Irreverent Muse: Recent Episodes
Michell Plested
It is very easy to be busy. It is much more difficult to rest. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? It doesn’t even really compute but, for me, it is still truth. I have a full-time job, I volunteer for a couple things regularly, I have my family, I’m taking some classes and, of course, I have my writing. Toss in reading, commuting, and the various other little things that are part of our daily lives and busy becomes the norm. To make matters worse, when I’m not busy, I feel guilt around all the activities I could be working on. Now do you see why it can be more difficult to rest? Wearing down Admitting I was getting tired and wearing […]
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Happy New Year, everyone! I know New Year’s posts typically are about looking forward, making resolutions and generally putting a positive spin on the upcoming year. Since I don’t want to disappoint you, I will not be deviating (much) from that recipe. 😀 What’s coming? I have talked about this a couple times in the past months but I have a plan to write three books in 2024. Jack Kane book 3 The first is book 3 of the Jack Kane series, written by JR Murdock and me. JR writes the hero side of the story (Jack Kane) and I write the villain (Felonious Fenduke Filcher the Fourth – try saying that three times fast). This is a steampunk series […]
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After a hiatus, JR Murdock and I have reconnected. You might remember me talking about wanting to work on the third Jack Kane book. I am here to tell you that we are both on board with getting that book written. Our goal is to have a viable book by June. I say viable meaning a book that has already gone through some edits and might be in shape to send to our publisher. We had a great chat as we discussed reinvigorating the book. Both of us have had a few setbacks over the past couple years. Not an identical journey by any means but one that seemed to have a similar trajectory. It is good to reconnect. We […]
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This week has been very different. For starters, my back has been giving me a lot of trouble (probably because I was trying to move a shower down narrow stairs Saturday and it was temporarily jammed. I was on top holding said shower while my moving partner was below. That meant I was holding it while he tried various things. So, nasty back this week. Fortunately, I think the problem is mostly aching muscles but it has still been a challenge to walk, sleep, etc. I’m also taking a remote study course. There are 11 of us in the class plus our professor. It has been interesting but strange to be doing school again. Homework and reading every night. Today’s […]
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Happy Friday! NaNoWriMo is over. For me, it was a huge success. I was able to hit the 50,000 words in 30 days AND I was able to finish my Mik Murdoch, book 5, first draft. More importantly, I feel like my joy for writing has been rekindled. I already am planning to write 3 new books in 2024 (not least of which is Jack Kane 3 with my writing partner, JR Murdock). I feel like it should be 5 books next year, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure. The weekend is here The weekend is always something I look forward to. Not because I sleep in or take time to do nothing. If anything, I’m […]
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I won NaNoWriMo on November 28th. At about 8:30 PM is hit 50,000 new words for the month of November. Shortly after I typed the two words I had been waiting for in my book: “The End”. It was an amazing feeling. Those of you who have completed a book know what I mean. You’ve spent weeks, or months or even years working on a book. It has taken on a life of its own. At times you aren’t sure it will ever be complete. Then, on that fateful day, you are able to finally say it is finished. I always make a point of typing “The End” in my books. Those words don’t make it into the published novel, […]
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My day 27 writing saw me so close to being done it wasn’t funny. As you know by now, NaNoWriMo is all about writing 50,000 words in 30 days. By the end of my writing day, I was at 48,002 words. Less than 2,000 away from completing the challenge. The other measure – that of my book being complete – also shows me almost finished. I had a goal of 60,000 words for Mik Murdoch 5 and, as of the end of day I was at 59,994. Why the discrepancy? I started writing Mik Murdoch 5 a couple years ago. After several false starts, I did have a few chapters complete before I started NaNoWriMo. My intention was to finish […]
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The end is nigh. Not in an apocalyptic way, but in a “end of the 2023 NaNoWriMo challenge” way. That’s not a bad thing by any means. I made the last minute decision to join NaNo to try and jumpstart my book, Mik Murdoch 5. I’ve done that. In fact, when I hit the 50,000 word mark, I will also be close to typing “The End” in the book. I would say that is reason to celebrate! I think it is also the end of my writing slump. When I was forced to work from home full time four years ago, it marked a dark period where I had no space in my head for creativity. Time I had. Just […]
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I did something yesterday that I haven’t done for a while. A year to be exact. I had a booth at a Christmas Craft Fair. My craft, as you might guess, is my books. Every year for the past five or six years I have attended this particular Christmas sale. It has been very rewarding over all. I’ve met new readers, teachers, existing fans and, of course, people who just want to talk about their own writing journeys. It is always rewarding to me to meet current fans. I get to find out what they like about my stories, who their favourite characters are and so on. It’s also lots of fun introducing new readers to my books, especially when […]
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I’ve been pretty diligent about updating my NaNoWriMo status everyday. Unfortunately, when it was time to do my update for Day 23, I was feeling too beat up from the week’s activities to write my post. It’s telling when you sit down to write about the doings of the day and you are too numb to form a coherent thought. I did manage to hit my writing goals for Day 23 and I’m still ahead of the game for Day 24. This is where having a writing buffer really helps. Do I still like my book? I am happy to report, I still like the book I’m writing. That was never an assured thing. There have been times when I […]
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Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends celebrating today. If you aren’t writing, I completely understand why. This is a day when you can be thankful for the people who support you and the imagination you have to create new things. Those are two things I try to be thankful for every day. Day 22 Writing I’m not sure the scenes I wrote yesterday will make the final cut. Or maybe, to more accurate, I’m not sure all of the material I wrote yesterday will make it. Still, it was important to write what I did as it helped to move the story along in my mind. Sometimes knowing the entire story, including backstory and conversations that may not be […]
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There are days when everything comes together from the moment you start typing. Other days, it never does. Day 21 was somewhere in the middle. It was a struggle for the first hour or so. Then, it was like a switch was thrown and the writing was easy. It could have been that I went from writing dialogue to action. It could also be that my character was struggling in the early part of the writing and was battling in the latter. Whatever the reason, I ended the day with a decent word count and a couple scenes that I am happy with. What to do when you’re struggling We all hit moments when we are having difficulty finding the […]
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I have often been asked where I get my ideas from. It is a question I’m sure many creative types have been asked, too. The short answer is, ‘Everywhere’. I get my ideas wherever I happen to be, doing or experiencing various things at any time of day. There’s no telling when an idea will strike. Why am I talking about ideas now? I know I’m participating in NaNoWriMo, writing Mik Murdoch 5. I’ve been exercising my creativity on a daily basis, coming up with more exciting ideas for this book. That doesn’t mean I can’t think about other projects. For example, I have a comedy I want to write. I’ve had the idea for a few years but I […]
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I’m happy to say I’m finally in the home stretch with my novel, Mik Murdoch 5 (final name still pending). I’ve brought a number of disparate elements together (not to mention characters) and the plan for the final battle is underway. This is where the fun really begins! Writers fatigue sometimes sets in here I’ve heard anecdotally that this is approximately where writers start to run out of gas. They’ve been focused on building their story and they are simply tired of the book. I will admit, I’ve been there myself. What is keeping motivated (besides trying to win NaNoWriMo) is all the material I’ve managed to write that is building up to the final climax. I’m giving a lot […]
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Weekends are the time I’m able to get things done around the house and for my family. I’m usually able to dedicate a few hours to tasks that need them that I simply can’t during the work week. When NaNoWriMo is on the calendar, this leads to conflicting priorities. Do I write or do I take care of outstanding projects. Do I try to do both? Like I said, conflicting priorities. Day started off strong Many people I know, my family included, like to sleep in on the weekends. I will admit to occasionally doing that too, but not today. Today was the scheduled second launch of SpaceX’s Starship. I am a huge space geek and, love him or hate […]
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In past NaNoWriMo’s I have been able to get into high word count daily writing early. The writing helped me hit the goal relatively early in the month. It took a little longer this time but I am currently ahead of the curve. What do I mean by that? Well, by the end of day 17, my total word count was a full day ahead of schedule. Why that’s important to me Things come up in life where I either have a much reduce writing time available or not time at all. I already had one day where I wasn’t able to write this month. It could happen again. By being ahead of the curve now, if I lose another […]
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Day 16 was another good day. Work has been exhausting lately and the writing was actually therapeutic and relaxing. It went much quicker than expected and I was happy with the results. All positive things. I also left myself with a new set of scenes to write that will address one of the plot elements. Am I overcomplicating the story? If you have been reading about my NaNoWriMo journey this year, you have seen me talk about plot elements. A lot. You’ve also seen me talk about big scenes. Before you ask if I’m making the story to complicated, let me reassure you a little. One of the ‘features’ of writing a series is, you collect more and more characters […]
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I like it when I’m writing a scene and the characters take over. “How is that possible?” you may ask. You might even point out that the characters are merely figments of my imagination. They are constructs of my mind. I would have to agree with you. The thing is, if you create characters that are realistic in the what they do, say and think, sometimes the subconscious mind simply starts to build the narrative without you, the writer, being completely aware of it. It’s almost as if they were coming alive. Some of the most fun scenes to write for me have happened that way. I can barely wait to see what my fingers will type next. Unhinged If […]
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Day 13 was not as successful as I needed it to be. That meant I was digging out of a word count deficit on Day 14. How can that be, you might ask. NaNoWriMo is the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. In order to “Win” the challenge, you need to write an average of 1,667 words every day for 30 days. I was a bit short of that average on Day 13. By a bit, I mean about 500 words too few. I grant you, 30 days sounds like a lot of time to get back on track. The risk is, you let your word count slide over and over to the point where it is virtually […]
