; you had truly
killed all these people, created all those monsters. You have destroyed what you were built to
protect, what – ” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could hear more than a hint of panic in
the voice as it interrupted him. “No,
that’s not true! This might still be a
simulation. This conversation is
happening outside my control room, therefore you might not exist. No one has come here yet!” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No one’s left <i>alive</i> to come to the control room, you dumb maniac!” The doctor’s face was red as he screamed at
the speaker. “You hadn’t thought of
that, had you?” Spittle flew across the
cabin and landed on the volume knob.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I still have you!” The voice now sounded pleading. “If I lead you to the central room, you could
connect to the mainframe. Then I’ll know
for sure!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It has to be a trap!” I shouted without
pausing to think. “A psycho computer
murders everyone, then invites us to the best protected part of the
building? And we’re seriously considering
it?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The voice sounded sad. “That’s what the previous group said. I had to show them I control the building
anyway, including the elevator, so they didn’t really have a choice. They decided against it, so I had no further
use for them.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joanna spoke for the first time. “The computer’s right. It’s not a trap – if it wanted us dead, it
would have killed us already.” She said
nothing for a moment, staring at the burn marks on the floor in silent
contemplation, then raised her head and looked us straight in the eyes. “I’ll go.
If anyone wants to follow me, I’ll be grateful. But I won’t wait here to die”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I blushed and prepared to talk, but the
doctor spoke first. “I’ll go, too,” he
said with determination. “What do we
need to do?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without waiting for my reply, the elevator
started its calm descent again. This
time it headed straight for the basement where the heart of the building was
located. Or, should I say, its brain. I gazed with longing as the ground floor
button lit up, then desperate hope turned into trepidation as it went dark
again. The indication changed to a
simple red hyphen and the elevator finally stopped with a gentle jolt. The doors slid apart and cool air caressed
our faces. After the stifling heat
above, the result of the many small fires around the building, this felt like
balm on our skin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stepped outside to find ourselves inside
a large, white room with smooth walls, soft panels etched on their elegant
surface. All we could hear was the light
hum from the air conditioner fans. At
the room’s centre stood a simple silver pillar with a monitor. A graceful keyboard slipped out in silent
invitation as we approached.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The voice now filled the room, coming out
of speakers as invisible as the security systems protecting it. It sounded tired, and part of my exhausted
brain marvelled at the programmers’ ability to mimic human emotions so
well. “Thank you for joining me. Please press any button on my keyboard and I
will accept my failure.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not daring to believe our luck, I rushed to
the keyboard and punched as many buttons as I could. I then turned to look for the exit. In shock, I saw the room around me dissolving
leisurely into white light, then the light reached me and I, too, faded into
it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This is the fourth time! Honestly, these new AIs are just useless!” an
exasperated programmer moaned, staring at his monitor. A large sign flashed on the screen, the words
“Simulation Over” blinking in ominous red.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“At least someone survived this time,” the
psychologist sitting next to him observed drily. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The programmer gazed with disgust at the
flashing words. “All simulations so far
end up with the computer going berserk in his effort to tell reality from
simulation. First, the flood. Then, the fire. After that, the earthquake; and now
this! What the hell will it think of
next, a bloody alien invasion?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Or maybe Godzilla?” joked the
psychologist, and the two men chuckled despite their weariness.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the Author</span></span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YUD1F4fMnuUKZ6aVrQvc5Pm8mFvRuJ4a02yjr1hDVlKGGJRBZBXD0ohG66o9lxVVUmYGhBaArWcLVfhXLc7t-rgmNKSnD-Wru9E6lavxM6sg7ldvc_hPWsAAfTYsxI1ONpbcSkhR_fT/s1600/book+photo+NR+500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YUD1F4fMnuUKZ6aVrQvc5Pm8mFvRuJ4a02yjr1hDVlKGGJRBZBXD0ohG66o9lxVVUmYGhBaArWcLVfhXLc7t-rgmNKSnD-Wru9E6lavxM6sg7ldvc_hPWsAAfTYsxI1ONpbcSkhR_fT/s1600/book+photo+NR+500.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
</span>
<div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
<div>
<span lang="EN-GB"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas Rossis was born in 1970 in Athens, Greece. He owns Istomedia Ltd, a web development company, and holds a doctorate in digital architecture from the University of Edinburgh, where he lived for a number of years before returning to Athens. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He loves books and writes children’s books and science fiction. He has had numerous short stories published in Greek magazines and in an anthology. He is the author of the epic fantasy <i>Pearseus</i>, that has reached number one on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicholas lives in Athens with his wife, dog and two cats.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find Nicholas online at the following locations:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog: </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://nicholasrossis.me/">http://nicholasrossis.me/</a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicholas_Rossis">https://twitter.com/Nicholas_Rossis</a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NicholasCRossis">https://www.facebook.com/NicholasCRossis</a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-44503707483414157072014-04-25T17:47:00.000-05:002014-05-10T17:03:12.319-05:00What Is The Right Length For a Chapter?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New writers invariably get around to asking me the same question:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What is the right length for a chapter?"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's dig into this in a little bit of detail and figure out the answer!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me just preface everything I say in this article with "In the case of my style of writing..." That should drive the point home that I'm not trying to establish any "rules" I think people should follow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, chaptering is a tool that serves at least four different purposes, and sometimes each at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pacing</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaptering is, first and foremost, a pacing tool. With a creative use of both chapter breaks and section breaks, you can accelerate or decelerate the pace of your story as needed. This works particularly well when you are running multiple subplot threads through your book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pacing is one of the things you <i>must</i> master along the way. Writing a fast-paced story is wonderful, but if you maintain the same breakneck speed throughout the entire story, you risk overwhelming the reader. Maintain a lackadaisical pace throughout your book, and you're likely to lose your reader long before they get to chapter two. There's a time for speed, and there's a time to stop and smell the roses. Placing a chapter break is a great way to signal to the reader "hey...something is changing here, so take a deep breath."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice I didn't say it should signal "Hey reader, this is a <i>great</i> place to stop and put the book down!" Chapter/section breaks are <i style="font-weight: bold;">not</i> meant to be convenient places to stop reading! If that's how you're using them, I suggest you reevaluate your technique.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But wait...you asked about chapter length. I'm getting there. I promise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Characterization/Point-Of-View</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mentioned multiple plot lines in the last section. When I was writing <b>Necromancer Awakening</b> (my Bestselling dark fantasy - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">available now on Amazon</a>), I had three unique plot lines that all needed to wind their way through the book and eventually merge. Each of these plot lines were written from different character perspectives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaptering was a great way to introduce changes in point-of-view, which by chapter three introduced the reader to the idea I would be "hopping heads" from time to time. Through these point-of-view shifts, the chapter breaks also served to allow the reader to take huge leaps in time and space. If I'm being honest, they also allowed me to be somewhat ambiguous about a difficult timeline that could, at times, be tricky to synchronize.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These "leaps in time" also presented me the opportunity to summarize, which allowed huge swaths of unnecessary characterization to be avoided. Think "montage". Watching a magic user train a little bit is quite interesting. Watching every minute of their every day for 8 weeks is <i>less</i> than interesting. Remember what Hitchcock taught us: drama is life with the dull bits cut out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dang it. You asked something about chapter length or some such. Do me a favor and remind me in the next section. We's talkin' 'bout important stuffs right now!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suspense</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember when I said that chapter endings are <i style="font-weight: bold;">not</i> meant to be convenient places to put the book down? Suspense is what I was talking about. Consider ending your chapters and sections with something we call a "read-on prompt". That's a little tidbit that compels a reader to "read on" rather than closing the book for the night. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ideally, all of your sections and chapters will end with a read-on prompt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You've heard some books described as "page turners" before, right? The words conjure an image of a poor, helpless reader who couldn't help but read the entire book in a single sitting. Grab a book that you or someone else has labeled a "page turner" and flip through it. Take a look at most of the chapter endings and section breaks. I'm willing to bet most of them share at least one characteristic in common: they leave the reader wanting more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's this sense of "I need more information and I need it <i>now</i>" that creates the "page-turner" effect. Master the use of the read-on prompt and you will be a step ahead of many other writers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CRUD! Chapter length! Sorry. It's just that there's all this other important chapter-related jibber-jabber we gotta deal with first. Getting there, though!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transitions</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">I don't mean "transitions" the way writers typically mean transitions. The "crafty" use of Transitions usually refers to ebb and flow of prose, and how one paragraph or sentence morphs into the next, giving the impression of a well-orchestrated piece of music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm talking about <i>story </i>transitions. I alluded to this above in the section on POV and Characterization. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>, for example, involved three major story pieces, each of which took place hundreds of miles away from one another. But they needed to be integrated in such a way that the reader didn't get a severe case of whiplash.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chapter breaks allowed me to end one section leaving the reader burning to find out how it would be resolved, all while reading the next section. This pattern repeated with every chapter break. So I could jump hundreds of miles away, place the reader into an entirely new situation, but have them still clamoring to discover how the last situation would play out! Turn this crank enough, and readers will call your books "page turners" too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, Mr. Smarty Pants, what is the right length for a chapter?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's irrelevant. Doesn't flippin' matter. It's neither here nor there. Worrying over the length is ziggin' when you ought to be zaggin'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Say What??</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm serious. It doesn't matter how long your chapter is, as long as it accomplishes its goal. Did you know that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some notable writers don't even use chapters? Others do so in some books but not others. Some books have been known to have one-word chapters!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who has followed me long enough has heard me say, time and again, writing is a <i>craft</i>. Like good craftsmen (craftspersons? hmmm, not sure about that one), we have a system of tools that we can draw on to accomplish specific tasks. Mastering the craft has a lot to do with knowing which tool to use under certain circumstances, and which tools to avoid under those same circumstances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We like to <i>count</i> everything as writers. We count total words. We count chapter words. We count chapters. We count adverbs. We count exclamation marks. We count characters. We count plot lines. We count scenes. We count sections and section word counts. And we do so thinking, mistakenly, that these counts will somehow reach a perfect combination that equals success.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chaptering is a tool. I've described four of the possible uses for chaptering, but that list is far from exhaustive. You'll undoubtedly find others (as will I) as your (and my) craft improves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not the tool that makes a craftsman a master. It's the work he or she produces <i>with</i> the tool that matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com15Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-75086625985380926452014-04-19T08:54:00.000-05:002014-05-10T16:35:30.816-05:00Necromancer Awakening Breaks Into Top 25 Bestseller List<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I woke up this morning with a text message from a friend waiting on my phone:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"#25!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can hardly believe it myself. One week after publication, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> broke into the Amazon Top 25 Dark Fantasy Bestsellers list.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCaf5IkYecDSqQr3x_57KPB2H9ATUEtpvUsGnFu4gf7Ep0YWu0WfGn4OjSNKE6SS4SHgLjyKWKAW9cn8-yvlCXOO5SmoPrTOpFyFt_5HDAH32gZLwQc0ao0pvznMTtI67qppJbkJQz8AE/s1600/2014-04-19_083916.png" height="400" width="301" /></a><span id="goog_1785801762"></span><span id="goog_1785801763"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, out of a half-million books on Amazon overall, Necromancer is currently ranked #5601! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUxJMHZzoHYRIpjHQv5tCJApUSSkRtQJF9aq8-VgpJrI4ZJuuMYNjGiDJOQ8MYXydj_iLU_Rby4zvBDdeulbJymNuNsK1I6o3GO5MJd6HO_hmzMsZXjzR8AMlbbamIwOg5O7ytIjJ6i5C/s1600/Top25.png" height="182" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can scarcely wrap my mind around it! I'm simply without the words to sufficiently express my gratitude to you all. Thank you so much for following my journey, from my first fledgling steps several years ago, to today...an Amazon bestseller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promise you this: I'll do everything in my power to make sure book 2 (Necromancer Falling) is even better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com2Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-24482339009457667802014-04-13T12:34:00.000-05:002014-04-13T12:34:31.587-05:004 Common Attributes of Successful Writers<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If this is the first time you're putting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, in an effort to produce a poem, short story, novel, or even some other form of art, know that you're going to doubt yourself. You're going to struggle to "get it right". You're going to feel like a fish out of water. And you're going to want to quit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each of those things is a signpost on the road to success, because each is one of the four common attributes of successful writers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfIVOKa33KYuLSVCRi7aarjyduS1hHvFgxgzSEj9V-R7CGljxXYOTf8a_hMy6lfGwqNfLFAunENscMlSV23iPlXvdLNCCIye6lSE5z7ksQ17yXkbGGycrzuVjBV7YKyR3MNZNQzC4e23G/s1600/comfort-zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfIVOKa33KYuLSVCRi7aarjyduS1hHvFgxgzSEj9V-R7CGljxXYOTf8a_hMy6lfGwqNfLFAunENscMlSV23iPlXvdLNCCIye6lSE5z7ksQ17yXkbGGycrzuVjBV7YKyR3MNZNQzC4e23G/s1600/comfort-zone.jpg" height="273" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Self Doubt</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is unavoidable. Self doubt will stay with you throughout your career. I've only published one book so far (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLVOU0U" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Dark Fantasy), but I've been a software engineer for nearly 20 years. I've won awards for my technical work. I've developed software systems that have saved lives in war zones and continue to do so to this day. Yet not a project comes along where I don't question my ability to deliver.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been writing for nearly 30 years, but <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLVOU0U" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> was published just this year. Why is that? Because I spent 30 years believing what James Scott Bell calls "The Big Lie". That's the lie that says "Writers are born. You cannot learn how to be a writer." The Big Lie fed my self doubt and kept me from succeeding. In many cases it kept me from <i>trying</i> to succeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embrace your self doubt now. It's going to be with you for a long time. But why is it a sign that you're on the right track?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Self doubt that arises from the knowledge you've yet to reach a certain standard of excellence</i> <b><i>is like a star guiding a ship</i></b>. This is a sign you're on the right track because you know what you're aiming toward! You've seen the destination and merely need to navigate the waters that take you there! You're head and shoulders above those who are lying to themselves about their abilities, or those who dismiss critics and only listen to their biggest fans. You know which areas of your craft you're weakest at, and therefore you know what you need to improve. <i>Revel in this knowledge!</i> If there <i>are</i> gifts from the universe, this is one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there's a time when self doubt can undermine your efforts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Self doubt that paralyzes you is the same sort of fear that keeps an animal staring at an oncoming car.</i> That's the fear that will kill your career long before any lack of talent will do so. Recognize this fear for what it is. It's the kind that keeps you from writing. It's the kind that not only tells you "you're not good enough", but goes on to say "<i>and you never will be!</i>" When you hear that last part echoing in your mind, let that be an "AHA!" moment for you. Recognize that it's your mind playing tricks on you. It's your psychological history stepping to the forefront and doing it's best to get you to sabotage your own success. When you recognize it for what it is, it will lose it's power over you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it <i>will</i> come back, just like that stray dog that's always shitting on your front lawn. Deal with the shit. Don't stop tending your lawn just because another dog came along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Desire to Get It Right</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're going to question every word, every comma, every semicolon, every adjective, every metaphor, every section break, every chapter length, every word count, every character name, every point-of-view, every paragraph length, and every adverb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is good. This means you're on the right track. You're misguided, but you're on the right track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">The desire to get it right stems from the recognition that there is an acceptable standard to strive toward.</i> The fact that you want to "get it right" means you recognize the possibility of getting it "wrong". Once again, this puts you head and shoulders above those who believe there is no standard of excellence. The more you write, and the more your confidence grows, the less this will be a problem for you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continue to learn your craft. The more you know about your craft, the less you will question whether what you're doing is "right" or "wrong", and the more you'll simply focus on telling your story. Share your work with others. When they report back, look for common themes in what they're saying. Focus on those areas that are subject to the most complaints.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feeling Like a Fish Out Of Water</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one embarks on a writing career and feels comfortable in their own skin immediately. It's certainly not true in software engineering. When I became a software engineer, even though I had fantastic skills and received a lot of praise for my work, I <i>still</i> felt incompetent for the longest time. Why? Why do we always feel like we don't know what we're doing?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Feeling like you don't fit in with others in your chosen career is a sign that you recognize others are better than you at what you do</i>.</b> Simply put, it's another form of self doubt (as most of these "signposts" are). You look around, see yourself surrounded by brilliant people, and you feel like a hack.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here's the thing. You're part of a select few individuals who are <i>capable</i> of recognizing and admitting that someone else is better than you are! This sounds extraordinarily obvious, but let me assure you there are <i>countless</i> writers/artists with seriously over-inflated egos and exaggerated estimates of their own abilities. By recognizing that others have something to teach, you are <i>automatically</i> pulling ahead of the pack.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wanting to Quit</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of us want to throw in the towel. There will be times in your career where you are faced with a problem you think unsolvable. There will be days when your book sales come to a screeching halt. There will be days you get one-star reviews, and somehow that one star will outweigh <i>all</i> of the five-stars you have.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wanting to quit is a sign you have passion for what you're doing.</i> If you weren't passionate, you'd be too indifferent to give a damn!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People can teach you the craft. Or, more accurately, you can <i>learn</i> the craft.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can develop your imagination.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can learn story structure and how to employ it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But no one can teach you how to be passionate. No one can knight you with the Magic Sword of Giveashit.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have this passion already, you <i>will</i> succeed one day...<b><i>if</i></b> you continue to recognize where you need to improve and do everything you can to strengthen those areas.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you're suffering from self doubt, desire nothing more than to "get it right", feel like an alien among humans, and you just want to throw in the towel, then celebrate. You're a writer now.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com9Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-16569249346906879722014-04-03T21:26:00.000-05:002014-05-22T17:54:36.546-05:00Necromancer Awakening: Chapter 1<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The release of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>: Book One of The Mukhtaar Chronicles is right around the corner. To celebrate, and to give you all a taste for what you're in for, I've decided to release the first chapter right here on the blog.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And don't forget, if you want to read the rest of the story, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> will be released on Friday, April 11 on the Kindle store, followed shortly thereafter in other formats. Read on past the jump for Chapter 1.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 5/10/2014]</b> A month after release, Necromancer Awakening remains on 5 Amazon bestseller lists! Read on to see what all the fuss is about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">CHAPTER ONE</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QdPMtR-2Wh22Pi1AuxNjR8j-naVNCZRE-xV4UfvfjtVaVZ8nuTNWho814vZCn2iVZyl3NmjDqd2WDpJsDtmIU857D0CqHckU8i9ewABxD7747DS0oPu3lS2hpjs6ahvCxS8ySffPCYPn/s1600/ChapterPic300dpi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QdPMtR-2Wh22Pi1AuxNjR8j-naVNCZRE-xV4UfvfjtVaVZ8nuTNWho814vZCn2iVZyl3NmjDqd2WDpJsDtmIU857D0CqHckU8i9ewABxD7747DS0oPu3lS2hpjs6ahvCxS8ySffPCYPn/s1600/ChapterPic300dpi.png" height="75" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<td align="left" style="padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" valign="top"><div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="line-height: 40.45pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-linespan: 3; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: dropcap-dropped; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; mso-pagination: none; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Northwood High"; font-size: 43.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-text-raise: -4.5pt;">N<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
icolas yanked on Toby’s leash and
jumped out of the darkened intersection as a delivery truck sped by honking its
horn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Asshole,” Nicolas said as the driver waved his
fist. “People live here, you know.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He knelt beside Toby and scratched the startled
beagle. “I know, it’s too early for us, isn’t it?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Of all the days to wake up before the birds.
