Zombie Bedtime Stories #2 Draft Done

That felt so good to say. I’ve been working on it for over a month. It’s novella length, and it will probably get longer as it progresses through edits. There are plenty of “Easter Eggs” for those who read Locked In, but it’s not required reading to enjoy Locked Out. I want the series to be order-androgynous, so that you can come in at any point, in any order and enjoy the universe.

I’m working on publicizing Locked In, so I’m sending it to reviewers, places that announce ebooks and places that post interviews. It can’t hurt. I’m tabulating everything I send out in a spreadsheet, so I can track how fast sites are.

I have a month to get the cover art together, and to generate some kind of buzz. I might even bump up my release date, depending on how well edits go.

One last note. I wrote 2070 words today. An all-time personal best! If I can make that sustainable, then NaNoWriMo won’t know what hit it.

Promo is over, but the fun has just begun!

So my first promotion ever is over. Don’t worry, it won’t be the last. I’ve been learning a lot these past few days.

For instance:

1. Repeating your self-promotion to a reasonable degree isn’t spam, because days later very few people (even ones I talk to regularly) realized I was done.
2. Coupons are good. Everybody likes a coupon. Especially when it’s offered by a Canadian on Independence Day. My theory is that Americans get so much crap they’re happy when somebody foreign just wants to celebrate with them. My Canadian friends may think otherwise, but they’re way too polite to call me out on it.
3. There are about a billion bloggers and sites out there you can promote on, and the number of tabs I have open is staggering.
4. My tweeps are awesome, awesome people. Especially BlackZombiePub, who listed me on a list and I’m going to link to his blog post about it because I’m a total narcissist, and a book babe.

So right now I’m planning more promotions, and I want to get my first draft of Locked Out finished by the weekend. Then, it’s RED PEN OF DOOM time. Then, I can start writing Deadlocked, aka Zombie Bedtime Stories Part 3.

I had a totally awesome idea for a dark fantasy zombie story. I might hold out until after I crank out more Zombie Bedtime Stories before really outlining it. I love the idea, but I have enough ideas to keep me busy for at least the next 3 years already.

July 4th Promo, and goals for this week!

Since I uploaded on Canada Day, and couldn’t have possibly done a cool special offer then. Because I like to celebrate, I’m treating the Americans in my life, while remaining the Best Canadian EVER.

Today: Free on Smashwords! Use coupon code KV62C at checkout.

Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70698

 

Writing goal for this week: Finish Locked Out first draft. Of course, I also have to get real work done. Boo.

Tomorrow is formatting day

I found some last-minute edits to make today. Fixing typos and all that. I have to have it looking its best, so the world can enjoy it. I guess that makes it draft 7.5?

Not a lot else to report. I’m still feeling excited about it, and maybe even more confident in my abilities. I created a Facebook Fan page, because apparently I have to.

I read my sample on my latest YouTube video. Check it out! I spend about the first minute playing with a tricorder I got when I was 10. Be amused.

The Blog Improvement Project

With release of my first story hopefully about one month away, I decided to clean up a little, make this joint just a little nicer. There may just be one or two more drafts before I stick a fork in it. Additionally, the rough draft of part 2 is approximately one third done.

I noticed the About page is getting some hits and badly needed some love. As well, I realized that I had no dedicated place for my magnum opus, Zombie Bedtime Stories. I fixed that, and tried to express my vision for the project, and why it’s unique and deserves your attention.

Contact me is basically shameless self-promotion, and an email address. In case anybody wants to email me. I like emails.

Otherwise, my cover for Locked In is getting an overhaul. I realized that the text is unreadable in the thumbnail. Anonymously-obsessed-boyfriend (Now on Twitter!) is on the case.

Vlog-wise, I’m hoping to get my cooking videos up. I made one about how to cook chili that needs a good amount of editing, and today I made matzoh balls, which also require edits and cuts. The latter half happens to be hilarious, but I need to learn to look at the camera, not the cameraman. It makes me look psycho. I might step up the standard vlog a little, too. Make it edgier.

I started a vlog, for fun and other demented reasons

On Twitter I got talking with some other writer-type girls, and we all decided to start vlogs together, because we were nervous about the entire enterprise, and for moral support. They started their vlogs, and not wanting to be left behind, I started my own channel. People who watch me ramble don’t need to know about how much Viking metal and Rammstein I listen to.

As a result of an off-the-cuff joke, and me running my big mouth, I chose spanking as a topic for my first vlog. It’s a little risque, I know, but supposedly it’s entertaining.Sorry if the quality isn’t perfect, I only have my 2MP laptop webcam to work with.

My youtube vlog

I haven’t forgotten about my podcasts. I was going to get caught up today, but then there was some technical emergency with the company I consult for and I was needed all day to fix up an old computer to grease a big deal that’s supposed to go through. And I haven’t written my neovellas in a week or two. So much to do, hopefully tomorrow will be quiet so I can kill my brand new keyboard.

I started a Google Apps account as per a nice recommendation from a kind Fish. I happened to have a domain lying around, so why not? So far so good, and I can create all the email accounts I want and need.

I think I’m going to vlog and podcast my stories. Why not? More exposure, and it would be a great experiment.

I studied physics in university, I love experiments. I’m pretty good at them, too.

Hypothesis: I am awesome.

Proof method: Infinite validation.

Am I attention seeking? Probably. But you only live once, and I want to make it a good one!

Nothing like a day off to beat writer’s block

I took yesterday off completely. I didn’t think about writing, or worry about it. I saw my friends, played some games and fussed with my garden a little bit.

I was back with a vengeance today. It seems like if you have writer’s block, to just forget about it for a day and it will come back. I managed to crank out 900+ words today, which is a pretty high daily count for me.

I’m starting to get a feel for the story and the characters. I was still stuck a bit when I first sat down today, so I started describing scenes and characters. Then, I started giving them more traits, more neuroses, more personality. Then I made them just a little more real. And then I made them talk, with extra conflict.

It’s looking good, and it’s going to be much longer than I originally planned.

In other news, day job is picking up again, and Twiter is still way too much fun. However, I wish it would stop recommending fake Portal/Half Life accounts. And everything NASA has ever done. I love you NASA, but you have too many Twitter accounts.

Twitter is way too much fun for something that’s supposed to be work.

I resisted getting a Twitter account for years. I just didn’t see the point.

I had no idea how easy it was to find people who like what you do, and connect with them. It is unbelievably cool. It seems like it’s a bit of a time-sink, but here’s what I’ve learned in a few short days of using it.

1. Follow others. They may return the favor, or maybe their friends will. Having a new best friend is good!
2. Check out things that are cool. Simply because they’re cool.
3. Check out others who are tangential to the people you are following. There is infinite variety out there.

So basically, be friendly, check out the cool space photos from NASA and have fun.

In writing news: Locked Out is progressing nicely. The main character’s personality is really coming into focus, and I’m having fun with having a protagonist who spends the story alive (as opposed to undead/dead/zombified).I should be getting a Locked In critique tomorrow, draft 6. I’m hoping draft 7/8 will be close to final. I’ve already learned a lot about how to write fiction from the experience, so Locked Out is flowing better and will be a better story.

I’ve decided on which story to outline for NaNoWriMo. It’s going to be my “stuck in a waiting room somewhere” project. Outlining and character sketches are allowed, and I know I need to pump out shy of 1700 words per day to win. It’s going to be an attempt at hard sci-fi with a horror/thriller angle. It’s going to be good!