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So, let’s start with how this rollercoaster ride began…I wrote my post for day 12 and then forgot to post it. Not a promising start. Then I reread what I wrote for the previous day and had a complete blank on where to go next. Not writer’s block. Not exactly. But certainly the first vertical lift on the ride. I managed a bit of a flow for a while, mostly around filling in some plot holes. I did some reflection after that, realizing that, if I didn’t get the draft of the book finished this month, it would likely not get done this year (December already looks like it will be a write-off month for many things). That added some […]
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Some days the words come easily and other days I have to fight to get each one. Yesterday was somewhere in the middle, but I was able to keep on trucking. In other words, I kept the story moving forward. I had an idea going in what I wanted to do. The scene I wrote was actually one that takes place immediately before the scene I wrote on Day 9. It was also a scene that involved some of my secondary characters. It’s always fun to let them have some time in the sun without Mik. Where do I go from here? There is still a long way to go with this story. I know I have some big stuff […]
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I managed a new high on Day 11. I had a single day word count of 2683 words. That brought me right back in line with my daily goal. It was a good writing day. I managed to get more story going that helps tie some of the big scenes together. Next steps Day 12 will be more challenging. We have a big family meal happening so I won’t get a chance to do any writing until it gets later. That’s okay though. I left myself a hook to keep writing. It is sometimes good to stop in the middle of a scene. It keeps your mind in the story and leaves you somewhere to pick up and keep going. […]
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I’ve been updating this log every day since NaNoWriMo began. Until yesterday. What can I say? Last week was long and exhausting. When it came time to write (including writing a post) I simply didn’t want to. Probably not the ideal attitude when doing NaNoWriMo, but I needed to be aware of my own mental health. Simply put, I needed an evening of doing nothing. I thought I could get away with it if I came out swinging today. I was a few hundred words ahead of goal going into yesterday, so was confident I could make up the count. Come out swinging I had a good night’s sleep. That doesn’t always happen when I’m working on a project; the […]
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The ideal writing state for me, is to hit a flow state where the words come easily and I lose track of time as I’m writing. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to hit that state. It was a far cry from the previous day when every word was a struggle. The difference for me for Day 8 was, I had some time to think about a few of the big scenes I wanted to write. I had a fun idea for a scene and decided to work through it. To my delight, I actually ran out of writing time before I finished the scene. That means I have a place to pick up from for Day 9. It’s always nice […]
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I called it. The minute I started to feel like I had a handle on things, it would be hard. So went day 7. Now, I grant you, I had a couple additional demands on my time for Day 7 and I didn’t have the opportunity to really think about what I wanted to write. If I had, I have no doubt it would have gone much differently. As it was, while I still hit my word count for the day, I don’t think any of it will be usable in the book. But, I can’t edit what I didn’t write down. Going forward It would be easy to start hyperventilating and tell myself that I’ve run out steam and […]
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The Plot Thickens. What the heck does that even mean? When I looked it up, it actually meant what I thought. The plot is getting deeper and more complicated. That is actually the right way to describe the direction Mik Murdoch 5’s plot is going. Lots of new ideas Part of what stalled the book in the first place was an incomplete understanding of how the story needed to get from A – Z. I knew what the beginning was. I knew how I wanted it to end. It was all the stuff in the middle that was giving me problems. Okay, that’s not entirely true. There were some elements I decided on early in the book. It was how […]
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I decided to do NaNoWriMo because I know that I thrive on the challenge. Something about knowing I can count and keep track of the number of new words seems to get the blood (and words) flowing. I was worried I might not feel the same way this year. It turns out I have nothing to worry about. The words, they are a’flowin. But, is it too much of a good thing? I ask the question because I have questioned my sanity more than once since I started. That is compounded by the fact that my company is doing a Well Being challenge at exactly the same time and for the same duration. That challenge is all about being active, […]
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Day 4 was a good day. I was able to add more than the minimum word count for the day and I was also able to add some more interesting items to the story. One of the criticism I have occasionally heard about Mik is he’s so darn good. Now, I would argue, being good doesn’t make a character unbelievable. In fact, I pity those people who haven’t ever known someone who is selfless and good. They are out there. I know, I’ve met more than a few. Regardless, Mik has demonstrated throughout his adventures that he is less than perfect. One of the aspects of his journey that I’ve tried to portray is that, as he grows into a […]
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I know it’s a bit early to reflect on my NaNoWriMo journey; it has only been three days after all. That’s not the reflection I’m thinking of. No, this is more about that age old question: how do you write? Are you a pantser or a planner? Planner The first novel I ever wrote took me seven years. I wrote it as my project for a novel writing program I did (by mail). One of the early lessons was to plot out the book. I spent days plotting it before I wrote a single line. It was gruelling, but ultimately worthwhile. I hadn’t ever written anything as long before and the plotting really helped me to get the story written. […]
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I think I’ve identified one of my problems when it comes to getting my writing routine into a…well, routine. I’ve let that little devil on my shoulder have way too much say – when the day and/or writing are becoming a slog, I let that voice talk me into either stopping, doing the minimum or finding something much more pleasant to give my time to. Day 1 I went into the challenge a bit anxious but eager to go. The writing I did flowed well and I’m pretty happy with where it took me. Day 2…not so much. The ideas weren’t really there when I started. I wanted to quit. After all, the challenge is 30 days. Surely I could […]
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In my last post, I talked about how I made a last minute decision to do NaNoWriMo this year. I was determined to come out swinging and have a Day 1 Win. As you might imagine, I didn’t do a lot of planning prior to working on my NaNo story. That’s okay though because, what I’m trying to do is finish my fifth Mik Murdoch novel. I started this book more than a year ago and haven’t really gotten a good momentum going on the story. So, I sat down to start typing yesterday and immediately had a new idea that would add more conflict to the story. Always a good place to start. An hour later, I had a […]
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I made a decision this morning. It freaks me out a little, but now that I’ve made it, I’m committed (or maybe should be). Is it too late? Not by a long shot. NaNoWriMo only began today so I have an entire month to meet my goals. The most important headline here is, I decided to participate. What was that decision, you might ask? Well, I decided to do NaNoWriMo again this year after a two year hiatus. I won’t go over what NaNoWriMo is – I know I’ve talked about it at length in the past – but I will give you my reasons why I’ve decided to do it again this year. Community One of the things I’ve […]
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My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published eighteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and numerous articles on a wide range of topics. Your most recently published books were those in The Stone of the Seer series. Remind us again of what it’s all about. The Stone of the Seer is young adult historical fantasy series, featuring The Stone of the Seer, Royal Blood, and Revenge of the Witchfinder. The exciting story is mostly set in the mid-seventeenth century during the English Civil War. In The Stone of the Seer, Lady Elizabeth Usborne, Kate, and Tom encounter a magical stone, mysterious parchments and manuscripts, and an […]
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How does one go about reforming an old habit? In some cases (usually negative cases) the old habit comes easily. I think about things like procrastinating. It’s so easy to simply do nothing. Rebuilding a productive habit is much harder. It takes effort. It takes planning. Most of all, it takes diligence. Breaking the old habit in the first place I will admit, I have the problem of overcommitting. I’m usually good, going 100 miles an hour for several months, doing a ton of different things, getting pulled in multiple directions. The problem is, it always catches up with me (eventually). When that happens, things come crashing down. It’s almost like coming down from the world’s biggest sugar-high. After the […]
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How does one go about reforming an old habit? In some cases (usually negative cases) the old habit comes easily. I think about things like procrastinating. It’s so easy to simply do nothing. Rebuilding a productive habit is much harder. It takes effort. It takes planning. Most of all, it takes diligence. Breaking the old habit in the first place I will admit, I have the problem of overcommitting. I’m usually good, going 100 miles an hour for several months, doing a ton of different things, getting pulled in multiple directions. The problem is, it always catches up with me (eventually). When that happens, things come crashing down. It’s almost like coming down from the world’s biggest sugar-high. After the […]
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Having a false start shouldn’t mean a full stop. It happens and when it does, you should review what happened, pick yourself up and start again. There have been many times I’ve had to rewrite sections of a book when I’m in the editing phase. Never have I had a book where I’ve started. Thrown away what I’ve written. Started again, only to throw that away too. Until now, that is. It’s been no secret that I struggled during the recent plague years. Very little writing was done although I did think about it a lot (usually with guilt weighing me down that I wasn’t writing more). I came up with a solid plot premise for Mik Murdoch 5. I […]
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We’re all tired of talking about it. We’re all tired of reflecting on it. And yet, it is now part of our daily lives. Yes. I am talking about wearing pants. The weather is getting colder here and pants are becoming more and more necessary. Not just to keep those increasingly frigid blasts of air from freezing important bits and pieces but because it is expected that those of us who have to go into the office should be professional. We have to think of our fellow co-workers and commuters otherwise chaos and civil unrest could commence. I know we’ve all gotten comfortable in our hermitic life-styles. We didn’t have to dress for success. We rarely saw others so bunny […]
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My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published eighteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Today, we’re looking at his latest release, Royal Blood, the second novel in the Stone of the Seer series. So remind us about the Stone of the Seer series. What’s it all about? The Stone of the Seer is an exciting historical fantasy series for young adults, primarily set during the English Civil War in the mid-seventeenth century. The Stone of the Seer, is the first book in the series. At Habingdon House, Lady Elizabeth Usborne, Kate, and Tom discover a magical black […]
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There has been a lot going on in life lately. Not just mine, but the entire family. But I can’t blame the business for my lack of writing productivity. In fact, I’m going to do something completely out of character and not blame anything for my lack of writing productivity. I am, in point of fact, going to practice some of that self-care my day job continuously talks about. I am going to accept that I’m doing something other than writing and know that I will be getting back to it soon. No self-recrimination, no beating myself up. Just enjoy the summer and everything it presents. How is your summer going?