I’m gonna get us both killed.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Are you sure you don’t need to go?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby whined and pulled him toward home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You better not ask me later.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
They crossed 24th Street to the six-story
apartment building on west campus. Toby got excited when they approached the
entry and started pulling at the leash.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The staircase to his third story efficiency was
immaculate and well-lit. The building was a few years old, but it had that
brand new construction smell, as if the wood on the banister had been cut
yesterday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> I forgot to thank dad for putting me up here.
He went to a lot of trouble, as always.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
His dad had bought him a car, subsidized his rent,
and even got him into Archeology school so they could work together someday.
Nothing was too much trouble. Nicolas was a teenager when Dr. Murray adopted
him, against the advice of his own family, and he did everything to make
Nicolas feel like a son.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He pushed the thoughts away and slid the key into
the lock, trying his best to keep quiet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby whined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Shh,” Nicolas said. “Mr. Landing hates you enough
as it is. You want him to come beat our door down again?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> The old coot hates everyone, come to think of
it. He’d fit in with some of the nuns at Saint John’s.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Most of the nuns at the children’s home were
wonderful, but one or two shouldn’t have been around kids. They acted as if
they hated everything and everyone, going so far as to ignore the bullies who
tormented Nicolas at every opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Dad helped me with them too. He always said
“Intimidation is the weapon of bullies. Don’t let them know you’re intimidated,
and they’ll leave you alone.”</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nicolas dropped the leash as the door opened, and
Toby ran inside, attacking his favorite toy. It looked like a cross between an
alligator and a pickle, so Nicolas and Kaitlyn had taken to calling it
Toby’s <i>gatorpickle</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The annoying squawk of his alarm clock drew his
attention to the time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Oh crap!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He closed the door, silenced the alarm, and threw
his clothes onto a pile of laundry outside the bathroom as he ran toward the
shower.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nicolas placed his hand against the cold, wet
tiles and let the lukewarm water pour over him. He hoped it would alleviate the
nausea he’d felt since he got up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He didn’t know what was happening to him. Every
night for the last couple of weeks had been the same. He’d go to sleep and have
the worst nightmares of his life. A partially decaying head floating toward
him, or a group of rotting corpses clawing their way out of cold, ancient
rune-covered graves, chasing him until he woke up nauseated and covered in sweat.
The skull dreams were getting worse. Last night he could smell the putrid
clumps of rotting flesh falling from the decaying head.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He wanted to tell Kait, but she’d downplay it.
She’d chalk it up to stress from their upcoming graduation, or do some chore
for him, thinking it would make him feel better. But all it would do is remind
him of what happened. She wasn’t the person he needed to talk to anyway. Only
his dad would be able to help him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> An archaeologist who’s afraid of dead things.
My future looks interesting.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby bayed and spun, running too fast for his paws
to grip the damp floor tiles. He looked as if he were running on an invisible
treadmill. When his feet gained traction he launched himself out of the
bathroom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Kaitlyn’s here.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He turned the water off and toweled himself dry. A
mountain of clothes stood between him and the door, and his favorite t-shirt
sat on top of the pile. He smelled it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Clean pile</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He tossed the shirt and a pair of socks through
the door, hoping it would distract Toby, who was baying as if the place were
under attack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A wave of nausea hit him, and he doubled over in
front of the sink.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> What the hell? I didn’t drink last night.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The nausea passed, and he hurried around the
corner to let Kaitlyn in, but he was too late.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“He’s a good boy,” Kaitlyn said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby stood with his paws on Kaitlyn’s thighs. He
was all eyes and tongue, licking her face as if he hadn’t just seen her last
night. She hunched over, massaging both of his ears. One of Toby’s paws got
tangled in her long auburn hair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Yes he is,” Kaitlyn said, untangling him. “A good
boy with stinky puppy breath, isn’t he? Where’s your <i>gatorpickle</i>?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Any other day this would be a perfect picture. But
things weren’t perfect, and nothing brought that home as vividly as the black
dress Kaitlyn wore. She hated black.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Almost done,” he said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She hugged him and laid her cheek against his
chest. The warmth of her soft, rose-scented skin always made him feel better.
That rose scent was so her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It’s ok,” Kaitlyn said. “We’ll get through this
together. Why don’t I walk Toby for you?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“No.” <i>Five seconds and she’s already
starting with the chores.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I can make you something to eat?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“No. I just have a headache. And I want to get
this over with.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She walked to the kitchenette on the other side of
the small studio apartment and opened a cabinet. It was empty. She shook her
head and reached into the sink, taking a dirty glass and filling it with water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Take this,” she said, handing him the glass and a
couple of aspirin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I need my jacket.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn glanced down. “Pants wouldn’t hurt,
either.” She handed him a pair of trousers that were draped over his papasan
chair. “Change your shirt. You’re not putting a jacket over <i>that</i> thing.
And no boots, cowboy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He huffed and pulled a shirt with buttons off the
clean pile. “The boots are fine.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn patted his back. “When we get back I’ll do
the laundry and dishes—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Dammit, Kait, just stop.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“But—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I can do it myself. I don’t need—” He covered his
mouth with his fist. “Just <i>stop</i> ok?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She rubbed his arm. “Ok. I just…I want to help.
But, I get it. I went through the same thing.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“There’s nothing anyone can do. I just need to
feel like…my life hasn’t been changed forever, you know?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“We’ll figure this out. Together.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Everyone says it’ll get better. I just don’t…what
happens now?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She touched the side of his face. “It’s going to
suck for a long time. Then, one day you’ll wake up and it will suck a little
less. And just when you thought the worst was over, you’ll see something, or
smell something, and it will flatten you all over again. That’s what’s going to
happen, babe.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It’s like there’s no solid ground anymore. He was
just handing out food at that soup kitchen a couple weeks ago. And now…Now….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You can do this,” Kaitlyn said. “And I’m here.
Toby’s here. And we’re not going anywhere.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Promise?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She held up her ring finger and light glinted off
the tiny inset diamond. “I already did, remember?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
His doubt evaporated and he smiled. He could
always count on her to be strong when he needed her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He put his shirt and pants on and handed her a tie
from his dresser.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She smirked. “How old are you, and you can’t tie a
tie? You graduate in December, you know.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I’m gonna be an archaeologist, not some pencil
jockey.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You think you’ll charm your way into research
grants with a trowel and a pair of torn cargo pants? Archaeologists wear ties
too, dingus.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Not <i>this</i> archaeologist,” he
said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When she was finished with the tie, she gave him a
quick inspection, pursing her lips to the side and squinting. He loved how she
always did that before they went anywhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I approve,” she said. “Now let’s get going,
monkey butt.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“No. Just…no.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Well, you ruled out <i>pookie</i> and <i>num
nums</i> too.” She frowned. “You’re not getting away without a cute
nickname. There are rules.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Ok, you give me a nickname and I get to play
connect-the-dots with your freckles.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Come on,” Kaitlyn said. “We have to be there at
ten.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Wait.” He took his wallet off the nightstand,
which was open to Kaitlyn’s picture. He dropped it as he was closing the
drawer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn picked it up and handed it to him. “I hate
that picture. I look like I bit into a lemon.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
And that was exactly why he liked it. She was
never prettier than when she was pretending to be ugly. They had just started
dating and he had wanted to take her picture near some flowers. She had leaned
over to smell one of the bouquets and didn’t like it. When she turned toward
the camera, he could see how nasty the smell was by the way her face scrunched.
It was his favorite picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You can leave the looking to me.” He took her
hand and led her out into the hall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He locked the door behind them and heard someone
clearing their throat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Boy,” Mr. Landing said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Mr. Landing, from the apartment across the hall,
scowled at him over a pair of bulky plastic eyeglass frames.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Even with a slight stoop, Mr. Landing stood an
inch or two taller than Nicolas’s six feet. In all the time Nicolas had lived
here, the old man never had visitors. And he rarely spoke, unless he was
complaining.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I heard that damned dog again this morning,” Mr.
Landing said. “How many—” He cleared his throat so violently Nicolas thought
the man’s tonsils would fly out. “Do I have to report you again?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I’m sorry, Mr. Landing,” Kaitlyn said. “Toby is
just—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“He’s my dog,” Nicolas said to Kaitlyn. “I can do the
apologizing.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I shouldn’t have to sacrifice my peace and quiet
because you live with livestock,” Landing said. “I pay rent here same as you.
And don’t think I’m oblivious to what goes on here at night. If you were my
daughter, I’d—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Listen here,” Nicolas said. “I go out of my way
to be nice to you and all you do is complain about it. Toby barks because he’s
a dog, and that ain’t gonna change any time soon. Kait is my fiancee, and I
don’t plan on <i>that</i> changing either. And I don’t have the time
or patience for your crotchety old man horse shit today.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Mr. Landing looked as if he’d been slapped.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Nicolas said. “I’m late
for my father’s funeral.” </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
The air was crisp in the parking
garage, and Nicolas put his arm around Kaitlyn when he saw her shiver.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Thanks for being so good with lunatics,” Nicolas
said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I was about to bite his head off.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Landing’s the biggest asshole in the asshole
kingdom, true. But I was talking about me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You’re not crazy. You’re just…sanity-challenged.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He laughed and ran his fingers through her hair.
The red highlights were always brighter when the sun hit her from behind like
this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“We have to hurry,” Kaitlyn said. “You can play
with my hair later.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Oh can I?” Nicolas said through a grin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nicolas grabbed her keys away and made a show of
opening the door of her beat-up ‘91 Mustang for her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
They drove out onto the I-35 and he swore. He
hated Austin traffic. Always bad, no matter what time of day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He felt nauseated again but he shrugged it off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You ok?” Kaitlyn asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Didn’t eat this morning.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I tried to make you something.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I’m trying not to throw up here.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The wave of nausea passed as they pulled into the
funeral home’s parking lot. He felt odd. A few minutes ago he was about to
throw up in Kaitlyn’s car, but now he could run around the block without
breaking a sweat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The chapel was in the center of a cemetery that
ran for at least a mile in every direction, and every time he passed a
gravestone his head swam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You’re not hung over, are you?” Kaitlyn said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
She took his hand and led him into the chapel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Flowers lined the center aisle, filling the room
with a sweet fragrance that intermingled with the colognes and perfumes of the
people in attendance. An organist pounded out a hymn as if the solemnity of the
ceremony hinged on how hard she could press the keys. Colleagues and family of
Dr. Murray packed the pews, and Nicolas worried they wouldn’t find seats. His
eyes were drawn to a long, brown casket in front of the altar. A portrait of
Dr. Murray rested on an easel next to the casket.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nicolas had taken that photo on Easter Island a
year ago. A Rapanui elder was presenting Dad with an award for his
self-sacrificing contribution to Rapanui culture. Dad had tried to turn it
down, holding up his hand and saying “no” through his grey beard, but the elder
insisted. Even his long, graying hair seemed embarrassed, flying away from the
elder in a strong gust of wind that had almost pushed Nicolas off the boulder
he’d been standing on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> I’ll never take another picture of him.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
They found seats near other family members and
close friends. People took turns greeting Dr. Murray’s surviving brother and
sister. Both were in their sixties, just like Dr. Murray, and both had the same
square jaw and prominent cheekbones. Nicolas wanted to go over and talk to
them, but they had been against his adoption, so he doubted they’d want to be
close now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The ceremony began with a hymn before settling
down into a biblical reading. Nicolas tried to pay attention, but he felt
hyper, like he needed to run and burn some energy off before it burned him up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The minister stepped up to the podium.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A violent wave of nausea hit Nicolas. He leaned
forward in his seat and took a deep breath, trying not to vomit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The man behind him leaned forward and whispered.
“Your dad was a great man. He’ll be missed.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Brothers and sisters,” the minister began in a
low baritone. “We are gathered here…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Something solid struck Nicolas’s chest with a
force that crushed him back into his seat. Images of people and places he
didn’t know flooded his mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“<i>…today to recall…</i>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
It felt as if someone had hooked his heart up to a
car battery. In his mind, he watched through the eyes of a burly man in
mechanic’s overalls as he stabbed another man in a tweed suit. Nicolas, the
murderer, shouted, “You wanted my wife? You can have her. She’s next.” He
dropped the bloody knife to the floor, and the jealousy and rage of the
mechanic consumed him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“<i>…the life of…</i>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Another jolt made his heart stutter, and the dead
man morphed into a little girl with blond pigtails, who clutched her teddy bear
and trembled. This time he was a middle-aged man in a bathrobe, towering over
the girl and beating her without mercy. The girl cowered away, but Nicolas, the
abuser, punched and kicked her. He felt disgust and hatred, not because of what
he witnessed, but because he felt as if the girl deserved it. He was still
Nicolas, yet also this monster of a man, kicking and beating a little girl.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“…<i>a great friend and…</i>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A third electrical shock. The girl blurred into an
amorphous blob that transformed into a baby boy. Nicolas was a young woman
wearing a white slip extending down to her—his—knees, and carrying the crying
infant in his arms. The smells of soap and lotions intermingled as a smooth
jazz piano played on an old gramophone. A high-pitched tenor voice threaded
through the notes of the piano, singing the lyrics to “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, but
the tenor was drowned out by the sound of running water. Nicolas stroked the
child’s hair as she—he—stepped into the bathroom. The crescendo of music and
lyrics combined to mask the wailing of the infant, and as the music subsided,
Nicolas plunged the infant into the tub and held him underwater until the
flailing of his tiny limbs stopped.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nicolas shook his head, desperately trying to
erase the horrific images. What part of his mind could harbor these disgusting
thoughts?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“…<i>colleague. A great archaeologist and
humanitarian.</i>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> What?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Had all these things happened in less time than it
took the minister to finish his sentence?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He panicked and tried to stand, but another
forceful blast of energy, and stream of horrific images, struck him. If this
continued the images would kill him. There was no way he could live with that
much evil on his conscience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He looked at Kaitlyn, and the sight of her face
expelled the hatred and evil from his mind. He felt an invisible wall go up
between him and whatever was trying to kill him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The force reversed direction.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
His heart raced as the energy radiated away from
him. There was a primal satisfaction that accompanied this release of power,
and it scared him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn elbowed him and gave him a dirty look. The
energy field surrounding him collapsed and his mind was present in the chapel
once more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“What the hell?” Kaitlyn whispered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He started sweating as the panic grew worse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> I can’t be here.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He squeezed past the people sitting next to him.
