Tag Archives: creativity

General Posts

Thursday Morning Ramblings

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Today begins a new semester of classes, and even though I’m prepped for all my courses and have been through it hundreds of times, I always feel nervous on the first day.  I’m not certain why, either.  I could teach these courses in my sleep and know my material as thoroughly as I can.  Still, each new course brings the butterflies.  Once I get through the first meeting with each class, I’m always fine, but for some reason, the first meeting makes me anxious.  After nearly 14 years, you might think that would pass, but so far, it hasn’t.

Last semester renewed my passion for teaching, and I hope that carries over into this semester.  While I still want to leave education and write full-time, I like feeling passionate about my job again.  It makes the long, tedious chore of grading a little less painful, and not dreading each day is refreshing.  I’m good at what I do, and even though I can’t always see the immediate results of my labor, I know deep inside that my efforts do make a difference in people’s live.  That’s a rewarding feeling that not everyone gets from their day-to-day work.  I’ve learned to appreciate that and be thankful for it.

On the writing front, books one and two should be available very soon.  All of the artwork for book one is complete and will be posted on here as soon as possible.  The art for book two is nearly finished, and the prelims are awesome.  I can’t wait to share them.  Once all three books are live, we’re going into a full court press with the series.  In terms of writing, I’m knocking out a short story for an anthology and should have it complete by the end of this week.  Once it’s done, I’ll dive back into book four and get my momentum rolling with it.  I hope to get into the routine of writing every night throughout this semester so the manuscript is ready for polishing by mid-summer.

That’s all for now.  Be on the lookout for the artwork for books one and two in the very near future.

General Posts

Tuesday Afternoon Ramblings

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About the only way to get them in a picture together…

I’ll be with my sons for the next week, so I probably won’t be writing many entries while they’re here.  I haven’t seen them since August, and even though we talk four to five nights a week, there’s nothing like holding them, hearing their laughter in person, and playing for hours on end.  My creative energy needs the rejuvenation they give me.  Anyone who knows me knows how much my boys mean to me and how difficult this time of year is without them.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions; in my experience, they rarely work and often solidify bad habits even more than before the attempt to change for the sake of a new year.  Instead, I prefer to reflect on what was positive in the previous year that I can build upon and what was negative that I can eliminate.  This year, I have a lot of positive, the most notable of which is my affiliation with Seventh Star Press.  2012 is going to be a great year for The Brotherhood of Dwarves series.  I also made great progress on the farm, and even though that project has had to be put on hold for now, I still have a lot of confidence that we can get it off the ground.

The negative I’ll keep personal, but I learned a lot of valuable lessons this past year.  I will take from those lessons and grow as a person.  I’ll learn to appreciate and be more grateful for my blessings, and I’ll try harder to let go of the past and move forward into a better, healthier tomorrow.

Happy early New Year’s to all my family, friends, and readers.  May 2012 be a great year for you and yours.

General Posts

Wednesday Morning Ramblings

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I wanted to work outdoors today, but so far, the rain is making that impossible, so I’m sitting here thinking about my series.  Now that I’ve survived the fall semester, I want to get back to work on book four.  I’m a grinder, a slow-plodding writer who moves slowly through each scene.  In order for my process to flourish, I need to write at least 5-6 days a week.  Otherwise, the narrative becomes choppy and disharmonious.  With dual enrollment and the volume of grading involved, I simply can’t write on a book in the fall.  However, spring is more relaxed, so I plan on pouring a lot more energy into the book.

I’ve been thinking about success a lot lately.  My definition of success for me as a writer is to be able to earn a living solely from my books, and right now, I’m still a long way from achieving that goal.  My biggest frustration is feeling uncertain of how to expand my readership.  I’ve gotten a lot of support from the new publisher, and once they release their versions of books one and two, I’m confident there will be a boost in reviews and buzz, but right now, everything feels like limbo.  I don’t know what more I can do to get the word out there.

I feel like the books are solid, so I’ve got a reputable product.  Most of my readers respond with positive feedback, so I’m fairly certain the word-of-mouth is strong.  But I don’t know how to expand up to the next level.  I want to travel to more conventions, but right now, that’s not a viable option.  I feel like at this point, the internet is my most powerful ally, but how do I expand my readership through this medium?  How do I reach a broader audience?  I believe the central message of the series is compelling, that relationships and camaraderie should trump materialism and greed.  I believe the absence of profanity and adult content are strong selling points, but how do I get those messages out to more people?

I know my audience is out there.  I know there are people who have been craving the kind of adventure the series tells.  I know it because I feel it.  People still love to read, and people still love heroic tales.  I know there are readers out there who will love my books, but how do I reach them in this age?