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Just when I thought I was getting back into the habit of blogging regularly, I realize it has been a month since my last post. How can that possibly be? Where has the time gone? It would be easy to say I’ve been busy. I mean, I have been busy with work, home, Scouts and, happily, writing. I have been able to maintain a regular writing cadence. In the month of May, I wrote almost every day; 27 of 31 days. That added an extra 11, 000 words to my work. After too long without a regular writing schedule, it feels really good to have this progress. I say that knowing I usually write a lot more in a […]
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One of the many things I enjoy about writing is the ever-existing opportunity to try something new. It could be writing in a different genre, it could be trying to plan a novel (or pantster one) or it could be a new PoV. That is probably why you see me writing in so many different genres. I come up with a story idea and it sort of tells me the genre it belongs in. Scouts of the Apocalypse is a prime example of that. I’d never even considered writing horror before I got that story idea. But my Scouts enjoyed the campfire version of it so much, I knew I had to write it for real. A trilogy of horror […]
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I know I’ve talked about this before, but it is something that’s been on my mind quite a bit the past couple weeks. Am I a pantster or a planner? The answer, I’ve discovered, is that I’m both. Much like I will write a story in the genre that best fits it, I will also employ either a pantster or a planner methodology as the occasion demands. For example, my first published novel, Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero, was completely written in pantster-style. There were many reason for that, too. First, I wrote that book as a NaNoWriMo novel, which totally lends itself to pantster writing. Second, it was a story that I had been thinking about for years. I had […]
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I feel like I’m coming out of a severe case of mistaken identity. All my life I’ve believed myself to be an extreme introvert. Except, I exhibit all these extroverted tendencies too. My work life is a good example of this. I actually prefer to be in the office. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is, I like being around people. That made staying home to work for the past two years extremely difficult. I think I was in mourning for the first three months before I learned to cope with it (somewhat). Now that things are opening up again I feel my creativity awakening and my joie de vivre blossoming again. Why […]
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I will finally be attending the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo as a vendor. That is particularly exciting because I have two new books to show off and, hopefully, sell. Those would be The Goddess Renewed and The Mystery of Silver Lake. If you are planning to attend, look for me in Artists Alley.
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My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published eighteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Today, we’re looking at his latest release, The Stone of the Seer, the first novel in the Stone of the Seer series. So what’s the new series all about? The Stone of the Seer is an exciting historical fantasy series of adventure novels for young adults, primarily set in the turbulent period of the English Civil War. The Stone of the Seer, book one in the series, features the Vikings, Leonardo da Vinci, and the political turmoil of the 1640s. At Habingdon House, […]
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Announcement #1 I love it when I have something announcement worthy. At this very moment, I have two things, but I’m only going to give you one today (because I like to keep all you lovely people in suspense). Hence Announcement #1. So, without further ado: The Goddess Renewed is now available as both an eBook AND a print novel. The publisher, Champagne books, typically release their new books in eBook format first followed a few months later in print form. This is true for The Goddess Renewed too. Beyond simply having another book on my brag shelf (admittedly, I almost never bring people into my office to show off the books on that shelf), having a print version of the […]
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Rejuvenation. The past two years have been a roller-coaster ride for most of us. We’ve hit some highs, lots of lows and, in many cases, have counted ourselves lucky to simply make it through some days. Rejuvenation of our hopes, spirits and those activities which bring us joy is long overdue. I’ll admit, the word, rejuvenation, only re-entered my lexicon in the past days. Prior to that, survival was more of the key word for me. But there have been a number of reminders that I have much to be thankful for. Those reminders have steered me back from survival mode. Fall/Christmas Craft Fairs Fall/Christmas Craft Fairs have been a singular point of in-person contact between me and my readers […]
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Busy busy busy. That seems to be the phrase of the past couple weeks. Between work, Scouts, house, sanity checks, I don’t seem to have a lot of time right now. I keep meaning to post another update and tease you about the upcoming book, but even that is escaping me. (I know, darn, right? Not getting teased and all) Work Front I’ve been very fortunate. My company is extremely forward-thinking regarding working from home, mental health, personal well-being and a host of other things. As much as I prefer working in the office (yes, I am one of those), I have managed to do pretty well working from home. I’m not sure I’ll ever prefer it to being around […]
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I have a new book, new series coming soon. It feels odd to be talking about something that hasn’t released yet, but I’m trying to be better about promotion. So, what is it? What is it about? Middle Grade Mystery/Adventure The book is really an homage to books I read when I was young(er). Think about the Hardy Boys and the Three Investigators. Both series are from bygone eras (the Hardy Boys started in the 1920’s, the Three Investigators in the 1960’s), but I think both still have relevancy. Why? Because – and this is important – kids are smart. They are observant. They can do a lot more than they are often given credit for. I sometimes think that […]
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A few months ago my publisher reached out to me to talk about an opportunity that would literally extend my reach to readers. An application publisher (for books, to be clear) was interested in a number of the publisher’s properties. The Goddess Renewed was one of those books. I am very pleased to announce that Goddess is now available to read on the Readict app. That makes the novel available as both an e-book available directly from Champagne Books and via the app on whatever mobile device you might use. Unexpected Meeting of a Goal One of my goals has always been to get my work in front of readers. Obviously, printed books are one of those outlets. E-books, whatever their […]
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Just when I thought I was coming out of this…whatever you want to call it… Funk? Uncentered self? Hiatus? Idontknowwhattheheckisgoingon? Maybe I’ll just take a pass on even labelling it. Suffice it to say, these crazy times we are living in has made building new, positive habits difficult and leave it at that, shall we? So…coming out of this (whateveryouwanttocallit) and building new, positive habits. Not the easiest thing ever. For those of you caught in the same temporal anomaly (yes, I watch Star Trek, Lower Decks the other day – the phrase just stuck in my head), you are likely going through the same/similar struggles as I am. But, as I learned when writing my first book (and still have […]
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I hope all of you in the area can/will come. 🙂
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I’ve started writing numerous posts the past while and every time I manage to get distracted away from it. I feel much like Dug from the movie Up must feel; it would be very nice to hold onto a single train of thought but there are too many other things to grab my attention.. The result has been no new posts on the website but several partial posts in my draft folder. The problem with that is, when I begin writing a post, I always have a direction I want to take. Getting pulled away effectively ends whatever ideas I had spinning through my mind. That isn’t to say I can’t pick them up again. It is just harder to […]
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I will be the first to admit that I was struggling to write the newest Mik Murdoch novel. I had a number of false starts including one where I wrote over 3,000 words before I realized just how slow everything was moving. That got me really thinking about the story and what I wanted to achieve with it. Except, I wasn’t getting any new ideas. I was just regurgitating all the old ideas. Nothing new was coming to mind. Overcoming the Problem I had to tear the story right down to the ground and start again almost from the beginning. The false starts didn’t mean the concept for the story was wrong. Just how I was going about telling it. […]
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I talked about how I have re-ignited my joy of reading in an earlier post. Today, I want to talk about the value in revisiting favourite authors. I know there are different camps when it comes to the topic of rereading books. Some people don’t like to read a book more than once and others go back to the same material over and over again (for the record, I am one of the latter although I do read new books almost as much). Benefits I receive from rereading a book Reason 1: The big one Part of the reason I like rereading cherished books is I can reconnect with places and people I truly like/enjoy. I think we all have […]
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I will be running a workshop at the Calgary Young Writers’ Conference this Saturday (April 10, 2021). I’ve now officially lost count of the number of times I have either volunteered for the conference or actually presented at the conference. What I do know is, it is a fantastic day spent with Calgary’s up-and-coming writers and I always leave feeling both exhausted and refreshed at the same time. Exhausted and Refreshed? I put a lot of effort into creating the workshops and ensuring that the participants get as much as I can give out of them. That takes a lot of energy on my part. But it also refreshes my own view of writing in general. I get the chance […]
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Growing up, I had an extremely long bus ride to and from school every day. Couple that with living on a pretty remote farm and I didn’t have a big circle of friends I could hang out with whenever I wanted. Add one more element – my parents loved reading Science Fiction – and you have someone who reads all the time. If memory serves, I was inhaling books at the rate of one every couple of days (I did still have chores to do morning and night). That rate of consumption lasted right up until I hit college. Homework, study and work seriously ate into my reading time. I think things slowed to where I was only reading a […]