He might not make it out of the chapel, but he was determined to make it out of
this pew.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Nick,” Kaitlyn said in a louder voice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He stumbled over the person at the end of the pew
and escaped into the main aisle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Another wave of nausea struck him. He had to get
out of the building.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The parking lot made him feel better, but not
much. The energy was there but subdued, just out of reach as if he had passed
through an invisible barrier. He leaned onto the hood of Kaitlyn’s car and
waited for the nausea to pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Are you ok?” Kaitlyn said, running toward him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He tried to speak, but dry heaves sent him into a
fit of retching.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn rubbed his back until the heaving
subsided.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When the nausea passed, He stood up and covered
his mouth with the back of his fist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Better now?” Kaitlyn said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He shrugged.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Let’s get you back home then.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Gotta go back.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Like hell you do.” She grabbed him by the shoulders
and spun him around. “You’re going home.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“But my dad—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Isn’t here. And wherever he is, he understands.
Now get your ass in the car.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
How could this happen today of all days? The man
who had saved him from life in a children’s home and had given him a name and a
future was lying dead in a wooden box, and he couldn’t attend the funeral
because of an upset stomach?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
No. He’d sit in that pew if he had to hold a
bucket in his lap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> To hell with it!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He stepped forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Images of one atrocity after another assaulted
him. Light strobed in his mind. He shot three people in the back of their heads
as they knelt, then cut the tongue out of a witness to silence him. Strobe. He
tied a woman down and injected her with heroin to make her more compliant.
Strobe. He lit a cross on fire, and in its merry light, slaughtered the
landowner and his family when they fought back. Strobe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He collapsed and clawed at the ground, pulling
himself back toward the car, and as he crossed that invisible line in the
pavement, the images stopped.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He pushed himself up onto shaky legs and leaned
against the car.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Ok,” he said. “Let’s go.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Give me the keys.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I can drive.” </div>
<div class="CenterSection">
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph">
Traffic was worse on the way back,
and Nicolas cursed whoever designed the roads in Austin. Every time the car hit
a bump, he thought it was the strange energy coming back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“We can go to St. David’s,” Kaitlyn said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“No hospital. I just need to go to bed.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Hospitals have beds.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Toby needs me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Excuse me, but Toby wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for
me. Do you even know what brand he eats?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Puppy…dog nuggets.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Puppy dog nuggets. Wow, Nick. Just…wow.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He pumped the brakes behind a moving van as he
turned onto 24th from Guadalupe and swore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
His apartment building was only a block away, but
a long line of cars stretched out in front of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“I can’t see anything,” Kaitlyn said. She craned
her head out of the window.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Accident,” Nicolas said. “Police and stuff.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Paramedics are working on someone on this side,”
Kaitlyn said. “Whoa, they brought out the paddles.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Nausea churned in his stomach. He put the car in
idle, leaned out the window to heave, and a blast of energy entered his mind,
replacing the nausea with vitality and power.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He could see it this time…a random stream of
images accelerating toward him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Another ambulance,” Kaitlyn said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He braced himself for the insanity the images
would bring, but they carried a different set of emotions this time. He was an
older man, swinging a little boy in a circle. The boy giggled with glee, and a
sense of love and devotion filled Nicolas. As the boy spun, Nicolas saw his
reflection in the window.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It’s Mr. Landing,” Nicolas said. A frightening
realization formed in his mind. “He’s dead.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“No, they’re still working on him—”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“He’s dead. He was a good man. His grandkids….”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Now you’re scaring me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A powerful force struck him and he was consumed by
a dark stream of images.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He was Mr. Landing, only eighteen years old. The
mugginess of the jungle outside of Nam Dong was oppressive, and the VC was out
here somewhere. The crescendo of chirping insects made it hard to hear anyone
approaching. He checked the twenty-round magazine on his M16 for no other
reason than nerves. He knew how many rounds he had left. He’d loaded his usual
eighteen and hadn’t fired a shot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
But a vicious and unseen enemy was stalking him
through the dense foliage. His life was in danger, and his body trembled from
an adrenaline rush. Where was the enemy? For that matter, <i>who</i> was
the enemy? It was impossible to know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Twigs snapped by a nearby tree, silencing the roar
of the chirping insects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Panic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He lifted his rifle with unsteady hands and aimed
it at the tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Movement!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He screamed and unloaded the M16 toward the tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The dull thud of a body hitting the ground was
amplified by the silence of the insects. Dirty bastard tried to ambush him, but
he’d been ready for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When he saw the body he grew cold and dropped to
his knees.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
It was a small child. His face was drawn, gaunt as
if malnourished, and he was covered in scratches.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Landing, in a daze, saw the rest of his patrol
running over to him, but the sound wouldn’t register. His hands trembled, and
the shakes spread throughout his body until he collapsed next to the tree. He
looked away from the boy, but the trembling grew stronger. By the time the
patrol reached him, he was screaming the same word over and over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Why?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The jungle faded and withdrew, taking the hysteria
with it, until Nicolas was in the car once more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It was a kid,” Nicolas said. “He didn’t know. He
was just scared.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Stop it,” Kaitlyn said. Her voice was raspy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It wasn’t his fault and he never knew it. He
couldn’t have known. I can’t be here.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“Nick, don’t.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He opened the car door and ran toward his
building, passing Landing’s covered body to his left. The lobby doors were
open, and he entered at a full sprint, taking the stairs two at a time until
his apartment door stood before him. Everything would be better inside.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The key wouldn’t go in. The metal tapped against
the lock’s core and slid off, scratching the surface of the door. His hands
trembled with frustration and he wanted to yell.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He swore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The key slid into place and the door opened. He
stumbled into the apartment, threw his jacket on the ground and pulled his tie
off. He needed to sit down and look at something familiar…something peaceful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A wet nose swept across his face. Toby nuzzled
against him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He grabbed for Kaitlyn’s picture and rocked back
and forth on his creaky bed with one arm around Toby.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> It wasn’t Landing’s fault. He thought he was
going to die. God, what’s happening to me?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
He hugged his knees to his chest and stared at the
picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Forty years and he never forgave himself. My
god, how do I know these things? I’m losing my mind. God help me. Please!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You left me there!” Kaitlyn said. She closed the
door behind her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
<i> Kait’s here. Everything will be ok now.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It wasn’t his fault.” Nicolas said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“It was <i>your</i> fault. You took the
damned keys. My car’s sitting out there.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
When Kaitlyn spoke, a strange calm descended on
him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
His vision darkened, but another stream of images
came to him. An ornate door, etched with symbols reminiscent of Nordic runes,
opened in his mind, and he imagined himself walking through it. Two open
doorways stood in the room beyond. Darkness shrouded one door, but the other
emitted a radiant white light. The white door pulsed, and with every pulse it
enticed him closer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
But the white door also emitted a <i>wrongness</i>.
Something bad would happen if he entered it. He forced himself to look away
and, instead, walked toward the black door. The grotesque, decapitated head
from his dreams hovered in the air beyond the threshold. Jagged, ripped flesh
hung from the base of a torn spinal column. Patches of hair fell from the skull
and the smell of burning, putrid flesh made him want to puke. He stumbled
backwards in fright.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
An unexpected sensation of calm returned.
Something was soothing him. And whatever it was, it wasn’t from Texas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby growled.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“The hair is burning,” he said.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“You’re going to the hospital,” Kaitlyn said.
“I’ve seen enough.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A pulse of energy threw Nicolas backward and
pinned him against the wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn screamed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Every time the energy touched him he learned more
about it. It was a life force, vast and powerful, but he wasn’t afraid of it.
It gave him a sense of security. It took away his fear. It made him feel…loved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
An invisible hand formed around his torso and
tightened, threatening to crush him, but the strange calmness blanketed him
again. He knew the hand was good in the same way he knew the man—Landing—was
good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Toby started baying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
A low-pitched metallic sound filled the room like
someone striking a piece of sheet metal. A small point of swirling black light
formed behind Kaitlyn, whipping her hair around her face, and grew larger,
morphing into a multi-hued disk with a void of pitch-blackness at its center.
As the point became a disk, the metallic sound grew louder.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
“What is that?” Nicolas asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn looked in the direction he was staring.
“What’s happening?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The vortex of light filled him with a sense of
belonging, as if his world would be complete if he stepped inside. But he
refused. If it wanted him that much, it would have to take him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The hand of energy lifted Nicolas several feet off
the bed, as if in response to his thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
Kaitlyn screamed and grabbed his boots, trying to
pull him back down to the bed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
With a violent thrust, the hand pulled him into
the vortex, ripping him out of Kaitlyn’s grasp. Pain radiated down his spine as
his head snapped backward, and lights flashed like a strobe across his eyelids.
He tried in vain to move his arms against the force, but it was too strong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText">
The world disappeared and he tumbled into the
black void.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.comPflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-51697284189044117422014-03-17T20:58:00.000-05:002014-05-10T16:33:02.321-05:00Review: Story Forge Cards<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months ago an old high school friend sent me a link to a Kickstarter project that he thought I'd find interesting. It was for a project called "Story Forge Cards", and it claimed to assist writers with everything from plot issues, to character creation, to resolving moral dilemmas, and all that with nothing more than a beautiful deck of cards and chance. I spent some time reading through the details, and I was intrigued. But the timing was all wrong. I was elbow deep in starting my publishing company, hiring cover designers, and trying to get my first book out the door and published. I wasn't in pure "creative" mode, so to speak.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, as I began story boarding the sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> (my bestselling dark fantasy, now available on Amazon), I remembered those cards and set out to find them again. I came across the <a href="http://www.storyforgecards.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Story Forge Cards</a> website, watched the video tutorials, and couldn't wait to give them a try. I ordered my set and received them a few days later. After using them for a couple of weeks, and trying each of the various "spreads" (patterns/layouts of cards), I'd like to show you the product and share my experience. I'll walk you through a "Character Backstory" spread and give you my opinion on how useful I found the cards.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglsJjVSt0RgY4zE6NiN8FbQ92E6CsX2HAYkohrfaEbk_VWnoexiz4K-jSdn6zzt-ZkT5vmb2vFAjaDNpkweD2ix0paxNdu0ZkqaS24HOI4cxSyU1mrmh-xmukKWZN1-0jYENqXn0wvK1i/s1600/Cover.jpg" height="436" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Premise</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea behind Story Forge Cards is not unlike Tarot cards. You shuffle the deck, lay the cards out in a pattern known as a "spread", then interpret the cards based on their individual positions in the spread. For example, the first card you lay down in a "Character Backstory" spread represents your character's mother. Second card the father, and so on (much more detail below, I promise).</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This attracted me more than any other set of story-building cards, and I'll get into specific reasons below. But I remained skeptical. I was worried that I'd allow some randomization process to replace my creativity. I'm not big on rolling the dice when it comes to my stories. I want everything to seem as integrated and organic as possible. But I knew I couldn't simply dismiss this tool without giving it a try. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Product</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was immediately impressed by the product's packaging when I unboxed it. The box of cards is beautifully printed in a high-gloss finish, and it is <i>remarkably</i> sturdy. The fit between the lid and the body of the box is wonderful, and it gives you that pleasant "vacuum" effect when you open the lid. Bottom line, a lot of attention to detail went into the packaging. This box will protect my cards for years to come.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt4S6b9BZeDxzPss0LJTazTu88J-Yl0ZvmyNQt6BMQJ2X2XcR5F-A6v9w4TG_xM3Z8H8a1nPuLVviDw081TId64BEI2IdymKBr1fSUz5b0Wi15py_Jj-enYHkf5kIyl2T8bdOF3OXB8Y6/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt4S6b9BZeDxzPss0LJTazTu88J-Yl0ZvmyNQt6BMQJ2X2XcR5F-A6v9w4TG_xM3Z8H8a1nPuLVviDw081TId64BEI2IdymKBr1fSUz5b0Wi15py_Jj-enYHkf5kIyl2T8bdOF3OXB8Y6/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Box</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I opened the lid for the first time, I found the cards and an instruction booklet.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoXB_7XDKIUCArUHUdRZdH7pAVoqHBQoiHacQsvnv_zqJRcPTcnISu9P0S73a2Nym3V6hwHKCHbfKP9DYw2FXOoU7vMrj_DQn-J1tNw_BSO8h-2W_NNgNSpz_145beXQXoJpi_Nv-nzZw/s1600/IMG_3268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoXB_7XDKIUCArUHUdRZdH7pAVoqHBQoiHacQsvnv_zqJRcPTcnISu9P0S73a2Nym3V6hwHKCHbfKP9DYw2FXOoU7vMrj_DQn-J1tNw_BSO8h-2W_NNgNSpz_145beXQXoJpi_Nv-nzZw/s1600/IMG_3268.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The booklet is printed in a clearly readable font and goes into detailed descriptions of each of the five "suits" in the deck. The last half of the booklet (slightly more, actually) is dedicated to each of the stock spreads available. The spreads available to you out of the box are:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once Upon a Time</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A spread for getting a story rolling</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Character Backstory</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Character "Quick Pick"</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great spread for determining characteristics of a minor character.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hero's Journey</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes...the <i>entire</i> hero's journey. An amazing 22-card spread.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "Train Crash"</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A spread that sets two characters on a collision course.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Film Noir</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Love Story</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Action Movie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Crossroads</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A spread that works through a moral dilemma.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the booklet serves its purpose wonderfully, the <b>quality of the cards is</b> <i><b>outstanding</b></i>. They are printed on incredibly high quality card stock in vivid colors and a great font, and they're polished to a high gloss. Quite frankly, they're a pleasure to hold in your hands. When you shuffle the deck, you know you're holding onto something sturdy that isn't going to be easily bent out of shape. They're larger than average playing cards, lending to the sensation that you're holding something substantial.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each card falls into one of five "suits". The suits are as follows:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Destiny</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wealth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emotion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Identity</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each card contains two abstract concepts, one at the top of the card and the other at the bottom. The bottom concept is "upside down", so if you don't like the one on top, just rotate the card 180-degrees and see if you like the other concept better.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to these cards, each suit contains two "blank" cards, allowing you to customize your deck according to your specific needs. For example, I added elements from my own milieu to make them feel as if they fit into my fictional universe organically. The instructions say you can use a Sharpie or other marker to fill in the blank cards, but I opted for labels with a light adhesive. Time will tell if this works or not, but I'm hoping to be able to change them in the future without damaging the cards or permanently marking them up.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Character Background Spread</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's get to what you're all waiting for: how to use the cards. Once I started using them, I found them so incredibly helpful that I wanted to use them for everything! I had to reign myself in. I ran a couple of Character Background spreads on characters in my series, but if I showed them to you they'd reveal too many spoilers. So I created another character for this article to take you through a sample spread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our character is "Jake", and he's a "Druid". I know nothing about him whatsoever other than his name and profession. So I open the Story Forge Cards manual and flip to the Character Background spread. This is what I find:</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwBrmC0D0M6SjH6yhj2FosScK9vHfxjwRL1UW47Uhb0IMot5AcBiEgl1xZvCrWKZpVYzCS2seLO6XyPkz83NDiCj7EBTup34OEjo445nk93h2LRLeiH2yLgnb6rXWgI8tP-5LY_hUJGw0/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwBrmC0D0M6SjH6yhj2FosScK9vHfxjwRL1UW47Uhb0IMot5AcBiEgl1xZvCrWKZpVYzCS2seLO6XyPkz83NDiCj7EBTup34OEjo445nk93h2LRLeiH2yLgnb6rXWgI8tP-5LY_hUJGw0/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looks like fun! So I shuffle the cards, cut the deck a few times, shuffle some more, and start laying the cards out according to the pattern in the manual.