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How are you all surviving these days? I know I have good days and I have bad. I’ve had to reduce my time on Twitter because there is so much negativity and ridiculousness going on every day. It feels like people are looking for reasons to be offended and/or offensive. That is unfortunate because, I’m a pretty social person. I now work from home (which I am still adjusting to a year in) and I’m lucky to be doing so. But since I’m now alone most of the day, social media was a way of seeing other people safely. Except, it doesn’t feel safe any more so I am largely avoiding it. Writing your way to surviving When I was […]
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I’m not sure many readers appreciate the importance of Feedback and Reviews. For those people, allow me to assure you, both are VERY important although for different reasons. Feedback I have been fortunate enough to receive feedback from readers on many of my books. Most recently, a lovely lady sent me a DM to inform me she and her son both love my Mik Murdoch books. They have read them all and she had taken the time to talk about them on Instagram. I can’t tell you how important that DM was. Like many of you, I have been feeling the challenges of being home alone all day, most days. COVID has severely restricted my movement; my wife works in […]
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I’ve been working on Mik Murdoch 5 and I have realized I’ve been trying to do too much in the story. I always insert little tidbits here and there in the sequels to tie them back to the previous books. That isn’t a bad plan as it provides continuity. Where I am coming up against it is I now see I’m getting carried away, especially since there are now four books in the series. If I reference events from every one of them, I won’t have time for the story in book 5. That isn’t to say I won’t be giving subtle nods to what has come before. There are plot lines I’ve started in prior books that are still […]
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Should I be a pantster or a planner for my next book? I have written books using both methods. I’m told the books were good in both cases. So, which method should I use? Mik Murdoch 5 is the next book, in case you were wondering. I haven’t been doing a lot of writing the past few months. I was busy editing The Goddess Renewed for several months and trying to keep my sanity for several more. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about what the next book(s) should be. In the case of Mik Murdoch 5, I know what the main plot is and who the characters will be. The problem shows itself when I try to refine the […]
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An I’ve been thinking a lot about characters and building rich, living worlds for them to live in. I have also been re-reading some old favourites. Specifically Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall Trilogy set in her fictional world of Pern. I have come to better understand that every character has a story within their world and approaching those various stories in different ways will enrich the world you are building. Pern – a rich story world Let me use Anne McCaffrey’s planet of Pern to better show what I mean. If you ask any lover of her Pern books what elements most stand out for them, you will likely hear about dragons and dragon riders. An invasive spore, know as Thread, […]
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I looked to see when I last posted. October? That can’t be right. Should I blame being locked down or claim I was too busy to post? No, the reality is much more boring than that. Simply put, I’ve been keeping my head down and working through each day as it comes. I’ve been staying home as much as I can (groceries still need to be bought) and I’ve completed editing on my now-published novel, The Goddess Renewed. Not the most glamorous explanation, but the truth. The good news is, my family is safe and there does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel. I know we have a long ways to go yet, but I’m […]
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MAJOR UPDATE – The Goddess Renewed is now a PRINT BOOK! Trust may be the only thing that can save you…or betray you. When his family disappears, Kalten knows he must find them at any cost. He desserts his post and meets up with an angry young woman with a vendetta of her own. Their chance meeting draws them into a world of intrigue and danger where they must uncover the plot against the crown. With the aid of a former goddess and a rebellious young dragon, they face a world that seems to be rising up against them. This is book one in The Fallen Goddess series. You can find the book at the retailers below: Champagne Books store […]
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When Jack and Betsy meet Kaiser Wilhelm, they immediately suspect an assassination attempt is about to be made against him. They do everything they can to keep him safe, but little do they know the assassination they expect is coming from a different source with a completely different target. Can the United States and the world survive the resolution? Jack Kane and the Kaiser, is book two in the Jack Kane steampunk series co-written by Michell Plested and JR Murdock You can find the book at the retailers below: Champagne Books store Amazon.com Kobo Chapters/Indigo
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Today is a very BIG day in my writing career. Today is the day my 10th published book (both solo and co-written) is available for purchase. The book, The Goddess Renewed, represents a number of things to me. It is actually the first book I ever wrote. That may scream amateur to some of you but it has gone through years of edits and rewrites. I am pretty proud of what it looks like now. It is also my first Adult Fantasy – something I always thought I should be writing. As those of you who are also writers know, what you think you should write isn’t always what you end up with. 🙂 The back blurb on the book […]
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If you have received an email from author@michellplested.com in the past several hours (as of October 14, 2020) please delete the email and accept my apologies. That account was hacked. I have since taken steps to secure the account (again). Hopefully this won’t happen again. Thank you, -Michell
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Mik Murdoch: The Power Within is an Audio Book There have been a couple important developments over the past few months. The first is that Mik Murdoch: The Power Within is now an audiobook. Narrated by Kevin Earlywine, who narrated Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero, the book is available everywhere you can purchase audiobooks. The book continues Mik’s adventures as he works hard to become a boy superhero in his hometown of Cranberry Flats. In this second book in the series, Mik has been having a lot of trouble dealing with his quest. His parents decide he’s due for a quiet summer at the lake. Once he arrives there he learns that adventure can be found wherever he goes. This time […]
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For those of you familiar with Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, you will almost certainly recognize the above quote. It is something the character Granny Weatherwax has printed on a placard that she holds when she is out ‘borrowing’ (the art of overlaying her mind on the mind of another creature so that she can see through its eyes and steer its actions without it being aware of her presence). I haven’t exactly been ‘borrowing’ myself, but I have definitely been watching. Specifically, watching the world struggle to deal with the current pandemic. Those are struggles I know we all share. My absence can be attributed to a lot of things. At the beginning of this I was trying to figure […]
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What would you do if you were reliving the same day over and over again like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? Would you sit back and simply watch everything repeat or would you use the time to do something new? It’s a question many of us are probably asking ourselves (or something like it) as we self-isolate at home seeing the same walls, same people and…well same everything every day. It probably feels like we are living the same life in an endless loop. When this first began and it looked like we might be home-bound for a while I will admit to sitting back and doing very little beyond watching television and eating too much. And then it dawned […]
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Last year we were delighted to announce the production of Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero as an audiobook. For those of you who have already listened to it, you know Kevin Earlywine did a fantastic job. I am also pleased to say, it is already showing popularity within the public library systems. That was last year. This is 2020 and we are excited to have Kevin working on book 2: Mik Murdoch: The Power Within. I’ve already heard the first fifteen minutes of it and it’s even better than the first one. It’s always fun to see my work come out in more than one medium. It gives a different perspective on the story and opens it up to a broader […]
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I often hear the word “Routine” uttered with contempt. At those times, the speaker is often talking about how routine is the death of spontaneity, a killer of innovation that ultimately puts one in a rut. I’m going to vigorously disagree with that point-of-view. I understand that planning out your day can reduce spontaneity (unless you actually schedule it in, which is a bit of an odd irony in itself), but having a routine or planned day also increases your focus. Especially if you have a number of activities running simultaneously. But why am I bringing this up now? Well, like many of you, the current health crisis has meant a major change in how I live and work. I […]
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How do you figure out the next project? If you are like me, you have several stories percolating in your brain all the time. Plus you probably have notebooks/sticky notes/random napkins with other ideas sketched out. And then there are those new ideas that pop up whenever you aren’t looking. With all that noise, how do you (or in this case, me/I) decide what the next project should be? Stories Under Contract Anything that has a contract attached to it automatically floats to the top of the list. I am mindful that not everyone is at the stage of their career where they have books already under contract. I am fortunate to have a couple series that are in that […]
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We all need downtime. Life can be hectic and doesn’t always offer anything but a continuous string of busy that we can’t seem to escape. When we do manage to find a little downtime, it can feel so good, we don’t want to give it up. I won’t say I’ve been completely stationary. In fact, I won’t say I’ve even had a wealth of downtime. Just…different time that has kept me away from writing very much. There have been books to edit, a home renovation project and work has gotten even busier. Oh yeah, and Disney+ and Amazon Prime found their way into my household so I’ve been forced (yes, forced against my will – kicking and screaming the whole […]
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The holiday market season is on and I will be attending my first one (as a vendor) for the year this coming weekend (Friday November 22 – Saturday November 23). I will be bringing all of my books (with the sole exception of my newest – Jack Kane & the Kaiser – which doesn’t release until later this month), my Scout/zombie badges and, of course, my wit and charm (such as they are). Come by and see me. Buy a book or two or well, however many you’d like. 🙂 To be clear, this is in Calgary, AB, so if you don’t live here, I won’t hold it against you if I don’t see you.
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Huzzah! JR Murdock and I have been waiting a while for this and we are currently hard at work on performing the final edits. If the stars align, it will be available very soon. If they don’t, the book won’t be released until some time in January. Either way, it’s very exciting! And one of the best parts for us is the cover. It’s amazing AND Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty will be getting a brand new cover to match. I cannot wait to get this into your hands. Stay tuned!
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I’ve been in a bit of hermit mode the last year. I’ve been busy editing and not a whole lot else. When I took the time to reflect on why that might be, I had to go all the way back to the Fall of 2017. That was when my mother was diagnosed with dementia and I was named her Power of Attorney. If you don’t know what that means, let’s just say both her life and mine changed completely. She became my dependent and I got the unenviable job of being responsible for her affairs. I took some time away from writing to get those affairs in order (including settling my mom in a safe place to live). Once […]
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You might think being a superhero would be cool but Mik Murdoch knows it isn’t all fun and adventure. Being the self-appointed hero of Cranberry Flats, he has had his fair share of problems to deal with. Like keeping his secret identity hidden – a tough thing to do in a small town. When his father starts asking about his nightly activities, Mik realizes that his alter-ego and his days as a hero may be at risk. But how to stop the questions? It takes an old friend, who unexpectedly comes to town, to distract people. Only, that friend disappears shortly after, putting the entire town on edge. Mik battles fear, suspicion and mobs to find the lost and save […]
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The long wait is over. Mik Murdoch: Identity Troubles is now available, both in print form and electronically. Well…that isn’t entirely true. It is mostly available electronically. Apparently our friends at Amazon aren’t sure that Evil Alter Ego Press actually owns the rights to publish the book. It seems that a history of publishing the previous three books in the series isn’t enough. Hopefully that will remedy itself soon. For now, here are the links that work for purchasing the book: Print version: https://amzn.to/2n6qipX eBook version (all formats): https://books2read.com/u/mqDqq6
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Here you go, my friends. The cover for Mik Murdoch: Identity Troubles. I’m so excited to share it with you. 🙂 As soon as it is available for preorder, I will post links.
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Mik Murdoch: Identity Troubles will be released and available for sale everywhere this September. MM:IT is the fourth book in the Mik Murdoch series and, if my editors aren’t fibbing, the best one so far. When I began working on it, I decided I wanted to spend more time with some of the characters I’ve already introduced. I wanted to get to know them better and give you the chance to as well. And, of course, I wanted Mik to continue his journey of growth as a person and as a hero. I think I managed to do both. Even better, I had a lot of fun doing it. MM:IT has Mik wondering just how much his father knows about […]
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I am hot and cold on editing. There are times when I absolutely LOVE the process and others when I would prefer to do anything but. Regardless of how I feel about them, I have recognized the need to really think about what my editor is asking for. I find if I don’t, I might completely miss their point and either: (a) write something that doesn’t fit the story, (b) write something I’ve already written so it appears more than once in the story, (c) delete some of the stuff that was good, replacing it with bad/worse writing. In full disclosure, I have done all of those things at one point or another when I tried to rush my edits. […]
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I had never considered how important self awareness might be to my writing until just recently. During a brainstorming session for a new book my thoughts turned to the character dynamics that would really make for a compelling story. I was mixing and matching character traits, genders, background stories and the like when I started to think about my own time growing up. I had a thought. My own self-image was probably miles away from how people actually perceived me. I’m not quite sure why that revelation took me so long to get to. After all, I see young people today who clearly have a different idea of who they are than my initial impressions of them. Is it possible […]
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Mik Murdoch is starting to pick up momentum. I’ve sent the second major editing pass to the editor AND it finally has an honest-to-goodness title. That title will be, Mik Murdoch: Identity Troubles. I knew what the book was about before I started writing it; kind of important, I’m sure you’ll agree. But, because it addresses a number of themes and ideas, the title was a tough one to nail down. I’m convinced we have the best title now (some of the earlier iterations were rather long). The book has a July release date so a proper title (other than Mik Murdoch 4) is important. It’s also very helpful for the cover artist to be able to put a finished […]
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I do my best story-thinking when I’m out for a walk. It is also the time when I’m prone to wax philosophic. The other day my brain latched onto the saying, “You are the author of your life,” and I really started to think about that. Of course, I approached it from the perspective of story-telling, but it gave me real pause because I had never really looked at my life that way before. We all want to be the heroes of our own stories, but what do we really do about it? For example, I regularly write about a character who, when he sees something wrong, goes out and does his best to fix it. I know I’ve said […]
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I’ve talked about the difference between writing and editing before, but I think it bears repeating. There is a real difference that is significant enough that I don’t typically try to write when I’m editing. With writing – for me, at least – writing is more stream of conscience. I open myself up to any possibility for a story. My mind is constantly running different story scenarios. Editing, on the other hand, is more about picking at the details and making sure they all work together in the best way possible. When I’m editing, I’m not focused on story scenarios and the next scene as much as I’m making sure everything I’ve already written works together. No stream of conscience […]
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I am sharing a booth (5209 in the Big 4 building) with fellow author, Simon Rose at the 2019 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. If you have ever wanted a personally autographed copy of one of my books, some of my almost infamous Scout/Zombie badges or simply to say ‘Hey!’, now is the time. I have several smoking deals on all of the above (saying ‘Hey’ is free – how awesome is that?). Come on down. I’m there today (Thursday April 25) thru Sunday April 28.
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Evil Alter Ego Press has been working on getting Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero in audiobook form for several months. Today, all that work has paid off! Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero is now available as an audiobook. You can get your own copy here. To make it even more interesting, Audible is offering it free-of-charge if you sign up for a 30-day trial. How can you possibly lose? A free trial of an already amazing book (and Kevin Earlywine, the narrator, does a fantastic job, btw). 🙂 Get you copy now and you will have 6+ hours of awesomeness to listen to. And, if you would like to help out more, please leave a review too.
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It occurred to me (finally) that I don’t necessarily have to have a specific article topic to post something. Sometimes it’s nice to simply give a random update on the various things going on in my life. Therein lie my odds and ends. That being the case, here goes. My second newsletter just went out April 1st. Spoiler alert – I give some information that I don’t share in any other way – at least, I share it early. I also might have a newsletter-subscriber-only perk in the works (just saying). If you would like to be included in that amazing group of subscribers (not saying you’re not amazing – just not an amazing subscriber unless, of course, you are), […]
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One of the first pieces of writing advice I ever read was, “Write what you know.” I used to think I knew what that meant. I mean, if I read Science Fiction and Fantasy, then I clearly know those genres and should write in them, shouldn’t I? So, the first novel I ever finished was a Fantasy novel. It turned out pretty good (in fact, it will be coming out in August this year), but it was a real slog to write. Was I missing something? The second novel was much better, partially because I knew I could write a book at that point. But it was also a story I had thought about for years, roughly based on comic […]
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It’s always a relief to get to the final stages of edits for a book. That is especially true of sequels; readers are always waiting impatiently for the next one. The fourth installment in the Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero series is in final edits and I couldn’t be happier. Mik Murdoch – Non-spoily Spoilers Book four marks a bit of a crossroads for our hero. He has hit that point in his personal growth that he is comfortable in he role as town protector. Unfortunately, puberty is fast approaching along with the complications of feelings he isn’t quite prepared for. Throw an old friend (and a new one) into the mix and complications become the rule of the day. While […]
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I wanted to let you all know about a change I had to make to the website. I have, to date, received just shy of 200,000 spam messages on the site. This is because I have never required people to sign-up to comment. It has become too much to keep all the spam out so I have made the change to require a sign-up for comments. I hope you can understand why this is necessary.
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Theme – What I Used to Think There was a time (early on in my writing) when I thought paying attention to theme was dumb. The story is the story. What is the point to adding unnecessary baggage? I would poo-poo people who talked about how important it was to identify the theme early in your stories. Again, if you had good characters and a good plot or plots, the rest would take care of itself, wouldn’t it? That was then, this is now As you might have already gathered, my opinion has changed regarding theme. I don’t know if that’s because I’ve become more mature in my writing or simply more aware, but I now believe theme is important. […]
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I will be doing a signing at Indigo Signal Hill (Calgary) on February 9th at 10 AM. If you have been looking for my latest book or simply want to come talk about writing, that’s where you will find me. I hope to see you there.
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Learning I’m going to write about something other than writing (sort of) today. I’m going to talk about learning. One of the most important lessons I learned early in my life is to never stop learning (yes, you will read the word “learning” a lot in this post. The challenge to continuous learning is (a) finding the time, (b) finding the money, (c) finding the information and (d) not overloading yourself. None of those challenges are show-stoppers; at the end of the day it really is up to you. So, what’s my point? Recently, a colleague of mine pointed me to a website called Udemy.com. They claim to have online courses on practically everything. I signed up for a couple […]
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Newsletter At long last, I have a newsletter. I know that may not sound Earthshaking or momentous, but it marks a new chapter in my writing career. The name of the chapter? Self-promotion. Believe it or not, I really haven’t done much for self-promotion in the past. Yes, I have a Facebook account and a Twitter feed. I also have this website. Those are all somewhat passive mediums. I post stuff and hope that people will follow and read what I’ve done. The newsletter is different (at least, in my mind). I am actively asking people to sign-up for it. I’ve been putting sign-up sheets out at my events and I now have a spot on the website for you […]
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Hello everyone. Last night I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Mark Meincke for his Anchor.fm show. You can listen to it here.