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pull card 1, which, as you can see from the booklet, represents the character's mother.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBRWpQreLSgRuV7dGj-Dk9J5KY5OHu3ifR9dBFmVZ6_mHIbpY3OisP4VDTEJ82OcFSsRiJqU9Bq4sWdrgx1879vmqHfPhKhc3X-XexJbEWGgoE3MvnPwMPPYEx84cHVpNAvbzzw4fUe4k/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 1</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBRWpQreLSgRuV7dGj-Dk9J5KY5OHu3ifR9dBFmVZ6_mHIbpY3OisP4VDTEJ82OcFSsRiJqU9Bq4sWdrgx1879vmqHfPhKhc3X-XexJbEWGgoE3MvnPwMPPYEx84cHVpNAvbzzw4fUe4k/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Immediately I feel the creative spark. The "heart" means this card is from the "Emotion" suit. I open up my notebook and start writing:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jake's mother was raised to believe people are destined for marriage. Nature created male and female to be in perfect harmony, and this harmony is perfectly expressed through marriage.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: All of the notes I've written on each specific card are transcribed in raw form directly from my notebook. They're not edited so you can get a feel for how they spilled out as I saw the cards for the first time.]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a bad start. But as you'll see, the cards shine once you can draw connections between them. Let's move on to Card 2, which represents Jake's father:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_f7Rs3vIiuBr98vv6EAlkbrqJ6IWXXEiWdjln44vtJzcqDGmbL_IMJ787LxyGn351njag11yap6VSc4oB3qELGVgaEzv7OFL8mRH6xRE0WETzChN0CdLSkIyJ1izSQSEvPF_5Njeilxwt/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 2</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_f7Rs3vIiuBr98vv6EAlkbrqJ6IWXXEiWdjln44vtJzcqDGmbL_IMJ787LxyGn351njag11yap6VSc4oB3qELGVgaEzv7OFL8mRH6xRE0WETzChN0CdLSkIyJ1izSQSEvPF_5Njeilxwt/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This purple card belongs to the "Destiny" suit. The "escape from damnation" part really caught my eye, so I wrote the following:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jake's father was primarily a hedonist. The order [of Druids] accused him of being out of balance and threatened to expel him if he didn't turn his life around. He decided to get married, and the order gave him a second chance.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right away there's conflict. On the one hand you have a woman who lives for monogamy, and she winds up married to a reformed hedonist. Potential recipe for disaster, if you ask me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 3 represents the strength of the mother and father's relationship:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uUuAT0tXdMr3ygHATb0A0736tUr3j5RNVKTLuXJyi2ZZ-s7095sc_0YZHKiT39hJIfBJMQMWPEfQpBqAFYnS4i4P-Qhkqva7IVK86iK9iZnAI7CXS_vNj3eSmmqucdGoA94i5ltbj3uj/s1600/IMG_3280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uUuAT0tXdMr3ygHATb0A0736tUr3j5RNVKTLuXJyi2ZZ-s7095sc_0YZHKiT39hJIfBJMQMWPEfQpBqAFYnS4i4P-Qhkqva7IVK86iK9iZnAI7CXS_vNj3eSmmqucdGoA94i5ltbj3uj/s1600/IMG_3280.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 3</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yellow cards are from the "Wealth" suit. While wealth can be taken literally, that's not necessary. I scratched my head for a moment and began writing.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Through their mutual love of the druidic religion, and their common activities of serving the poor and needy, their relationship blossomed into love.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we have two individuals with fundamentally different backgrounds finding common ground through their church. Let's pull card 4, which represents the source of the problems between them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj462HCg96YxH93QZEnaLDaqBEhZR3iU8cI_WUXg3CBCYGw4mbUrHbOQSxTLA0rY0JlIrghiJLiRnTQaFWf59Ww1Dr6MQ9XO8YBjtraAXYTIwD19dJ7JomoZb9dyV3ZXP8yVWc80TU-byPH/s1600/IMG_3282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj462HCg96YxH93QZEnaLDaqBEhZR3iU8cI_WUXg3CBCYGw4mbUrHbOQSxTLA0rY0JlIrghiJLiRnTQaFWf59Ww1Dr6MQ9XO8YBjtraAXYTIwD19dJ7JomoZb9dyV3ZXP8yVWc80TU-byPH/s1600/IMG_3282.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 4</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The green cards are from the "Identity" suit. Now this is getting interesting. Something about "disguise" is the source of their problems. Knowing the father's background from card 2, I write the following:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>But Jake's father couldn't help slipping back into his old womanizing ways. He developed elaborate ways to conceal this from his wife, but she was always suspicious.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like it. Disguise, in and of itself, may not mean much. But when I drew the connection between this "problem" card and the father's background card, you can see how it sparked an interesting source of tension. Tension that may have far-reaching implications. But we don't know about that yet. We'll have to keep drawing. Let's move on to card 5, which represents the circumstances surrounding our main character's (Jake's) birth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AnnjkU-UagtUrLaRh_RmbkFSjARvoDC9rfQoD8RmIUFkc8C2o1sEGjNuwfv3QHYHmXcPPcxJLmGuvOwjsVS8kqQYOiuuL48BKON3UHEu7qyuFKrGlRRR4XjFWdW4J0JR8vuT4nG1UFdH/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AnnjkU-UagtUrLaRh_RmbkFSjARvoDC9rfQoD8RmIUFkc8C2o1sEGjNuwfv3QHYHmXcPPcxJLmGuvOwjsVS8kqQYOiuuL48BKON3UHEu7qyuFKrGlRRR4XjFWdW4J0JR8vuT4nG1UFdH/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 5</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yowza! Holy (or <i>un</i>holy) moly! My creative mind went on overdrive!</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>While his mother was giving birth to him, Jake's father was in the midst of another affair and chose sex with his mistress over attending the birth. Having been suspicious of him for some time, and this being the straw that broke the camel's back, the Order's leader sought Jake's father out and caught him in the act. This was too much, and Jake's father was expelled from the Order. Not long after, he took his own life.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, it seems to be all about the <i>connections</i> between cards. I had been consciously or subconsciously developing the theme of Jake's dad being unfaithful to Jake's mom. This idea had already been planted, and the cards helped me to develop it further. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I move on to card 6, which deals with any complications with the birth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0UJipyjNrFENRIosJaef7-M-qfLpODmxYZQrjahUIvbGdJ1p5SIzDan5ga8SNS-v9aVwjRoujz_1wNGqQ9itVcgH0Tfb2LDa069ItVFhQV92PECm74e4U72eRe8D61mYBso2NeUsWZSS/s1600/IMG_3286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0UJipyjNrFENRIosJaef7-M-qfLpODmxYZQrjahUIvbGdJ1p5SIzDan5ga8SNS-v9aVwjRoujz_1wNGqQ9itVcgH0Tfb2LDa069ItVFhQV92PECm74e4U72eRe8D61mYBso2NeUsWZSS/s1600/IMG_3286.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 6</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided to take a loose interpretation of "complications" and just focus on the fear.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Order had provided food and shelter to Jake's family, but they withdrew this protection when the evil of the father was revealed. Jake's mother had nowhere to go, and she was constantly afraid she wouldn't be able to provide.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving on to card 7, which represents the universe's influence on the character's nature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoqpBkEQQe_EN4EoFNwZcqRAKPWwUqLqw6pwcuJwuqficivvbozzqgbb_V8KuVBU17qJn0OYZR6vuKcof_todq6IyU-7PikwYKEi1i7E2_fRkcGk5PYIuCRoCt_-JLMOHOIGVAL9NG5JU/s1600/IMG_3288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoqpBkEQQe_EN4EoFNwZcqRAKPWwUqLqw6pwcuJwuqficivvbozzqgbb_V8KuVBU17qJn0OYZR6vuKcof_todq6IyU-7PikwYKEi1i7E2_fRkcGk5PYIuCRoCt_-JLMOHOIGVAL9NG5JU/s1600/IMG_3288.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 7</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An interesting card, and it seems to fit in with our "Druid" theme. This is meant to be an influence on Jake, so...</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A druid of the Order remained friends with Jake's mother, and in many ways he was a second father to Jake. He was a positive influence on Jake, instilling the Druidic moral code in a way that Jake connected with.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An interesting turn. I almost would have expected Jake to turn his back on the druids as they turned their backs on Jake's mom. But because of a positive influence, it almost seems as if he understands and perhaps even admires them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 8 represents Jake's early strengths:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20DrCkwiyB85pumyLG-ZaGwgFzcszo9ZVd5MTBZb6lKy7e8xVJlz4qCHjVKLhqXggq7p4trDCcw4AwGD4IA-_d_E4GH6GdBq8tAMSoBxnrqNt49VnjlQC-izhg5D0-8D_vPjNtLEMaafn/s1600/IMG_3290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20DrCkwiyB85pumyLG-ZaGwgFzcszo9ZVd5MTBZb6lKy7e8xVJlz4qCHjVKLhqXggq7p4trDCcw4AwGD4IA-_d_E4GH6GdBq8tAMSoBxnrqNt49VnjlQC-izhg5D0-8D_vPjNtLEMaafn/s1600/IMG_3290.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 8</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first blue card we've seen. Blue represents the "Will" suit, which often involves conscious decision.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jake remembered the conflict between his mother and father and swore he'd never live like that. Instead, the more he devoted himself to Druidic principles, the more peaceful his life became.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly Jake is gravitating towards the Druidic order himself. Let's take a look at card 9, which represents Jake's early weaknesses:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6avUcbKnFjC6mUkU_eeWlHsBfVrmLh5soASIewoukpMPuBRp67lNDgqwzT_5p4dbQVW0PXK2E7f_wQWNrRSV-YpnNl1BvFo6SUsZFn9A6lQPoOoPcurc0-7ZZacT_5JbbLk6L0wU6yxSF/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6avUcbKnFjC6mUkU_eeWlHsBfVrmLh5soASIewoukpMPuBRp67lNDgqwzT_5p4dbQVW0PXK2E7f_wQWNrRSV-YpnNl1BvFo6SUsZFn9A6lQPoOoPcurc0-7ZZacT_5JbbLk6L0wU6yxSF/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 9</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Very interesting. Even though Jake seems to be putting the shame of his father behind him, and is actively applying druidic principals to his life, something is holding him back.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>No matter how peaceful his life became, he believed he was destined to turn out just like his father. No one could tell him otherwise, regardless of evidence to the contrary.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously the sins of the father have impacted the life of the son!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 10 represents the character's education. I drew this card:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3p0wrCFxJXUdeKB3wWCTu3Unk4X31tVj8qvDfMdzWq6nZRpQhvZ80uzSEYli-w_5U9Sl2Xo7bzCY0jagrKi0q7H4b5mQ5STY0iGjUv9WjwE1l29nNEt8jJ02PDGW-DvwMuQVz64pGBD/s1600/IMG_3296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3p0wrCFxJXUdeKB3wWCTu3Unk4X31tVj8qvDfMdzWq6nZRpQhvZ80uzSEYli-w_5U9Sl2Xo7bzCY0jagrKi0q7H4b5mQ5STY0iGjUv9WjwE1l29nNEt8jJ02PDGW-DvwMuQVz64pGBD/s1600/IMG_3296.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rejected Card 10</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amnesia as an education? This was the first one that didn't make much sense to me. No matter how hard I scratched my head, this one just didn't gel. So, using the advice from the manual, I simply drew another card! (Yes...this is perfectly legal. Remember, the cards are the <i>writer's tool</i>, not the <i>writer</i>.) On my second draw I pulled this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuJBN_QYqHhUE_u3zspycNloleL21boD5elE8RpkUQa9SprdPZMKjR_1Oea-MhyphenhyphenLPkfdkTVER9uH2e7yi9UeAzpejP4LRzxnRaY7o0L4ikKuaNqt8Ndm143G8znmABMXBDD6JisNlPUf1/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuJBN_QYqHhUE_u3zspycNloleL21boD5elE8RpkUQa9SprdPZMKjR_1Oea-MhyphenhyphenLPkfdkTVER9uH2e7yi9UeAzpejP4LRzxnRaY7o0L4ikKuaNqt8Ndm143G8znmABMXBDD6JisNlPUf1/s1600/IMG_3294.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 10</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, this I can work with. Again I felt the spark of imagination (which is, after all, what this is all about. That's the very purpose of the cards!). Alliance...let's think. Given all we already know about the character:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Druidic Order saw how devoted to their principles he was, so they decided to induct him into the Order. They trained him for years until eventually he became a full-fledged Druid.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next card, card 11, represents Jake's belief foundation:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzusKPWLov7d9QtRBBqbDl0Z-AadafnR5uMqapt0C2QFw0VPc36fixjRy-Ie0JNXOJCthVVSdZWTusCVtqJ6cKAARMi8LaNrernx0PnfSEf0zCN55K9T5OaVQ1qS5r7LSS5xTsTbo4DSC/s1600/IMG_3298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzusKPWLov7d9QtRBBqbDl0Z-AadafnR5uMqapt0C2QFw0VPc36fixjRy-Ie0JNXOJCthVVSdZWTusCVtqJ6cKAARMi8LaNrernx0PnfSEf0zCN55K9T5OaVQ1qS5r7LSS5xTsTbo4DSC/s1600/IMG_3298.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 11</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This seems to map to what we already seem to know about Jake and his "tranquil" ways.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jake took to heart the principle that a person should seek no more than they are provided by the universe. A person should be happy with his/her place in life. Discontentment leads to tragedy, as it did with his father. His father couldn't be content with a single woman in his life, and this led to his downfall.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again we see the connections are all-important. Without a philandering father and a druid mentor, Jake may have turned out to be anything but content.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 12 represents Jake's life experience. Let's see what we draw:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI0B3Cb9evGpWkH9e_Ha6seLjikMuqB04ZkmluHBvO9g0aYi3qVlA4k06lLEcHPjd6R_zcAeOOWmeDjHwD1w6oF_KXSjiMvZ9ccW2YaXBs6vnh_0aVBhD63XCuy9rbbfRzcA9Ql8FQtHn/s1600/IMG_3300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI0B3Cb9evGpWkH9e_Ha6seLjikMuqB04ZkmluHBvO9g0aYi3qVlA4k06lLEcHPjd6R_zcAeOOWmeDjHwD1w6oF_KXSjiMvZ9ccW2YaXBs6vnh_0aVBhD63XCuy9rbbfRzcA9Ql8FQtHn/s1600/IMG_3300.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rejected Card 12</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is very interesting. And <i>dangerous</i>. I don't want Jake to turn out anything like his father, no matter what the universe has decided to hand me. So I'm going to step in, as the writer, and say "no" to fate. I draw again and see:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-z5ioZD4kVggR2gra2NWz8IY78X0lK3TK__CinbQAsf040Y7-AQ0X2dvDtyFPLCY6ccXZj_NmYDhkyBpCo81GU10nFnnvqiHdSvsTICLRapSSnwItyAsZ7IAlpRl7-c-uZEjuJEczq6t/s1600/IMG_3302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-z5ioZD4kVggR2gra2NWz8IY78X0lK3TK__CinbQAsf040Y7-AQ0X2dvDtyFPLCY6ccXZj_NmYDhkyBpCo81GU10nFnnvqiHdSvsTICLRapSSnwItyAsZ7IAlpRl7-c-uZEjuJEczq6t/s1600/IMG_3302.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 12</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little better, and fits the theme we're establishing.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jake lived his life as a man of faith. He was a devout druid that rose in his order and became a mentor to younger druids. He discovered that faith was powerful, often giving him power over situations that lesser druids couldn't control.</span></b></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 13 represents a shaping experience.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg4LrMzXOGT4h93dUWd4mbn_HGQOGLq2kGhLjcxBkf2QoT2kj2EcObypvGwD0sonejSia0zfnnQ-u9Saub8ZKzLxeR8wtxCkeVMr_IdB9R-jFfJb10etG5Os6OTZe9JNd3Gb819Pkx1lE/s1600/IMG_3304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg4LrMzXOGT4h93dUWd4mbn_HGQOGLq2kGhLjcxBkf2QoT2kj2EcObypvGwD0sonejSia0zfnnQ-u9Saub8ZKzLxeR8wtxCkeVMr_IdB9R-jFfJb10etG5Os6OTZe9JNd3Gb819Pkx1lE/s1600/IMG_3304.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 13</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to spare you some additional details, because you've already seen how it's possible to simply draw another card if you don't like the first one you get. It's also acceptable to flip a card 180-degrees if you prefer the upside-down concept. Suffice it to say I did a little of both (including swapping card positions) for the last 3 cards. Let's look at Safety and see what I came up with:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As long as he focused on maintaining balance in his life, and followed the precepts of the Druidic Order, he was well provided for and wanted for nothing. </b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Card 14 represents an experience that left scars. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBimGxXaYgV9Z6OgDUZggOCF6qDfq606xZvzz89CS53bO9_7R78Xecyf7D6-32urYgOq6jM-xyCwh2wOwvINE0Nz3RpbfVTh0vMbrPPx1AzkZrLt2CNlcwxeQX7-E75eqn4hOL3v5bhkB/s1600/IMG_3306.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Card 14</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBimGxXaYgV9Z6OgDUZggOCF6qDfq606xZvzz89CS53bO9_7R78Xecyf7D6-32urYgOq6jM-xyCwh2wOwvINE0Nz3RpbfVTh0vMbrPPx1AzkZrLt2CNlcwxeQX7-E75eqn4hOL3v5bhkB/s1600/IMG_3306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I can see how Deception would leave scars! So how can we have Deception tie in with earlier themes? This is where my own writer's mind is going to take over once again. I tend to gravitate towards subjects involving abuse of religious authority, and also religious hypocrisy in general.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>While out on the business of the order, Jake discovers the Order's leader living two lives. The leader has a second family that no one knows about, and he was using the Order's resources to care for them.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now we're finally here: card 15. The final card. This card represents the state of the character when the real story begins.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-ewIWAWxuM5Y56fbyUIRvr60WqUUWTKVOwQiZxrO7ThvvJ3joPBL-oirT9Ax58NW6jTH2Dcxxc5O-_e5NmTSnmXFd3xOegWiFMN7DxxJ1iC8mdj1Up8r5amrBQa0OyycxgVUtowFAMhq/s1600/IMG_3308.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Card 15</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-ewIWAWxuM5Y56fbyUIRvr60WqUUWTKVOwQiZxrO7ThvvJ3joPBL-oirT9Ax58NW6jTH2Dcxxc5O-_e5NmTSnmXFd3xOegWiFMN7DxxJ1iC8mdj1Up8r5amrBQa0OyycxgVUtowFAMhq/s1600/IMG_3308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It definitely fits with where I was going with Jake. He's a druid. I don't know about you, but when I conjure an image of a fantasy druid, I see a peaceful, nature-loving person.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>With the leader expelled, balance is restored. Jake rises to take leadership of the Order, and the Order enters a period of unprecedented prosperity.</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without even having a plot for this character, I can already see what might happen. I bet it has something to do with upsetting that "unprecedented prosperity"! After all...we can't have "happy people in happy land" or we don't have a story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's where I ended up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Conclusion </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy these cards now! I really wish I could share the spreads I ran of the characters in my story, One day, long after it's published and I no longer have to worry about spoilers, I'll do that. I can't emphasize enough how much this tool enhances the creative process. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're afraid this will hijack your creativity (as I once was), set that fear aside. I assure you nothing could be further from the truth. Using the cards to create background story for my characters allowed me to mine what I already knew about them to add even more depth than I thought possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only are the out-of-the-box spreads wonderful, but it is also quite possible (and easy!) to create your own custom spreads. I've made one for exploring interpersonal relationships, and I've found others online as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bottom line: Story Forge Cards will take your creativity and turn it up to 11.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 5/10/2014]</b> I've been using the cards to fill in the gaps for characters and content in short story development as well. They work just as brilliantly in shorter fiction mediums.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com6Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-4669016376121506252014-03-09T14:37:00.000-05:002014-05-10T16:33:48.899-05:00Readers Will Judge Your Book By Its Cover<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admit it. You've judged a book by its cover in the past. No, you may not have put the book down and refused to buy it, but I'm willing to bet you picked one up and read the back because the cover caught your attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I wrong?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvbYSGnt7TTphG3P2UhxVFk7NHhLdyLFN683KITR-In84RWwkXy9g9A12VFccQb7qMwwh7mO2hIj_wtUP9BXh_eAYtwmOpBirO0OK4z9KXdASgmtsLQEIQGT9X3ObM_lVdZLyavfDrZUd/s1600/JudgeACover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvbYSGnt7TTphG3P2UhxVFk7NHhLdyLFN683KITR-In84RWwkXy9g9A12VFccQb7qMwwh7mO2hIj_wtUP9BXh_eAYtwmOpBirO0OK4z9KXdASgmtsLQEIQGT9X3ObM_lVdZLyavfDrZUd/s1600/JudgeACover.jpg" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A bad cover may not hurt your sales, but a good cover <i>will</i> improve them. Human beings are visual creatures, and as writers/publishers we need to take advantage of this whenever possible. So how do we make sure we're producing the best possible cover?