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2018 2018 has been a topsy turvy one. On the one hand, I’ve had to deal with an ailing parent. On the other, my daughter got married and I saw the third and final installment of Scouts of the Apocalypse (Zombie Masters) published. I think, all things considered, that I will call this year a draw; I can’t call it a win and, since I’m still moving forward, I won’t call it a loss either. Book sales for 2018 reached an all-time high, which is a good trend. Unfortunately, all-time high does not equate to going full-time as a writer. Not yet anyway. I still have a lot of work to do before that happens. But, it is a step in the right (write?) direction. […]
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Hello, my friends. Brief announcement about an upcoming appearance: I will be at Owl’s Nest Books December 13th for “A Taste of Local Authors”. The gathering begins at 7 PM and I will be reading from Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters, which will also be available for sale. I believe I will have the entire trilogy there for sale (which, when signed, makes a fantastic Christmas gift – just saying) so don’t delay. 🙂 I hope to see you there. Come say hello, if nothing else. 🙂
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First Draft – Telling Yourself the Story There is a quote attributed to Terry Pratchett that says, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” Being a huge fan of Terry Pratchett (and wanting to be Terry Pratchett when I grow up), that gives me hope as a writer. I mean, if you have ever read his work, you will find such a collection or wit, insight and sheer snark, you would wonder how anyone could possibly live up to the example he has set. I know, I certainly feel inadequate to meet the example he set; that is I did when I assumed his work came onto the page fully formed from his brain. Now, I’m not so […]
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Mik Murdoch 4 – Surprise NaNoWriMo Book I wasn’t planning to do NaNoWriMo this year. I was going to take my sweet time and write Mik Murdoch 4 at my own pace. But then, November 1st (the first day of NaNoWriMo) it occurred to me that doing it over NaNo would see the first draft finished in November. That would allow me to let it sit for a couple weeks and still have an edited version before end-of-year. That thought was very appealing to me. So, I took the 12,000 words I already had finished and put them aside. I’m not throwing those away. Not at all. What I’m doing is I’m using NaNo to add another 50,000 to the […]
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Why Did I Write a Third Book? Why did I write Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters? To be honest, when I first told the Scouts of the Apocalypse story around the campfire, I never imagined there would be a second, let a lone a third book. In fact, I didn’t tell the story with a book in mind at all. It was simply an idea I had while driving out to camp that I was forced to make into a story due to extremely bad ghost stories. 🙂 What got me to actually write the first book was the response from my Scouts. They were so taken by the story, I HAD to write it. The second book, Scouts […]
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In Memorium – Dave Duncan Last night I heard that Dave Duncan (the author, not the athlete) had passed away. I first encountered Dave’s work when I was in college in the form of his book, The Reluctant Swordsman. It wasn’t quite like anything I’d ever read before. I can still picture myself reading it on the train home after class. Let’s just say, it really resonated with me. I read all three (at the time) books in the series and then several more of his books. They were entertaining and thought-provoking. They fueled my own desire to write (although that wouldn’t happen for almost another decade). Over time I discovered other authors and then, when I started to write myself, I […]
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Building Worlds Takes More Than One Book I have heard of people spending hours and hours doing nothing but building worlds for their characters to play in. They sacrifice time creating those actual characters and creating stories for them to exist in all for the sake of a more detailed legal system or better rules of magic or whatever. I suspect, for those people, the fun of creation is such that the actual story writing might be a chore. Sort of like being the Dungeon Master (DM) versus the Campaign Party (CP) in DnD. The DM creates the dungeon and all of its inherent challenges and rewards. The DM loves torturing and making the characters work. The CP meanwhile, is […]
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Mik Murdoch 4 is Underway The story for Mik Murdoch 4 has been in my mind for well over a year. The problem was, I was busy with other books that had to come first. When I finished the last of those books (Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters) it was finally time to work on Mik. So, I began plotting the story. And then I plotted some more. I could have gone on with nothing but plotting for weeks if I had let myself. But the characters were starting to give me lines for the story. It was time to write. It Started Slow I’ve been in editing mode for quite a while now, which is considerably different than […]
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It’s Here! It has been two years since the zombie apocalypse ended, but Scouter Mike continues to relive the horror every day in his dreams. When he and his Scouts are invited to the World Jamboree in Japan, he is reluctant to go. But go he does and it isn’t long before the horror starts again. But why now? And, even more important, why here? Mike and his Scouts must battle the undead one more time as they race to find out why it’s happening again and stop it once and for all. Amazon Amazon Kindle Kobo
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Cover Reveal – Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters The cover for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters is here and I couldn’t be happier! This cover is definitely darker in tone than the first two but I think it is an awesome zombie novel cover. The book itself is also in the final stages of preparation, sitting with the printer and distributors. You can have your own copy of the book October 31st. I know, I can’t wait. 🙂
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If I had a megaphone I would be shouting out “Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters is in Final Copy Edits!” Truly, I would be. This book, for many reasons, has been a long time coming to get to this point. But, we are finally here and I couldn’t be happier! The cover is all but finished, the layout is started. The new badges are here (I’ll be showing those off in a few days). It finally feels real. Of course, LOTs of promotion to do and hopefully lots of books sold. 🙂
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As I write this, I kinda think I should have titled this blog, “Old dogs need to learn new tricks” but, I’m not a dog. 🙂 I have always been a pantster writer. I have an idea, I sit down and I write until I can’t write anymore. Usually, I’m discovering the story as I go. Yes, there have been occasions when I’ve planned a story before writing it (e.g. Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty, which I co-wrote with JR Murdock), but for the most part…pantster. Definitely. Except, I can’t do that with a series. At least, I can’t do it as much. Why? Several reasons. Why a Series Won’t Support Pantster Writing I learned early on when […]
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The Importance of Networking I’ve talked about networking many times in the past; why it is important and necessary. At When Words Collide I was reminded once again of how critical it is to a writer to network. It all began with one of the keynote speeches. Sam Morgan, a literary agent, talked about how he got into his current career. He went from one connection to the next to the next until he had gone from unemployed college graduate to literary agent. He said he didn’t even know what a literary agent was until he got the job. His talk made it sound like he bounced from one person to the next like a ping pong ball. If you […]
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Why Do You Want to Publish a Book? I was asked some questions recently that made me really think. Not think as in “what’s the right answer”, but think as in “what’s the right answer for what you are doing”. Especially when it comes to publishing a book. There are many people out there who claim to want to write a book. The number who actually accomplish that goal is significantly smaller. The number who publish the book they wrote is even smaller still. For those of us who do want to see our books published, the question that first needs to be asked is “Why?” Possible Reasons for Publishing Your Book I Want a Copy on my Bookshelf (or […]
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Mistakes Were Made I made a mistake. I admit it. Nothing Earth shattering, mind you. Just something that has slowed my own process. What was it you ask? I submitted my draft of Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters too soon. My editor was eager to see it (who can blame him) and I sent it before I’d had any chance to fix the problems I knew were there. Why is that a Mistake? I wrote SotA: ZM fast. Maybe faster than usual. Because I forced myself to write every day to meet my self-imposed deadline, I had some sections that were less than stellar. They weren’t completely thought out or they were filler to my thought process. That being the […]
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Managing Priorities Our lives are filled with often-conflicting events. Prioritizing those things is the only way to survive (and succeed). In my case, my daughter was getting married AND I have a book to edit for publication (there are a couple more AND’s in there as well, but those are the two biggies). If you’ve never had a book published before you might lean in that direction. It was never a question for me; my daughter did and always will take precedence over my writing. So, being the father of the bride, I spent my time supporting her and my wife as well as I could and prepared for the wedding. The book sat waiting for my attention. Back to […]
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Learnings from the 2018 Calgary Horror Con I went into the Horror Con unsure what to expect. I’ve almost gone as a vendor twice only to have things fall through at the last minute. This year I was committed and I’m glad I was because I learned a couple things while there. I did not make the same mistake here that I did at the Comic Expo; I didn’t bring six cases of books. Instead, I brought one and bit, reasoning I could always bring more if I ran out. As it turned out, I brought enough having a few copies of most books left to sell when I went home. That wasn’t the important learning. What was can […]
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I had so much fun at the Comic Expo I decided to do the Calgary Horror Con this year too. I will be at the convention (June 2 -3) featuring my Scouts of the Apocalypse series. Of course, I will be bringing the Scout badges too. 🙂 Come see me if you’re in the area. The con has some amazing guests this year.