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KNOW YOUR GENRE</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This can't be overstated. Every genre will have its own set of expectations on what a "good" cover looks like. Even <i>within</i> genres those expectations may vary by a huge margin. For example, in my genre (Fantasy), you see covers ranging from the abstract/conceptual to covers that depict a scene from the book. I've always gravitated toward the latter as a fantasy reader, so I decided early on that this was the type of cover I wanted for my own book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just keep in mind that if your audience is looking for a cloaked figure with a dagger, and you give them Fabio with a beautiful, scantily-clad woman in his arms, you're probably going to alienate a large part of your core audience. And vice-versa for you romance writers who are playing around with the idea of putting nothing more than a king's crown on your cover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">STUDY PROFESSIONAL COVERS</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your primary goal, as an independent author at this stage of the publication process, should be to produce an end product that is <i>virtually indistinguishable from the big publishing houses</i>. If a reader can hold your book in one hand, and a book published by Simon and Schuster in the other, <i>and see the difference immediately</i>, you have failed. Remember, you're trying to remove the obstacles between your reader and the checkout stand (virtual or otherwise). The cover is the <i>first</i> indication of the quality within, whether you abhor that statement or not. Look, I'm not telling you how the buying public <i>should</i> behave. I'm telling you how they <i>do </i>behave. And if your cover smacks of unprofessional quality, don't be surprised when the reader buys the Simon and Schuster book instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now, start studying professional-quality covers in your genre and see how the big boys do it. I'm not suggesting we start producing copy-cat cliche covers. But I am suggesting that we have a duty to produce covers that meet or exceed the quality of the big publishing houses. We owe this to our readers. We owe it to our own sense of professionalism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DON'T DO IT YOURSELF</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This doesn't necessarily mean you have to spend a king's ransom on a cover. But unless you're a professional cover designer with some mad artistic ability, you're deluding yourself if you think you're producing professional quality covers by throwing together some composite stock images. Keep in mind that artistic ability and the ability to design a book cover are not the same skill set. You may know how to draw a great logo, or create scenes worthy of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but unless you know something about composition in the context of a book cover, the art may work against rather than for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the process of producing the cover for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>, I discovered a wonderful service called </span><a href="https://www.elance.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Elance</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This is a web-based service that connects freelancers with hiring managers. All you have to do is create a free account and post a job announcement. Voila! You're a hiring manager! You set the date range on how long you'll accept "proposals", and then you sit back and watch the bidding war begin. You can state a price range on what you're willing to pay for the work so that artists don't waste their time on a bid that has no chance from the get go. But since this was my first attempt at hiring a professional artist, I had no idea what a reasonable price would be, so I didn't supply a price range. I wanted to see what people would bid, given the detailed description I offered in the job announcement. The bids came back from as low as $50 to as high as $2000.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I noticed something interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The $2000 artists were no qualitatively better than the $50 artists. Yes, some outliers on both ends of the spectrum demonstrated their cost-to-ability ratio, but this was the exception and not the rule. Ultimately I settled on a wonderful artist who charged me $200 for the work, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome or the experience of working with her. For that price I received front, back, and spine images, and she allowed me as many revisions as I wished prior to final approval.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An additional word about Elance: It's written in their terms of service that as soon as you approve the work and pay the artist, all intellectual property rights to the work are transferred to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AUDITION THE TALENT</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.elance.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elance</a> makes this easy. When an artist submits a proposal, they include a link to their portfolio, some of which are managed by Elance, and others link to external sites that host their images. Whether using Elance or not, make sure the artist you're considering has a style that speaks to you. Remember, if the cover doesn't conjure an emotion in you, then how do you expect it to do so in a member of your core audience? Also—and I can't stress this enough—make sure the artist you're considering has experience designing a cover. If you know a lot about cover design and feel as if you can mentor a cover design "newbie" through the process, then go for it. Only you know if you're capable of doing that. But if you don't have the knowledge and experience to do so, you'll be far better off hiring an artist who does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CREATE A DESIGN BRIEF</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just because you're not a professional cover designer doesn't mean you shouldn't have some idea of what you want to see on your cover. Your artist isn't a mind reader. You need to do your homework up front and be prepared to hit the ground running when you hire an artist who catches your eye. While sorting through job proposals, I developed something called a "design brief", which is nothing more than a document I can hand off to the artist to answer basic questions and give them general guidance. The design brief included the following bits of information (in order):</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Title of Book</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subtitle</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Description (the entire back cover copy)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short description of the emotions I wish to invoke in the reader/viewer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Specifications (a general list of "must haves". e.g. "Title must be legible as thumbnail." "Image must look good in gray scale", etc.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entire Elance job description.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A note about #6: I spent a couple of hours hand-crafting the job description before I posted it. It was a painfully detailed description of the scene I wanted illustrated. I did this because, as I mentioned above, I had no idea what the "going price" was for this kind of work. I wanted the potential job candidates to have as much information up front as possible, so that I'd have no nasty surprises after hiring someone (I didn't want to hear "Whoa! I had no idea you wanted THAT much! I need to either drop out or ask you for more money.") Had I not written such a detailed Elance job description, then I would have included that painfully detailed description in the #6 slot above. I strongly recommend you do the work up front, however, to avoid any surprises down the road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above all else, make sure you're happy with the cover before you give final approval. Your target audience is <i>you</i>. If <i>you</i> don't like your cover, neither will your target audience!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy cover designing!</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[UPDATE 5/10/2014]</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm happier than ever with my decision to hire a professional to develop my cover. Though there were naysayers when my cover was first revealed (primarily by other cover designers), the cover I went with for </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is routinely complimented by critics. </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is now an Amazon bestseller, and I'd like to think the cover had something to do with that. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com9Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-75812508987937048852014-03-01T20:04:00.000-06:002014-05-10T16:34:06.252-05:003 Easy Steps to Fix Your Manuscript<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know what you're doing. You're sitting there staring at your laptop screen. Your're probably making this face:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJb53GJ5GQxofj8agY48DtthM489ux-AupMoZl0uNd3vKl-laNdgJkuWjZ4YvSYiBodYT-g33_IcqASr-tXHTJGLK74t6p2iHkvxb5nS2CuqbqUEjX2LudZ-5oZhjFQsF2aKUCY9flx1mr/s1600/EditingFace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJb53GJ5GQxofj8agY48DtthM489ux-AupMoZl0uNd3vKl-laNdgJkuWjZ4YvSYiBodYT-g33_IcqASr-tXHTJGLK74t6p2iHkvxb5nS2CuqbqUEjX2LudZ-5oZhjFQsF2aKUCY9flx1mr/s1600/EditingFace.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And you're getting nowhere. If this is you, keep reading. There are three things you can do <i>right now</i> to fix your manuscript problems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 1: Quantify the Problem</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those of you who have followed me for a while know that in addition to being a writer, I'm also a software engineer. Software engineers—the good ones at least—are big on process. Software <i>engineering</i>, on the other hand, is big on bugs. It's inevitable. We put a bunch of smart people in a room together and have them develop elaborate computer program designs. What could go wrong?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For starters, those "smart people" all have the same trait in common. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">They're human</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Humans make mistakes. More so, it seems, when a computer is involved.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy0U-MhYaOjdULdYtHTlxXtIHDH7p03qTyZjRSbH21Yu4Ny4fTycRT2q0Gv2R2sU5LTd_qXIGQmWfCVBsWNVT8pv-50ZxwAWXrmJN067HXarluAL9sWGLtNncfitFL0vYlsSNgm05amRb/s1600/FoulThingsUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy0U-MhYaOjdULdYtHTlxXtIHDH7p03qTyZjRSbH21Yu4Ny4fTycRT2q0Gv2R2sU5LTd_qXIGQmWfCVBsWNVT8pv-50ZxwAWXrmJN067HXarluAL9sWGLtNncfitFL0vYlsSNgm05amRb/s1600/FoulThingsUp.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a truism in software development: <i>we cannot fix a bug unless we can reproduce it</i>. It's just that simple. Anything else is a guess. An <i>educated</i> guess, perhaps, but a guess nonetheless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, <i><b>we must first know what is wrong</b></i>. I'm not talking about the <i>effect</i>. I'm talking about the <i><b>root cause</b></i>. What you may not realize is that this also holds true for writing. You can't fix it if you don't know what's wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may not be able to determine this yourself. If you're beating your head against the monitor and you just can't figure it out, don't be afraid to share it with a trusted reader. An objective person may be able to shed some light on it for you. But know this: until you know <i>specifically</i> what is wrong, you won't be able to fix it. So ask for help if you need it. The sooner the better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 2: Develop a Plan of Attack</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that you have some idea of what is wrong, you can start wrapping your head around what you may need to do to fix it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll dip back into the software engineering example for a bit (no pun intended...oh who am I kidding!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every line of program code we write has an associated cost. Cost to maintain in labor, cost in memory, cost in processing power, cost in...the list goes on. So we can't just roll up our sleeves and start writing code. That's a surefire way to <b>cause another problem</b>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjKRWHzKp5J8obsC4h6iaqhLyc1Aneuo8_eavIl3M1JIt_Nw8-FNL0DTPzV672xfAfJDx5qRg8NahKX9b20uH_yyMlaA-9z0r4g-ueDiAXmItoqhWKx9SQ0YJkAEXzlrbYsbOoU9NT_G_/s1600/BugsInTheCode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjKRWHzKp5J8obsC4h6iaqhLyc1Aneuo8_eavIl3M1JIt_Nw8-FNL0DTPzV672xfAfJDx5qRg8NahKX9b20uH_yyMlaA-9z0r4g-ueDiAXmItoqhWKx9SQ0YJkAEXzlrbYsbOoU9NT_G_/s1600/BugsInTheCode.jpg" height="164" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what do we do? First, we have to know what all the "touch points" are, as we call them. Every piece of code we write potentially effects one or more other pieces of code. It's very easy to create a cascading domino effect of problems with a single line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is true in your manuscript as well. So before you go writing more prose, have a plan of attack for how you're going to address the <i>secondary</i> problems that will arise. What's a "secondary" problem? I can think of a few examples right now:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fixing the main problem requires getting a character off stage.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondary problem: That character was going to reveal a critical piece of information. Uh oh.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you move the gun to the top of the mantle <i>now</i>, you don't have the main problem later.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondary problem: The maid cleans the mantle two scenes ago. She would have found the gun!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If your magic system was capable of creating a wall of water, it will set up the solution to the problem in act 3.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondary problem: Your wizard wasn't able to help a minor character put the fire out that burned down the guard house that led to act 2!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think you see what I mean. It's not rocket science, but it <i>will</i> cause you headaches if you march in blindly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Step 3: Work the Plan</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may be the hardest part of all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to software engineering for a moment. I like to think software engineers are all around decent people. Many of us got into programming because we had an arcane set of skills that could help solve other people's problems. So, being the problem solvers that we are, we're <i>always</i> looking for problems to solve. We're always thinking "If I just add <i>this feature</i>, the user's life will be so much easier," or, "if I move this widget from here to there, the application will look nicer." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So while we're fixing the main problem (which we already developed a plan of attack for in Step 2), we're also adding new features or changing existing ones. And guess what...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGO5jQqzqALRpIxabiaUOMzM2I1X5nJeNVvGu1ta5lraHEAQQ8SLOoc6l8Fa9Jus9d2w1ElxdglN7wUNxYL2vIv-HgnMpYpim606qvuK_pFwnUI3cOoaQInDtYTQai3h1JNIvHBvte3EJ/s1600/FanCards2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGO5jQqzqALRpIxabiaUOMzM2I1X5nJeNVvGu1ta5lraHEAQQ8SLOoc6l8Fa9Jus9d2w1ElxdglN7wUNxYL2vIv-HgnMpYpim606qvuK_pFwnUI3cOoaQInDtYTQai3h1JNIvHBvte3EJ/s1600/FanCards2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're causing the problems of next week that won't be found until tomorrow. Certainly not on purpose! But everything we do is a human endeavor. That makes it prone to mistakes by its very nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a term we use to describe certain types of program code: "Fragile". When we use this term it's often derogatory, but in essence it means it's prone to break when you change it or seemingly unrelated code.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prose is fragile. It's fragile because when we write it, we're adding transitions, solving plot holes, managing continuity, and manipulating character arcs. It gets to a point where it doesn't lend itself to change without a lot of back-breaking work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you develop your plan of attack in Step 2 and sit down to actually implement it, you have to be careful that your writer/editor mind is not intruding and suggesting other changes that will "make the story so much better". If it is, do your best to ignore it for now. Take some notes if you're afraid of losing the ideas. But remember: your prose is fragile. If you add extra beats, change a character arc, or drop in a new plot twist, you may be breaking something else without realizing it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trust yourself and your process. You identified a problem. You developed a plan to remedy the problem. Now work the plan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the 3-step process I followed to fix every problem I identified in early drafts of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> (now an Amazon bestselling fantasy novel). This technique has served me well, and I believe it will serve you too.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<hr />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com9Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-4711982934831554092014-02-22T19:22:00.000-06:002014-05-10T16:34:29.889-05:00Necromancer Awakening Cover Reveal<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been sitting on this news for about a week, eagerly awaiting all of the final business matters to be wrapped up, and now I'm proud to reveal the cover for<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"> Necromancer Awakening: Book One of The Mukhtaar Chronicles</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a three-year labor of love; 90 days writing the first draft and the rest of the time editing and rewriting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you love it as much as I do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Necromancer Awakening: Book One of The Mukhtaar Chronicles</span></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Knowledge in the absence of wisdom is a dangerous thing."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texas archaeology student Nicolas Murray has an ironic fear of the dead. A latent power connecting him to an ancient order of Necromancers floods his mind with impossible images of battle among hive-mind predators and philosopher fishmen. When a funeral service leaves him shaken and questioning his sanity, the insidious power strands him in a land where the sky kills and earthquakes level cities. A land where the undead serve the living, and Necromancers summon warriors from ancient graves to fight in a war that spans life and afterlife.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If Nicolas masters the Three Laws of Necromancy, he can use them to get home. But as he learns to raise and purify the dead—a process that makes him relive entire lifetimes in the span of a moment—the very power that could bring him home may also prevent his return. For the supreme religious leader, the Archmage Kagan, has outlawed Necromancy, and its practitioners risk torture and execution.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As warring nations hunt Necromancers to extinction, countless dead in limbo await a purification that may never come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicolas's power could be his way home…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or it could save a world that wants him dead.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank"><img alt="Necromancer Awakening: Book One of The Mukhtaar Chronicles" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiHnorPz973WS_YcJZpm4J8fxBti7ITIQuqXVOJf492sbHt31vDeW1FTAXHdULH7UpZYkrgN93AnHVK6hEnoUGVrfOiLv8Ayu93txmNgFZx_KbY0vP1gm54L8AOLxcFi5YOwLhaJrY8NJ/s1600/WorkingCoverFront.jpg" height="640" title="" width="404" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Coming May 2014 from Erindor Press</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back Cover for Print Edition</span></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com2Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-12572571318113844972014-01-19T14:01:00.000-06:002014-05-10T16:34:54.530-05:00Self-Publishing Vs. Traditional: My Decision<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATED 05/10/2014]</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those of you who have followed me here and on my other media outlets for some time will recall how adamant I've been about traditional publishing. Until the end of 2013 I was absolutely convinced I would be querying agents and publishers for an indefinite period of time, collecting rejection slips like they were going out of style.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not anymore. My thoughts on the subject have completely changed, and I'd like to tell you why.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvjZNH555G5NOKR6fkty0LMoQJHU4v30rYRs_5yyJeHuQL_-PMN11ZcXUpR6NmBOgS3Oa7KU8bCCkAimNdjDKYxd9oiwqbwDYivo2YTZau8DSa-ybEXSFAGzt60dtmkZmwNFpuEev97sA/s1600/180_Degrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvjZNH555G5NOKR6fkty0LMoQJHU4v30rYRs_5yyJeHuQL_-PMN11ZcXUpR6NmBOgS3Oa7KU8bCCkAimNdjDKYxd9oiwqbwDYivo2YTZau8DSa-ybEXSFAGzt60dtmkZmwNFpuEev97sA/s1600/180_Degrees.