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The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo is over for another year. I say this with a certain amount of regret and relief. Contradicting emotions? You bet! I went into the expo this year not quite sure what I had signed up for. It was my first time on the Exhibitor-side of the table this year. I had pulled together items (my Scout/Zombie badges) specifically for the expo. I ordered more of Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Plague so I wouldn’t run out too soon. I was prepared, darn it! Or was I? The Good Simon Rose was a great table partner. We have known each other for more than a decade and worked well together. Many times during the expo you […]
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Calgary Comic Expo 2018 – A new Frontier On Thursday I’m setting up for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2018. I will be there from Thursday April 26th through Sunday April 29th. I’ve attended as a fan several times. I’ve even thought about getting a table before but I just never quite had the nerve to pull the trigger. I always had excuses: the tables are too expensive, I don’t have enough books. Then a fellow author and I talked about sharing a table. I could go without breaking the bank, I reasoned. When everything was confirmed, my mind really started to work overtime. What else could I take to sell that might draw people in? Merchandise Old and […]
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World Building – Small Details Make It World Building consists of lots of big ideas interspersed with many smaller ones. Those ideas can be cultures, characters and places. But what about the small little bits you don’t really notice? I am a big fan of superheros (probably not a surprise to any of you). I love watching shows like The Flash on television. The little details they put in to make their world feel real are part of what I adore about the show. One example, the favorite coffee shop is CC Jitters. Another would be the Big Belly Burger. Are either of those elements important to any plot line? Nope. Do they give the characters something important to talk […]
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One of my projects you may only have a peripheral view of is my GalaxyBillies book series. The first GalaxyBillies was a podcast novel that I eventually ported over as a Wattpad exclusive title. I’ve always wanted to write more in that universe and, approximately a year ago, I started writing GalaxyBillies 2, also for Wattpad. As a book that has no contract and doesn’t stand to earn any money on Wattpad, it has often had to take a back seat to my other projects. That’s why, more than a year later it is only just approaching completion. It is also more raw than my published works because, as I write a chapter, I post that chapter. It has minimal […]
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Book signings can be hit or miss. They often seem to involve lots of waiting for the first few hours and then people: (a) realize you are not a store employee, (b) realize you are not a serial killer, (c) realize that, as the sign says, you are an author and all the books in front of you are yours. You might think I’m being factitious but I have often had people: ask me where to find books in the store; ask me if the store carries certain titles; ask me if the books on the table are mine/were written by me. This is all despite signs that name me as a local author there for a signing. The serial […]
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If you are like me, you probably enjoy the act of creating new work more than the act of polishing it. I know there are people out there who LOVE editing their writing more than the actual writing itself. I do like the polishing, but with all the ideas in my head fighting to get out, the writing is still more enjoyable. But…unless the polishing happens, there can be no publication of stories. If there is no publication, then I’m not sharing my work with people and that is ultimately what I want to do. So, with two books at the editing stage, I am now hunkering down to get the polishing done. The current book I’m working on is Jack […]
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I’m pleased to welcome back Simon Rose, author of fifteen novels and many nonfiction books for children and young adults. He’s also the author of eight guides for aspiring authors and has just released the second installment of The Children’s Writer’s Guide. So what’s this latest book all about? The Children’s Writer’s Guide 2 is ideal for writers not just of books for children and young adults, but also features information that’s applicable to writers in all genres. The first installment of The Children’s Writer’s Guide has a wealth of tips and advice, including suggestions regarding how to get started as a writer, dealing with writer’s block, conducting research, choosing appropriate names for your characters, the editing and revision process, […]
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Felonious Fenduke Filtcher IV is one of my favorite characters to write. Not because he is particularly intelligent (he is, but in a VERY insane sort of way) or handsome or strong. He is, however, a villain of the moustache twirling variety. Did I mention he is also insane? Felonious is the feature villain in the Jack Kane series co-written by JR Murdoch and myself. It is a real mashup of Steampunk, Superhero, Adventure, Comedy and probably a couple other genres. It is also hilarious (at least in my opinion) and so fun to write. Felonious comes from a very good family in England. In fact, his family was nobility until the American War of Independence from England. It turns […]
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It is a battle for most fledgling authors to find ways to grow their readership and sell books. I have tried bookstore signings, Public Library signings, Writing Conferences of various kinds, Artisan fairs and even some charities. I’ve even been on television. The needle has moved but not as far or as quickly as I would like. One thing I have discovered is, when selling outside a store setting (I’m specifically talking about selling anywhere but a bookstore), my target audience doesn’t always have money on hand for a purchase as big as a book (bubblegum and inexpensive odds and sods, certainly, but $15 for a book? not so much). Now that I know I’m going to be hosting a […]
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I learned last week that I will be sharing a table at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. For those of you familiar with this event or one like it you know that I will be right there with the very people I’m targeting as readers. Thousands and thousands of the very people I’m targeting as readers. Let that sink in for a few moments. I’ll try to remember to breathe. It isn’t cheap to be there but, it is a massive opportunity. If I can reach even a small percentage of the attendees with my books it could be huge. I must be prepared with enough copies of my books, business cards, bookmarks and the like. Signage will be […]
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Every time Groundhog Day comes I think of the movie of the same name. It is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again because: (a) it’s funny and (b) it really speaks to me. The funny part, you may or may not agree on with me and I’m okay with that. We all have different things we find amusing. The speaks to me part…well, if are of the mind to argue, personal opinion is exactly that – Personal. The things that speak to me specifically come in the second half of the movie. Phil has already done all the little boy prankish-type things he can think of. He has seen the dark side of life […]
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I went out into the mountains over the weekend with my Scouts and Venturers to build Quinzees (snow shelters). This is always a fun camp for the youth (and the leaders if they would care to admit it). Not for everyone, I suppose, but still a fun time. Here are some pictures of the activities below.
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I’ve been struggling a little bit the past few months. I’ve talked about the challenges of an ailing parent; I know that is a large part of it. Having someone I am now 100% responsible for who neither understands nor approves of being under my care has been difficult. It has affected my sleep and weighed heavily on my mind. As you might imagine, it has negatively impacted my writing as well. So, this weekend, myself and several of my fellow Scout Leaders will be taking a group of our Scouting youth out to the mountains to build quinzees (see picture for sample). We will be helping the Scouts build the quinzees and then they will have the opportunity to […]
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Walking is a favorite activity of mine. I get to go outside for the sunshine and fresh air. I get exercise and I occasionally meet someone I know or someone new. I also get the opportunity to clear my head and collect my thoughts. It has been a fantastic source of ideas for my writing many times. Lately, my mind has been filled with lots of things that have nothing to do with my writing. That’s okay because there are things we all have to deal with in our lives whether it is work, family or something else entirely. Unfortunately, all those other things are keeping me from getting my head in the writing game. That is a bad thing […]
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When I first started writing as a pre-teen I was already reading a lot; probably 3 – 5 books every week. That was because I had a 90-minute bus ride every morning and every evening for school. Living in the country where my nearest neighbor was several kilometers away meant, once my chores were done I had two choices for my evening: watch one of the 3 snowy television channels we got on our 14″ television or read. Reading usually won. All those books taught me something – I hadn’t lived enough yet to write my own books. I mean, who would be interested in the boring life of an Alberta farm kid? This learning just goes to show that, […]
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One of my biggest stresses when I first started down the road to getting my work published came from a friend of mine. He said to me, “I can’t wait to read your book so I can get into your head.” That freaked me out just a little. I mean, do I really want people wandering around in my head? It’s a pretty disorganized place to be for starters. It also makes me ask myself the question, “Just who do I think I am, anyway?” I mean, my writing is really me, on display. Do I think my ideas are important enough to put out there? It all comes back to that artistic doubt many (most?) of us share. Is […]
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I know that solid, well-defined goals drive me forward. They give me a sense of urgency that is hard to ignore. I should have created solid, well-defined goals for December after my wildly successful November. Alas, I didn’t do that and my writing, while consistent, has suffered a little. My plan (note, I didn’t say “goal”) for December was to finish one book (needed about 6,000 words to do that) edit two books (one of them my NaNo novel) and continue work on a third. I did finish the one book. I have continued to work on the third book (so far adding about 6,000 words to it) and I’ve set myself up to edit one of the two. Not […]
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I have an idea and it scares me. The idea is a story idea and before you say anything, I fully acknowledge that I have lots of those. The difference in this case is, the idea is in a genre I’ve never really read, telling a story that could be more…personal…than I’ve ever done before. A friend of mine, Leah Crichton, was telling me a couple months ago about one of her most recent novels. When she wrote it, she found it to be immensely challenging. It struck so many emotions and other raw nerves that it shook her as she wrote it. It is also, she acknowledges, one of the best things she has written to date. That’s saying […]
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For some, editing their own book is a joyous thing. For others, sawing off your own arm might be more enjoyable. I’m somewhere in the middle. There are times when I really have fun editing and other times when it is painful and grueling. In both cases it is necessary so I do it (sometime reluctantly) to the best of my ability. That is where I am now. I have two books that need editing so I can send them off to the publishers. I am digging into Jack Kane first. If you are wondering whether you missed the announcement that the first draft is complete, don’t worry. That hasn’t happened because the book is still one chapter shy of […]