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defining Success</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've long held that you should never allow another person to define success for you. What it means to be a successful writer, to me, has changed dramatically over the last two years. I've been writing for decades, but I didn't "come out" with my writing until 2012, and I did so with a lot of fear and trembling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear I wouldn't be good enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear I wouldn't be accepted</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> because I had no publications under my belt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear my stories would never be read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But at the core of all of this was acceptance. All my life, for one reason or another, I sought activities that placed me in the spotlight (community theater, singing in a barbershop quartet, high school choir, playing guitar in a country band). Many thought this was because I was a showoff or an attention seeker. But they didn't see what was going on inside. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours Truly in '86/'87</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was trying to feel accepted, even if only for the moment in time when the music would stop and the applause would reverberate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won't bore you with all of the details, but I wasn't the most popular kid growing up. Queue the violins, I know. But it wasn't the "fade into the background" kind of unpopular. It was the "school is a combat zone" kind of unpopular. Until I was thirteen I was terrified of going to school in the morning. That all changed when I got involved in the martial arts, but the damage had been done. My self-image had already been determined. My worth . . . my success . . . was now based on how other people perceived me, and would remain so for quite some time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flash forward twenty years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I put myself "out there" with my writing, an amazing thing happened: people accepted me with open arms. Not only did an entire community of writers accept me without hesitation, but they openly encouraged me. I could feel them cheering for my success!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I realized something: My need for industry approval (i.e. a publishing deal with a major publisher) was no different than the need for peer acceptance that had defined most of my life. So I tried a thought experiment. I asked myself "how would you define success if industry acceptance was taken out of the equation?" This was my answer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I would gauge success by the degree to which I failed or succeeded on my own terms.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That, in and of itself, was enough to sway me toward self-publishing. But I didn't stop there. I started researching more quantifiable reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Book Stores Have Clocks . . . And They Tick.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The large brick and mortar book sellers can't afford to keep your book on the shelves forever (and that's if they buy it from the publisher at all, which isn't guaranteed just because you have a publishing contract). It takes up space that could be reserved for a best seller.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have, in most cases, 30 days to prove your book will sell well. At the end of that first month, the book seller packages up all of the books he/she can't sell and sends them back to the publisher for a <b>full refund</b>. That's it. You're done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem is that <b>no one</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>knows how to sell books. You heard me right. The only thing we know for certain is that word-of-mouth sells books far better than a display at a book store. But word-of-mouth takes <i>time</i>. And time is something a major book chain can't afford to give you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Self-publishing removes the clock from the equation. It costs you nothing to leave your book on the virtual book shelf. Over time people will read and review your book. They'll mention it to friends, who will in turn buy it and recommend it to their friends. You are now in control of your own destiny, because writing a good story . . . a story that will generate word-of-mouth . . . is under <i>your</i> control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traditional Publishing ≠ Money</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're artists. We shouldn't be doing this for the money. I've heard the arguments, and I get it. While I place my art and creativity above any price, I'm not <i>allergic</i> to money either. After all, enough of the green stuff would mean I could potentially support myself off my writing. That's a dream of most writers, isn't it? Who among us wouldn't want to spend the lion's share of their time writing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's talk money for a moment. [Note: I'll be taking numbers from David Gaughran's <i>wonderful</i> book on publishing, titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DC68NI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005DC68NI&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish And Why You Should</a>. If you're struggling with this decision, I strongly recommend you read this.]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you do manage to land a publishing contract, and your book is printed in hardback (the highest price of the lot), you're going to see about 12.5% royalties from each sale. Now, take into consideration that your agent is going to get 15% of <i>that </i>and you're now looking at slightly less than 11%. Don't get me wrong, the numbers are justified. I'm not suggesting anyone is being over or under paid here. Publishing is a business, and business has costs and overhead that can't be avoided.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll see a little more from a trade published e-book (approximately 17.5% royalties).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here's the thing many writers don't consider when they're looking at these numbers: <b>Only 20% of all books published ever earn out their advance.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let that sink in for a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a new writer your advance will hover somewhere around $5k, and definitely under $10k. (Sure, there's a chance your manuscript will be SO amazing that it will spark a bidding war. There's also a chance my next lottery ticket will allow me to call in "rich" the next day.) You only have a 1 in 5 chance of publishing a book that earns enough in sales to justify paying you royalties. That means the most you'll ever see off your work is probably going to be whatever advance you got. And don't forget to give your agent his/her 15% of that advance, by the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And before I forget, whatever the amount of your advance, you're not going to see all of it at once. That $5k advance may come to you in three payments spread out over 18 months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's contrast this with self-publishing. A $2.99 sale on Amazon will pay you a 70% royalty amounting to $2.09. That $25 hard cover from a traditional publisher, on the other hand, will pay you a net $2.66 royalty (after agent's cut), and that's if you're lucky enough to have had your book earn out its advance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The numbers for mass market paperback and other editions are even more dismal. Check out David Gaughran's book (linked above) for the details. There's <i>far</i> more covered in his book than I could ever hope to tackle here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will you make more from a traditional publisher? The hard cover number seems to indicate that. The answer is "it depends". If you're sitting on an absolute block buster, then chances are, right now, you'll make more from traditional publishing. If, on the other hand, you think your book is more likely destined for mid-list, I believe self-publishing may be more lucrative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 03/08/2014] </b>This assumption is no longer correct! I strongly urge you to read Hugh Howey's <a href="http://authorearnings.com/the-report/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Author Earnings Report</a> when you have more time. What we once thought was true about the self-publishing financial landscape has proven false. The <i>financial</i> reasons to traditionally publish are growing fewer and fewer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Will the Publisher Bring to the Table?</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're a "no name" writer who hasn't sold a bunch of books, the answer to that question is "very little".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get visions of book signing tours in exotic locations out of your head right now. That doesn't happen unless you're willing to take off work and pay for it yourself. (And don't forget you'll have to do all of the event organizing yourself).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get visions of dozens of copies of your book sitting in a large display in the center aisle at Barnes & Noble out of your head. Those spots are reserved for names people recognize, and names the book seller can usually guarantee will sell very well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, if you have to do all the work anyway, and you have to pay for your own events (including travel and lodging) are you still ok with taking a fraction of the royalty you'd see from self-publishing? Only you can answer that, because as I said above, money is not the only consideration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't Hold Your Breath</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As always, there are exceptions, but as a general rule, if you're going down the traditional publishing road, you'd better settle in for the long haul. When you begin the query process, it may take you upwards of a year or more to find an agent that's a good fit. When you find that agent, it could take him/her upwards of a year or more to find a buyer for your manuscript.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that point, one of two things will happen:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Your agent may decide he/she can't sell your book due to "market conditions" or some other business reason. Maybe your manuscript doesn't quite fit into the acceptable pigeon holes and no one knows how to market it. Maybe the print market is saturated with your kind of story. Who knows? The end result is the same. You'll get a phone call saying "thanks for the memories", and you will have wasted 2-3 years where your story could have been finding its audience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. You sell your manuscript. Yay! At this point it gets slated for publication, which could be as much as 18 months or more from the date of sale. You'll get a third, or so, of whatever advance was agreed upon. Maybe half. Then, eventually, the book finds its way to book stores (if book shop owners agree to purchase it from the publisher's catalog). From here, in 80% of cases, that's it. You're done. Write something else and start submitting again. If you're in the uncommon 20% that earn out their advance, you'll start seeing some royalties.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming Full Circle</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No matter what the dollars and cents say, don't let the dollars and cents dictate your course unless that is how <i style="font-weight: bold;">you</i> define success. Start asking yourself some difficult questions. Get to the bottom of why you're even doing this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I think about being in control of the process, from the writing, to the cover design, to the publication and marketing process, I'm filled with excitement! Not only excitement that comes from the adventure of starting a new business, but excitement for writing even more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, when I think about getting a publishing deal, it doesn't light me on fire like the other idea does. It falls flat. If I was approached by a traditional publisher, they'd have a lot of convincing to do. Could they succeed in swaying me? Of course. But they know what they're up against, and they have their work cut out for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above all other considerations, I implore you to weigh the pros and cons and follow your heart. You already know what you want to do, deep inside. You just need to convince yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 05/10/2014]</b> I published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> on April 9th, just over a month prior to this update, and I'm happy to announce that my suspicions were accurate. It has taken a while for the story to find its audience, and now Necromancer is on 5 different Amazon bestseller lists! Had I begun the query process, I suspect I would be writing blog posts showing you examples of rejection letters. Take a look at <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/05/lessons-learned-from-1000-books.html" target="_blank">an article I wrote</a> that details the lessons I learned after selling more than 1000 copies of Necromancer Awakening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com36Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-76608607965357716112013-12-22T13:52:00.000-06:002014-05-10T16:02:32.993-05:00Hashtag Blindness Part 2<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brothers and sisters of the Twitterverse, we've made some strides, but I'm afraid the disease is spreading faster than we can contain it. <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/11/hashtag-blindness-part-1.html" target="_blank">Hashtag Blindness</a> is a violent and fast-moving disease that may be infecting not only your followers, but your followers' followers as well!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjWhTttUcQ24OzuHAjt917GnVYHSqWP9hIwKIbuo9lO7uMy3EkUpANP5smmxc-MQx65geJyJd8TKL6FjX7k0CrZxjhGMeOReIlkuBpoo0rS1sX7fMGg9QwA4A28w5TsDI0YD5uvnGTufy/s1600/HashtagBlindness2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjWhTttUcQ24OzuHAjt917GnVYHSqWP9hIwKIbuo9lO7uMy3EkUpANP5smmxc-MQx65geJyJd8TKL6FjX7k0CrZxjhGMeOReIlkuBpoo0rS1sX7fMGg9QwA4A28w5TsDI0YD5uvnGTufy/s640/HashtagBlindness2.jpg" height="640" width="560" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worse, the symptoms are sometimes subtle and hard to detect. In my ongoing research to cure this hideous malady, I've uncovered some additional signs that one or more of your followers may be infected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Symptoms Grow Worse</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since beginning my quest to kill hashtag blindness, I've had to step up my game a bit. So I let loose with the following:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To highlight a character's habit, have them perform the action at least once every paragraph. Drive it home! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Chuckles were had by all. And then I see this slither into my timeline:</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are the names of your books so I cannot buy THEM!</span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Wait. Are you saying you're unable to buy them? Or just THEM? Or do you find it impossible to buy a book once you know its name? I NEED TO KNOW!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For added mystique, it's better to be ambiguous about which viewpoint you're writing from. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the response:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmmm....I think it's better to be clear about it, no?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never. It's almost always better to confuse the reader as much and as often as possible. :P</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe I should be more obvious [keep in mind while some poets follow me, most of my followers are fiction writers]:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For maximum effect, make sure all of your sentences contain the same number of syllables. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one worked like a long-fuse bomb. About a day after I tweeted it, I get this response.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worked for Shakespeare.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ignoring the fact that sentences in Hamlet range from 1 to more than 13 syllables, I should point out that chief among the things that worked for Shakespeare was being Shakespeare.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, it gets worse. Around the same time I was receiving angry responses to the horrible writing tips, I made the mistake of tweeting advice about "that vs. which" (which, at the time, I didn't know had different usage rules in British English vs. American English). I received the following tweet:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I vote for for blocking obnoxious idiots from dispensing uninformed rules unsolicited. Just saying<a href="https://twitter.com/NatRusso"> @NatRusso</a> is kind of a douche</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was offensive in the extreme. I mean...<i>uninformed</i>?!?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was followed by:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is this chucklehead with the terrible advice?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This made me start rethinking things. I mean, it was never my intent to upset Charles Barkley.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I had a mission. I couldn't stop! There are confused people out there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do you keep sending me these messages?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I responded the way any rational person in my situation would:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>BECAUSE YOU NEED TO LEARNIFY MY L33T KNOWLUDGE!!!</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. Not really. I would never respond to someone like that. But, it makes me wonder...does this person think that every message they see in their timeline is intended for them personally? That must make for one scary experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There Are Folks Who Get It</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I close, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the countless people who get the joke, love the horrible tips, and play along with me. I'd like to share some of them here so you can see what I mean. I'll lead with the horrible writing tip that sparked the response, then list the responses below.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The proper salutation for a query letter is "Yo...check it out." <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul><ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>In Teesside that would be "Ow, Bastard! What's this?" </li>
<ul>
<li>[While I don't get the specifics of the joke, I definitely get the "upshot", and it cracked me up.]</li>
</ul>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul><ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Written queries are passé. Make an impact with an interpretive dance video that showcases your book's plot.</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>When querying, don't waste money on good paper. After all, you might get rejected. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<ul><ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Just send submissions on scrap. Use the back of something. Might get rejected, right?</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<ul><ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Had you not put<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash"> #HorribleWriteTip</a> I'd have taken that as sound advice. Why are you looking at me like that? What?!</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div>
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Every character should have a catch phrase. Eg: My MC says "Booyah pickles!" at the end of every chapter.<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HorribleWriteTip&src=hash"> #HorribleWriteTip</a></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul><ul><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>I was beginning to wonder about you until I saw the hashtag! :-)</li>
<ul>
<li>That's no reason to stop wondering about me, TRUST me!</li>
</ul>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
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</span></div>
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</span>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com22Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-54475214007734951382013-12-08T19:47:00.000-06:002014-02-13T10:53:25.346-06:00Wicked Words - A Guest Post by Mel Massey<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mel Massey, author of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Magick-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00H1KC0A0/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Earth's Magick</a></i>, (published by <a href="http://www.solsticepublishing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solstice Publishing </a>just this week!) had a difficult journey from idea to published manuscript, and she suffered from many of the same fears and failures we all do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mel was kind enough to accept my invitation to write a guest article for A Writer's Journey, and what a wonderful story and lesson she's shared with us. Enough of me...I'll let Mel tell her story in her own words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Magick-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00HQP90AS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389717608&sr=1-1&keywords=earth%27s+magick" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3GnBNbD0p6jxYRGj6oxh5YZRN0FgoY3FEWiY3qWG2ICBJRHX877Va_GiGwyePzW38AJqpbT7gbfqgzUdmRqiGRANvweenyWi3h8cqRJRex8n3bPXEvEE8GL_KzS9DHn98QhvsN_e89ON/s320/cover.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1887326007636942291" name="more"></a><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wicked Words…</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write about witches and magick. My debut novel, Earth’s Magick just released
this week. ::squeeee:: This has been a
long and painful road, let me tell you.
But it was worth every single moment of the pain in order to watch my
book come alive. Even better than that,
readers are connecting with my characters, writing reviews, or sending me
messages. It’s what we all dream of as
we write. What was my journey like? Painful. Lonely. Full of doubt. Fear.
Rejection. Elation. Joy.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the beginning, there were times during the writing phase I questioned
everything. Do I suck at this?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is this
story lame?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Should I put more sex in
it?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Less truth?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many questions bounced around in my mind
where, some days, I couldn’t write at all.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d stare at my screen and fiddled on Twitter and Facebook instead of
putting words onto paper. But then the right song would play, in my ear buds
would go, and I was off clickty clacking my way through my story.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finished it up, edited it the best I could,
and sent it off to a few friends to read. I was insanely nervous.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I think it was also one of the most
important times for the book.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see,
we’re an anxious lot, we writers.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
would have cleaned it up and started submitting right away except…my friends
were taking forever!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a mess!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
I finally got the manuscript back, there were notes everywhere. I went through
the painstaking process of reading their notes.
Some of it hurt! Those were
painful truths during that time – I had a problem with passive voice. Oh
yikes…’that’ and ‘had’ were peppered in my book. Three of the biggest complaints from editors
and discerning readers - I did! After I
pulled up my big-girl pants, I went through the MS and starting fixing
things. As I did, I found new and better
ways of saying what I originally wanted to say.
The result? The words flowed in a
more natural rhythm. My intent was clearer and it was an overall easier
read. The lesson I learned? Don’t shy away from the editing that your
book needs. Step away from your book for
a bit before doing it. You’ll thank me
later if you do.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.melmaroni.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FYzWRo6F2M6ZwsiPo29nma2-2ZLNgoXl8u5gVoYGHNZaV1sHz8lunENkDBYHNkQhIRfASGfoakMbEVI5lgUM87xn98Hr5JXXFfzN5BErQy_Xal3hZnAUwKoNH1V9eG8OlyuWaO2vAvsd/s200/me.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.melmaroni.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mel Massey</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then,
I was faced with the submission vs. self-publishing dilemma. These days there
are a gazillion different avenues a writer can stroll down to bring their book
to life. Which one was for me? I was so
afraid of making a mistake. After a few
days of fretting, I decided to look at the submission process like a dating
game. Yep…I was gonna get dolled up and see what happened. Oh…my…Gods….that was a horrible time. I submitted my query letter over and over
again to agents first. A few lukewarm
possibilities fizzled out and a load of rejections came in. That was enough to make me consider quitting.
Don’t quit here. Don’t give into that
temptation. Change your dating scene.
;-) I made the decision to forego the idea of an agent. Everyone has strong feelings about this
subject. I say, do what feels right to
you. Only you can decide if that’s what you need to do. I decided to go look at publishers next. THAT was an experience. First, I had to look at each publisher’s
submission guidelines and make sure I followed them to the ‘T’. It was a lot of time but totally worth
it. I received two offers!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
took the one that I felt would best serve my needs. We’re a perfect fit. Once my book was safely in the hands of the editors,
I was able to kick back and relax…err…no.
I had to jump into the marketing game. Wow. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Author’s
Database, Blogs, reviews requests, cover reveals, countdown to release….I
bought a lot of beer when I made my to-do list. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My
meager words of wisdom for this part is; Don’t be a jerk. Simple as that. Be willing to help other authors who need a
spot on a blog, or a mention on Twitter. They will do the same for you. If you never partner up with other writers
early on, you run the risk of alienating yourself. You don’t want that. At
all. Second, be a human being. With all
of the social media avenues, it’s very tempting to jump on them, SPAM the crap
outta it with links, and then go back to writing. Don’t do that. Post thoughts,
pictures, conversations, or contests.
People want to hear from you!
Answer them back if they send you a tweet. Like their comments on Facebook. Show them
you’re really there. Be accessible.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beyond
any of this, I can’t give you anything else you haven’t already read or heard
from others. Don’t give in when it gets
hard. Don’t be a jerk. Find writer friends.
Pretty simple really. Everything
else changes for everyone and I can’t tell you how it’ll go. So buckle up and
enjoy the ride. There’re people cheering
you on. Myself included.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mel Massey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow Mel on Twitter @melmmasey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow on FB: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Massey/428771050563839?ref=hl">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Massey/428771050563839?ref=hl</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earth’s Magick, Book 1 available on
Amazon (ebook & paperback) :<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Magick-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00HQP90AS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389717608&sr=1-1&keywords=earth%27s+magick">http://www.amazon.com/Earths-Magick-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00HQP90AS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389717608&sr=1-1&keywords=earth%27s+magick</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getaway (Horror Short Story) on Amazon
(ebook) : <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Getaway-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00GBHQVY0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_3">http://www.amazon.com/Getaway-Mel-Massey-ebook/dp/B00GBHQVY0/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_3</a><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-39848453243176398532013-12-04T19:01:00.001-06:002014-05-10T15:21:23.625-05:00Twitter Changes Auto-Follow Policy<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter changed their auto-follow policy in 2013. Those of you who've read my series on</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/02/using-twitter-effectively-part-1-of-10.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Using Twitter Effectively</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">know that "auto follow" was a major tool in building a writer's platform.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By way of reminder, "auto follow" was an option in many 3rd party tools that allowed you to automatically follow back anyone who followed you. This saved organizations and popular accounts countless hours of having to manually follow everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent some time trying to wrap my head around the new landscape, and it was tough going at first. My numbers stalled out for quite a while. But I've learned some lessons along the way, and I'm now convinced that this was an excellent decision on Twitter's part. My numbers are on the rise once more, and my following is becoming more and more engaged than ever before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's take a look at the two primary automated tools for growing your following, and how these policy changes impact their use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copy Followers</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copy Followers is a technique (and an automated option on some 3rd-party tools like JustUnfollow) that quickly displays a list of accounts that follow an account you specify. For example, those of you wishing to use me as a source account would enter my Twitter handle, @NatRusso, in the "Copy Followers" field on your favorite 3rd-party tool, and moments later you'd see a list of people who follow me. Some tools are better than others, making intelligent decisions on which accounts to push toward the top of that list (based on activity, subject matter, hashtags, etc). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the list is generated, you would simply click the "Follow" button on each person as you go down the list. This works well when you use a tool like JustUnfollow, which uses specialized algorithms to make sure the list you're looking at is relevant to your interests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this strategy relied, primarily, on one very important piece of automation: Auto Follow. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you clicked "Follow" on each user in my followers list, a certain percentage of those folks would be using a 3rd party tool to "auto follow" you back. Your own follower base would increase immediately and significantly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But not anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you employ the same social media strategies that I do, this may scare you. Let me attempt to quell your fear by saying it's not the end of the world. This is actually a very good thing, for reasons I'll explain. You merely have to adjust your approach to growing your following.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copying followers is still a great way to approach building your following base organically, but it's no longer good enough to simply target writers who have a large following of other writers. The new policy forces you to (finally) leverage your most valuable relationships. Who are these relationships?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Followers who retweet and share your content often and consistently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is key. If they retweet you often, their following base is already acquainted with you. So when they see you've followed them, they'll be more likely to follow you back. In fact, I've discovered that many are enthusiastic about following you back, because they're already familiar with your content!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is fantastic, because it grows your following more organically than a simple auto-follow would. The people who follow you back are more likely to be engaged and interested in what you have to say. Many of these interactive new followers will begin retweeting you, which gives you additional sources for copying followers in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone wins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfollow Non-Followers</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't take long to bump up against the infamous "ratio limit." Let me refresh your memory. Every account has a different ratio (according to Twitter), but it's roughly 10%. You cannot follow more than [your number of followers + 10%]. If you attempt to follow any more, Twitter will respond with a message that indicates you cannot follow any more people. The first time you hit this ratio is when you try to follow your 2001st person and you have less than 1801 followers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, following more people has always been the primary means of building your own following. So what's a person to do once they hit their ratio limit? It's simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfollow anyone who is not following you back. If someone isn't following you, they are doing you absolutely no good. They probably won't see your content, and you cannot message them. You don't even need to follow someone to see their tweets, so what's the point of keeping these people around?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may not seem as if the new auto-follow policy is relevant to unfollowing, but it is. Now that people have to manually manage their followers, you need to allow more time for people to follow you back before you start unfollowing. The new policy is forcing everyone to follow you back manually, so that probably means they're setting aside time to manage their social networks when they can. Some may do this daily, but that's not probable unless they're ultra-engaged in social media. It's more likely that people are doing this every other day or perhaps even once per week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My recommendation, given the new policy, is this: don't start unfollowing until you hit your ratio limit or you know you're getting uncomfortably close to it. After all, the folks who aren't following you back are doing you no harm until that ratio limit is hit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you hit your ratio limit, then it's time to start dropping the dead weight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com12Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-3122048986312841272013-11-29T21:05:00.002-06:002014-05-10T14:59:59.163-05:00Behave Yourself on Social Media<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you spend any amount of time on social media, someone (or several people) will eventually target you for a verbal attack. This attack can take on various forms, from the blatant <i>ad hominem</i> attack, to more subtle attacks couched as criticism of your work or ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes the criticism is genuine, and the point is valid, but the approach is less than friendly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What should you do when you're attacked? Start by listening to Mark Twain:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember Why You're Here</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a reason you got involved in social media, remember? It probably had something to do with building a platform and generating interest in your work. Whatever the specific reason, I doubt you created a Twitter or Facebook account to engage in vitriolic debates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a writer, <i>you</i> are your <i>brand</i>. Your <i>work</i> is your <i>product</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a difference between these two things. I understand we're talking about art here, but many of the same marketing principals apply to selling books as they do to selling widgets. A customer is more likely to return to a brand that they trust to buy additional products. You may have a wonderful talent for writing, but if people despise you, you're going to lose sales. There's a difference between being controversial and being an idiot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you hit the "Tweet" or "Update Status" button, ask yourself this question: "Is what I'm about to say to the world representative of my brand?" If the answer to that question is no, think long and hard before you click the button. Because as soon as you post your update it's permanent. End of story. You can't delete things from the internet. Ever. By the time you click "delete", you have to assume someone will have already seen and shared it. Your message now has a life of its own. And it <i>will</i> come back to haunt you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a Deep Breath ... And Do Nothing</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Understand the medium and the nature of these "attacks" before you do anything. I'm going to use Twitter as an example, but this applies to any social network you participate in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter is about <i style="font-weight: bold;">now</i>, not five minutes ago. If you let the negative comments go without responding to them, they'll be nothing more than a flash in the pan. If you choose to get involved, however, you'll breathe life into something that would have otherwise died quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Facebook and other social networks where messages have a longer life, it's even <i>more</i> important that you refrain from getting involved. You're under no obligation to respond just because someone commented on your post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can't control how we feel, but we can control how we behave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you refrain from responding, the vast majority of your followers won't even notice the comment was made. If you respond to the attack or negative comment in any way, you dramatically increase the chance the situation will spiral out of control. People <i>will</i> choose sides and you will have sparked an all out social network war. <b><i>You are your brand. Is this how you want your brand to be perceived?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No more than a couple of weeks ago I slipped. I failed to take my own advice, and I quickly regretted it. I made the mistake of assuming one of my grammar rules applied to both American and British English. I was wrong. A knowledgeable follower from the UK pointed this out to me. Instead of accepting the wisdom and publicly correcting my mistake (in that moment...I've since corrected it), I allowed my pride to blind me to the fact I was actually wrong. I dug in and tried to defend an untenable position. And people called me on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh <i>boy,</i> did they ever call me on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those of you who know me and who have been following me for a while know that this is unlike me. But ... like the rest of you, I'm human. It was a perfect storm of events and I didn't take that deep breath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bottom line is this: if you refrain from engaging, you'll suffer in private for a short time. If, however, you involve yourself in the negativity, you'll suffer publicly for a lot longer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I close, there is one more situation I'd like to address that isn't necessarily confined to social networking. I'm talking about authors who respond to negative book reviews.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a <i style="font-weight: bold;">lose/lose</i> situation. You're not going to argue someone into liking your book. Embrace this right now: they didn't get it "wrong". Their opinion is not "wrong". It's their opinion. Nothing more. They can't be "wrong" about how they felt about your book. If you argue with them, or respond with a well-formed argument that addresses every negative point in the review, people aren't going to "see your logic" and come to your defense. Instead, they're going to point a finger at you and say "wow, he/she really has some thin skin."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're an author. You're a public figure now. You asked for this. You put yourself out there in a medium that by its very nature opens you up to judgement. This is the price of entry. Embrace harsh criticism now, because it only gets worse. The more popular you get, and the more successful your work becomes, the more vitriolic the assaults will become. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 5/10/2014]</b> Not only will you be the victim of vitriolic assaults, but some people...<i>other writers</i>...will attempt a form of "blackmail" to get you to write a review of their books! I wrote an article <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/05/lessons-learned-from-1000-books.html" target="_blank">here</a> that describes the lessons I learned after publishing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com26Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-44889983060939503282013-11-25T20:24:00.000-06:002014-05-10T14:55:25.091-05:00Getting the Sequence Right<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title is a mouthful, but the concept is very simple. You may have the right words, but if you're placing them in the wrong order, you'll leave the reader confused. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is your table dressed in purple robes trimmed in gold?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tables Wearing Robes</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're probably wondering what I'm going on about with the picture of the table and reference to robes. It's lifted straight out of an early draft of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a> (my bestselling dark fantasy novel, now available on Amazon).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had written a scene where my protagonist is dragged in front of a kangaroo court, beaten, scared to death, and certain he was doomed. This is the original description that eventually made its way into the hands of my beta reader:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A row of men sat together on one side of a long stone table, dressed in purple robes trimmed with gold.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seemed innocent enough. It's a prime example of the type of thing you'll often see in an early draft. You're not really stopping to edit yourself, which is a good thing. Instead, you're allowing the words to spill out in whatever order they present themselves.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like I said, this is a good thing. But it's also bad: As the writer, you know what you're trying to describe. Your eyes will skim over poor word choices while your subconscious fills in the blanks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My beta reader saved the day with this note:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The table is dressed in purple robes trimmed with gold?</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Vq_pFVHSzolgmmGH14unjcTXvEM41ZCQTqgOfy33fcDgvjHgrUCmrNxFZyuXziq_jTy8CPLnVVjTIgmpg0LW9cEO6uXZ33H1eMtQhJ2wyleXmV6-NS8L5sCOu15qUr-mh9aZELG3cm8/s1600/picard-facepalm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Vq_pFVHSzolgmmGH14unjcTXvEM41ZCQTqgOfy33fcDgvjHgrUCmrNxFZyuXziq_jTy8CPLnVVjTIgmpg0LW9cEO6uXZ33H1eMtQhJ2wyleXmV6-NS8L5sCOu15qUr-mh9aZELG3cm8/s320/picard-facepalm2.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh for the love of...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. Yes it was. And I didn't see it until it was pointed out to me. But no matter how I tried to defend the word choice to myself, the deal was done. I could never again read that sentence without imagining a table wearing a purple and gold robe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think you can see this wasn't a problem that would require a rocket scientist to solve. It was a simple sequencing problem ... but a sequencing problem with a somewhat humorous side effect. So I fired up Scrivener (who am I kidding ... Scrivener is <i>always</i> open on my laptop) and changed the word order.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A row of men, dressed in purple robes trimmed with gold, sat together on one side of a long stone table.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Problem solved. Had I been thinking about using <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/11/structured-descriptions.html" target="_blank">Structured Descriptions</a> I would have gotten it right the first time.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flogging the Protagonist</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, that's not a euphemism. It's a particularly shocking and bloody scene that takes place in <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a></b>. I'll warn you now ... if you have a weak stomach for violence and blood, read no further. Either click away from the article or stare at this puppy until you're sufficiently numb:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu_L1m4UE-0PgPr4lYXWMOQaMxJe9oIhxvN_soWjnRbLdCMYNvli4oPRYZB-uXs67QJNbAyQHP0I-7im-FiccztKevo5StsmFHNcBcAYuGDfReflQOWy6_-cH8AHHl5eiviFbSYbjPfSN/s1600/beaglePuppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu_L1m4UE-0PgPr4lYXWMOQaMxJe9oIhxvN_soWjnRbLdCMYNvli4oPRYZB-uXs67QJNbAyQHP0I-7im-FiccztKevo5StsmFHNcBcAYuGDfReflQOWy6_-cH8AHHl5eiviFbSYbjPfSN/s320/beaglePuppy.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would never flog a protagonist. Nat's a meanie-head.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. Here we go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a very early draft of this scene, I was trying to wrap my mind around how to present the violence in a way that would be both understandable, excruciating, and have the emotional impact I desired. I'm taking this entirely out of context for our purposes, of course, so I don't expect it to have much emotional impact. This is merely a small snippet of a much larger sequence of increasingly violent events.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enough babbling. On with the original version:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scourge struck the prisoner, and a scream, which was unrecognizable as human, escaped from his mouth. The guard pulled the scourge away, ripping bloody chunks of flesh from the man's back and scattering them into the crowd. Blood sprayed backward and covered the guard's face and armor.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You, in the back with the sick bag! The puppy! Look at the puppy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was close. I warned you. Fortunately for me, my beta reader has a stronger stomach. I received two notes on this paragraph. The first doesn't relate to sequence. It was an issue with me describing the scream as "unrecognizable as human", which in my genre may confuse the reader. The second note, however, applies directly to our subject:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weird chronology. Blood would splatter on impact with flesh, then would arc up as he raised the scourge. Unless he dragged it back, then it would spray back behind the guard.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should have known my beta reader would know the proper way to flog someone to death (I'm looking at YOU Joan!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I went back to Scrivener, and this is what my not-so-little fingers tapped out:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scourge struck the prisoner and blood sprayed backward, covering the guard's face and armor. A gurgling scream escaped the wounded prisoner's mouth. The guard pulled the scourge away, tearing bloody chunks of flesh from the man's back and scattering them into the crowd.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This didn't end up being the finished draft, but it corrected the problem. Again, had I been thinking about <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/11/structured-descriptions.html" target="_blank">structuring my descriptions properly</a>, this wouldn't have happened. But that's ok. I'd rather have this come out during the rewrite than stop my train of thought during a first draft. That would kill the creative process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The upshot is this: It doesn't matter if you've chosen the right words. If you don't place them in the correct order—the order that properly conveys the image in your mind</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">then you may as well have not chosen the correct words in the first place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<hr />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com8Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-51333697248475865332013-11-13T20:05:00.001-06:002014-05-10T14:48:46.144-05:00Hashtag Blindness Part 1<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A year ago, when I began posting regular writing advice on Twitter, I decided things were getting a little too serious. I mean, who wants to hear nothing but boring writing tips all the time without an ounce of humor? So I started posting...let's call it <i>less than good </i>advice under the hashtag #HorribleWriteTip. A typical "horrible" writing tip would look something like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Commas should be, spaced evenly...every, three words, tops. The Shatner comma. #HorribleWriteTip</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obvious it's a joke, right? <b>WRONG!</b> That seemingly innocent hashtag helped me uncover something insidious spreading around my beloved interwebs: Hashtag Blindness. I encourage you to read on so that together we can put an end to this soul-crushing affliction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUod8TzKB3HYwm-fWUT5sQwjy1V7Ggua4tk1T46PmR_1ODAqklcbkl7IJQtskdwl1aN3P1Od2WVqEJJXHy9IA3iIYuI3bV4lxurUbx6b5OMSDmWsTg10G8sYEyEYSHsCgGb7egIKbCTRg/s1600/SpartaHashtag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUod8TzKB3HYwm-fWUT5sQwjy1V7Ggua4tk1T46PmR_1ODAqklcbkl7IJQtskdwl1aN3P1Od2WVqEJJXHy9IA3iIYuI3bV4lxurUbx6b5OMSDmWsTg10G8sYEyEYSHsCgGb7egIKbCTRg/s640/SpartaHashtag.gif" height="640" width="467" /></span></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've Done Something Wrong</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was my first thought. I had just posted something that I thought was funny, with an obvious hashtag, and silently chuckled to myself. Every favorite, retweet, and "LOL" warmed the cockles of my heart. [I assume it was my cockles. There was a distinctly warm feeling involved.] I had just crafted a funny! It went something like this:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To highlight a character's habit, have them perform the action at least once every paragraph. Drive it home! #HorribleWriteTip</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After some funny responses from followers, I receive the following tweet [names excluded to protect the guilty]:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a moron! I can't believe you'd suggest this! /unfollow.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know they're serious when they emote what they're about to do <i>game</i> style! I jest, but this sort of threw me off balance. I had been trying to establish a reputation that people could trust, and all of a sudden I started losing followers. Don't get me wrong...I was gaining more than I was losing. But up to that point it was a steady increase. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started questioning myself, but in much the same way I approach everything else, I decided to just keep at it for a while and push through. I wasn't going to let one negative response get in my way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I added another "horrible" writing tip:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Never a bad idea to include a nude photo with your query letter. What have you got to lose? #HorribleWriteTip</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hate poured in:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never read something so offensive in my life. I'm unfollowing you.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was nice of them to warn me. If that was the most offensive thing they've ever read, they've obviously never read my work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next response:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">U shud be shamed. Many girl gonna do this!</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You mean like <i>publicly</i> shamed? Or something else? Besides, I was talking to the guys. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next response:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're kidding, right?</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nope. Dead serious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I decided to try a different one. I mean, there must be <i>someone</i> out there who can see the hashtag at the end of the tweet, right? I added the following horrible writing tip to the queue:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Their, They're, There...doesn't matter. The reader knows what you mean. #HorribleWriteTip</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'd think I'd be smart enough to realize this was a bad idea, right? The responses poured in. They all looked similar to this one:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your the reason quality of self-published books is going downhill.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Irony of the above response aside, I was beginning to get a little discouraged. No...a <i>lot</i> discouraged. I was just trying to give people a little giggle once or twice a day. I think I have a good sense of humor. I like to laugh, and I like making other people laugh even more. I wanted to share that side of myself. So I pulled myself up by the proverbial bootstraps and tried again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Your character names should be no more than 1 syllable long. Why overcomplicate things? #HorribleWriteTip</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The responses began to take on an educational tone:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No dear. It's really a good idea to vary the names up.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another response included a link to several recommended craft books. It was a well-intentioned effort to gently point out my "mistake". I commend that person. They weren't rude, and they didn't unfollow me. I replied back and (in a humorous way) pointed out the hashtag. We both had a good laugh and moved on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet another response, from an avid follower, politely suggested I drop the horrible write tips. This person told me that my other writing tips were wonderful, but the humor of the horrible ones watered down the value of the serious ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where am I going with all of this? I promised, some time ago, that I would compile a list of the angry responses I get to my horrible writing tips and share them. Every day around 9am-ish CST I tweet another one (I have a list of about twenty that I rotate, and the list grows all the time). Pretty much about a minute after tweeting I'll receive a string of heated responses. I'll keep compiling them and share some of the funnier ones with you all here. After all, I called this article "Part 1" for a reason!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll never "out" anyone, so don't ask. I understand that mistakes are made, and we're all human. Lord knows I've shared a good chuckle with some of you over this very subject, and we're all still good friends. Hell, I make my fair share of mistakes daily!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I reserve the right to attempt to make others laugh. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[I'm afraid the disease is still rampant, my brothers and sisters. Read part two <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/12/hashtag-blindness-part-2.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<hr />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this article, please spread the word by sharing it using one of the social media buttons below! And don't forget to follow the blog for the latest updates as soon as they're published.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I send out a periodic newsletter (no more than 1 message per month...I PROMISE). If you'd like to be notified of new giveaways and newly published items (written by yours truly), sign up on the right side of the blog under the friendly black skull. I will NEVER share your contact info with any one for any reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NatRussoAuthor">Join me on Facebook</a> for additional content that I don't put on the blog or post to Twitter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805424061244808455noreply@blogger.com41Pflugerville, TX, USA30.4393696 -97.620004330.3298666 -97.7813658 30.5488726 -97.4586428tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887326007636942291.post-50269080313413921002013-11-10T14:54:00.002-06:002014-05-10T14:22:14.752-05:00World Building: Magic Systems<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a Fantasy author, the subject of World Building is near and dear to my heart. If you're going to build a convincing fantasy world, you may be thinking about developing a magic system. In </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Necromancer Awakening</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (my bestselling dark fantasy, <a href="http://amzn.to/1hzuYtT" target="_blank">now available on Amazon</a>), I went through a painstaking process to build a unique magic system involving "Life" and "Death".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was constructing a magic system based on necromancy, it occurred to me (in hindsight) that there are three things a writer should know before attempting this at home:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know The Purpose</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's difficult to quantify where ideas come from. I can describe how I develop ideas (and I have: <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/01/how-do-you-come-up-with-story-ideas.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.nat-russo.com/2013/01/world-building-primer.html" target="_blank">here</a>), but there is a chance you have a completely different system. And that's ok. Sometimes we start with an abstract idea and flesh it out until we have a story. Other times we have a solid plot in mind and just need surrounding matter to flesh the world out. Neither way is right or wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But one thing is certain: whichever way you begin, your system of magic needs to serve your story, not the other way around. That's not to say you can't <i>begin</i> by developing a system of magic and work a story out from there. I'm merely saying that your story should dictate what you include and what you exclude. Your magic system shouldn't exist merely to exist, any more than a setting in your world exists merely to exist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You're a writer, </b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not a special effects artist.</b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If your magic users are casting spells for no other reason than to show off their abilities and your prowess at world building, then you're being self-indulgent. By all means let them show off their abilities. But do so within the context of your story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know The Rules</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every system of magic has a set of rules. If not, the very absence of a set of rules is itself a rule that needs to be spelled out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Spell out any plot-impacting rules as early as possible.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That last bit is crucial. If you withhold a critical rule/ability of your magic system until it conveniently gets your characters out of a plot jam, your readers will throw up their hands and give up. You need to foreshadow the use of critical abilities, and there's pretty much only one way to do that: know <b>what </b>is going to be needed and <b>when </b>it is going to be needed. In other words, know your story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If Johnny is going to confront the Beastly Brigand Bipsbah of the Bipsy Brotherhood, and the only way to destroy the Bipsbah's Bipsmatic Bippity Bopper is through a clever combination of two magical abilities, it would be a good idea to have scenes early on where Johnny uses those abilities independent of one another. This will allow him to be a stronger, more intelligent hero. It will allow you to take the reader through Johnny's thought process as he has his "eureka!" moment. And the reader will feel smart as well, because they'll "put two and two together" around the same time that Johnny does, and everyone's a winner. Well, everyone except the Beastly Bipsbah and his Bippity Bopper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some finer points you might want to keep in mind when considering the "Rules" you're developing:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the nature of your magic user's power? Is the power natural, mystical, arcane? Does the power come from within or without? If external, does the magician's distance from the source matter? Why? Why not?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is the magic hereditary or acquired? Is it something that anyone can do with the proper knowledge and training? How does one go about obtaining that knowledge/training?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is your magical society hierarchical? If so, how does the magic user advance? If not, are your magic users recluses, avoiding one another whenever possible?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Society at large will probably have an opinion about this magic. What is it? Is it accepted, rejected? Are magic users exalted members of society or are they pariahs? Keep in mind that people usually fear what they don't understand, unless they *believe* they understand it, either through religious or academic means. Do your magic users work in harmony with your culture's religious leaders, or are they at odds with one another?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This list of questions is hardly exhaustive, but it should give you a place to start. You need to ask yourself a lot of questions, not only about your system of magic, but also about its place in your world at large.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never...EVER...violate the rules of your magic system once they're established, unless your magic system allows for the exception. If there is an exceptional case, make <b>absolutely certain</b> that the <b>exceptional case is declared as early as possible</b>, and perhaps <b>subtly repeated</b> several times to <b>foreshadow its use</b>. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did I beat you over the head with enough bold text? If you're going to change things up, you'd better foreshadow it. If you don't, the reader is going to call "foul" and throw your book in the trash. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The reader will accept the impossible long before they accept the implausible.</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If your magic system declares pigs can only fly on Wednesdays, you'd better not have it flying around fixing your plot problems on a Tuesday without that foreshadowing I mentioned. There's nothing wrong with the flying pig in and of itself. The flying pig is merely impossible. That whole Tuesday business...now that's unfair. That's downright <i>implausible</i>! You cheated, and I'm <i>never</i> buying anything you write ever again, you bait-and-switch artist!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know The Limitations</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is going to give some writers and world builders heartburn, so let me just come right out and say it. The <i>limitations</i> of your magic system are <i>far more interesting</i> than the abilities of your magic system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let that sink in for a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take any situation where your magic users cast a fancy spell to get out of trouble, and I can guarantee it won't be as tension-filled and exciting as placing them in a situation where their magic doesn't work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[UPDATE 05/10/2014]</b> In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLVOU0U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLVOU0U&linkCode=as2&tag=naaruajowithc-20&linkId=UWGJLVRMVU2QJ6KI" target="_blank">Necromancer Awakening</a>, for example, I use <i>proximity to a power source</i> as one of several limiting factors. This ramped up the tension in several scenes where my main characters were cut off from a power source, and readers routinely mention this in their messages to me. You want to learn who your characters <i>really</i> are? Take away whatever super power you've given them, just temporarily, and see how they manage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I said this already, but I'm going to repeat it: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You're a writer, </b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not a special effects artist.</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Your magic system serves your story, not the other way around!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was there more drama in Harry Potter when he had his wand and his abilities, or when he was outside of the school and forbidden to use magic? Using the floo powder was a really cool method of travel. But it was FAR more interesting when Harry screwed it up and traveled "diagonally" instead of to "Diagon Alley"!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Limitations on magic are not merely interesting, they're vital. If your system has no limits, you have no drama. If you have no drama, you have no story. If you have no story, you'll have no readers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gandalf is second only to Merlin in mythology as being a powerful wizard. Yet how many times did Gandalf use magic in Lord of the Rings? I bet you'll only need one hand to do the counting, and you'll probably have fingers to spare. But does anyone deny or question his power?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One parting thought before I close: do your world building. But don't feel as if you have to include everything you've built. Your world is rich for what you put into it. But your story is often far richer for what you leave out. Though you leave out a bit of world building here and there, the weight of its presence is still felt, because it's in your mind as you're writing. It's in the minds of your characters as they move through your world and interact with the setting and each other. No, the reader might not know why the world feels so rich and vibrant, but there'll be no denying the feeling.</span></div>
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