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I have had to sacrifice many things for my writing. Television is one of those. Unfortunately, so is reading. You will have heard from established authors that reading is essential. I don’t dispute that; reading helps me to see what other writers use for techniques in their story telling. The difference is, the established authors are typically writing as their sole job. For me, working full time plus my volunteer activities, family activities and writing, reading has taken a back seat. And yes, I miss it. I’m also afraid I’m starting to lose the ability to sit for long periods of time to actually read. When I am able to open a book, it’s usually a session no longer than […]
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Last night I decided to treat myself with a night off from writing. I did a tiny bit during the day and thought, since I did finish the first draft of Scouts 3, I could afford to spend some time with my family. I won’t lie, it felt odd to not be pushing everything else aside for one night, but it also felt good. I just have to be sure not to make a habit of it. I will be starting edits on Jack Kane tonight. We aren’t quite finished it, but it is time to get that project back underway. Editing it from the beginning will also help me to give it the right ending. 🙂
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I’ve been asked recently (a few times) how many books I’ve written. The easy answer is “Lots”. That’s the easy one because, unless I sit down and start working my way through the books I have written (both published and not), I can’t give a quick answer. That leads to a question no one ever asks but is maybe more important. How many characters have I created in my books? I have no chance of answering that one without lots of research so instead, I thought I would tell you about some of my more key characters. I decided to begin with the boy who started my entire published author journey – Mik Murdoch. Let me start by saying, Mik […]
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I just typed the words, “The End”, on Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Masters. Let me just savour that for a moment. “The End” normally means something is finished. For we writers, it only signifies the beginning. There are still edit passes (both developmental and line), a cover, layout, getting the book to the printers, promotion and so on. Clearly, there is lots left to do. But, it means I wrote my novel from start to finish in 36 days. Is it perfect? Hardly, but a first draft (and I feel confident saying this) never is. But there is something there for me to edit now. And this series, this trilogy, is now one giant step closer to being finished. As […]
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One of my personal writing issues is I sometimes gloss over scenes. Usually that happens when I’m in a hurry to move onto the next scene or I am struggling to find the right way to put my vision into words. My editors, without fail, call me on it and force me to put in the time a scene needs to flesh it out. I’m working very hard not to do that right now with the ending of Scouts 3. I am so very close to being done, I can almost taste it. I know that I could skimp on the ending and fix it when I revise it, but I don’t want to take that shortcut. I want to […]
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When I first started writing, the idea of having a finished series under my belt never occurred to me. My thought process was, I should actually have a published book (or at least a contracted one) before I started working on book 2. When I got that first book under contract, it was with the verbal understanding that the series would almost certainly go six books. That’s a long time to wait for the series to be finished so I didn’t give it much thought. And then I had the idea for Scouts of the Apocalypse. Initially conceived as a single book, I quickly discovered I had more story than that. And so, I decided it would be a trilogy […]
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NaNoWriMo is over for another year and that could mean time to relax. It certainly has in past years. But I’ve made a decision to keep going after NaNo was complete. That decision was made because I am so close to finishing three books I can almost taste it. My NaNo novel (Scouts of the Apocalypse 3) is less than 10,000 words away from first draft completion. In fact, I wrote another 1,400 words on it yesterday and I think I might even be within 5,000 words of completion. That alone is enough to keep me going but I’m also within 2,000 words of completing Jack Kane and the Kaiser. GalaxyBillies, is also within about 15,000 words of being finished. Enough […]
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NaNoWriMo 2017 can be considered a big win for me. I didn’t have a single day where I wrote less than 2,000 words, I hit an all-time word count high of 66,518 words and I managed to almost finish two books and I made great headway on a third. The two books that were almost finished will be done in December. This I vow! Day 30 was easily the hardest writing day I had of them all. I think that was mostly because I was tired, but that’s just an excuse. I felt like quitting part-way through the words several times but I kept reminding myself that I wanted to finish strong. So, I kept writing and I finished. Maybe […]
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I think my family is purposely trying to kill me. Or, at the very least, get me to participate in family activities rather than simply write all month long. The appointment we had last night was only going to take an hour, my wife assured me over an over. Three hours later, we were home. 🙂 The appointment itself was only ninety minutes long, but the commute each way added another forty-five minutes. Hence the three hours. I guess they weren’t completely misleading me. Not completely. It really didn’t matter whether I was misled or not. The appointment was an important one and I’m glad I was able to be there. I did manage to hit the word count again. […]
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I was on a definite high on day 27. Day 28…not quite so much. I’m definitely feeling the effects of pushing everything (including sleep) off to hit my word count goals every day. I managed to get my 2,000 in but I’m not sure I love what I wrote. That’s okay. I need to write it in order to have something to edit, right? Number of Words for the Day: 2,024 words How I Hit my Word Total for the Day I had a book signing so I didn’t get started until about 8:45. Wrote straight through. Today’s Goal: 2,000 words I have another meeting tonight. It means leaving the house shortly after I get home from work. I’ve been […]
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I knew I was working towards 60,000 words last night and I achieved that goal. The one I wasn’t really aware of was the 75% complete on Scouts 3. Hitting that was a surprise and brought a huge smile to my face. That was for a couple reasons. It means I’m in the home stretch, which is always nice when writing a new books. It also means I survived the 60% blahs – that time when many authors hate their story, want to quit and can’t see any way forward. Best of all, it means that I’m still going strong and I’m writing the part of the story I probably knew best in my mind. I should have very little […]
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Day 26 was not a wonderful day by any means. It started out fine but it ended on a frustrating note. I was almost vibrating by the time I got to my writing (at 9:30 PM). I expected that, with being upset and not focused at all that day 26 would be my first failure of the month. I’m happy to say I was wrong. I decided to try anyway and after a couple hundred words I found myself calming down. A couple hundred more and I was able to sharpen my focus and by the time I hit one thousand words I had a good rhythm going again. Number of Words for the Day: 2,055 words How I Hit […]
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Day 25 was a day spent at a local Christmas Fair. I sold quite a few books too, which was awesome. Then we went to a movie (saw Thor again). I knew I was going to be going late so I managed to get my writing done between the Christmas Fair, errands and the movie. I’m very glad I did it then too because it was late when we got home and the only thing I wanted to do was go to bed. Number of Words for the Day: 2,103 words How I Hit my Word Total for the Day One long writing session. from 5 – 6 PM Today’s Goal: 2,000 words The Grey Cup final is tonight. I’m […]
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Lots of back-to-back events yesterday starting with work. Then I drove about an hour to do a book signing/Fall Fair and then an hour back home. By the time I got home it was 9:30 PM and I still hadn’t done any writing. I briefly considered calling it a dead day. Briefly. Then I stopped whining to myself about being tired and sat down at my computer. I powered through, but it was hard going. I’m at the point in the story where I really don’t have much idea what’s coming next (much like the past two weeks). The difference now is, I’m at the major conflict and, while I know how I want it to play out, I don’t […]
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The thing about goals is, once you achieve them it’s so easy to back off and stop. At least, for me it is. That being the case, I was a bit concerned I would stop my progress once I hit 50,000 words. And yes, I do appreciate how odd it is that I’m worried about how I am going to go forward. I don’t have a split personality. Not exactly, but I definitely have my author persona (which I bring out when I’m doing training or book signings as an example) and I have my, let’s just lay around and watch television persona. Granted, the later one rarely makes an appearance anymore. The one that does show up is the […]
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I did it. There were times last night when I wasn’t sure it would happen. The first of those was when I didn’t actually start my final push until 9:45 PM. I still needed 1,500 words at that point so I knew that no matter how fast I typed, I was going into overtime. At 50,007, I decided I could call it a day. That was around 10:30, I believe. I still wrote fast, but due to the delayed start I was later finishing than I like (for full disclosure, I don’t ever sleep well and I get up at 5:30 AM so I need to go to bed relatively early). Still, it was worth it. Challenges for the Day […]
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My official goal for yesterday was 2,000 words but in the back of my mind I had a different, more ambitious goal. My very first NaNoWriMo took me 22 days to complete. As of day 20, I was only 5,000 words shy of the 50,000 word goal. What if I upped my game a little and finished strong? What if I did 2,500 per day on the last two days? So, I sat down and worked to achieve my stated goal of 2,000 words. When I hit that I still had more story in me so I kept going. When I faltered just a little, I checked my day’s output and realized I was only sixty-odd words shy of hitting […]
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I knew I was close to hitting 45,000 words. I also knew I had previously scheduled activities going until later (in this case, my Scouts and I were volunteering for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle program). I got home about 8:30 and immediately sat down to write. As I got closer to 45,000 I started checking my word count. I was ready to quit for the night when I first checked; I was less than 500 words away. Should I go for it or not? I decided to plunge ahead (again, checking my word count every few minutes). I wanted to leave myself something to pick up on for my next day’s writing but I also wanted to hit that […]
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Readers seldom see the effort that goes into writing a book. I remember when my second Mik Murdoch novel, Mik Murdoch: The Power Within was first published. It took me months to write it and more months to edit it. I received my first email asking when the next one would be out. That was both rewarding and frustrating. Stories have this nasty habit of becoming a huge burden at the 2/3 mark. That is the time when the author has been living and breathing the story for a long time and is thoroughly tired of it. The excitement that was there at the beginning has faded into something that is approaching hatred. Fatigue, certainly. Writers just want to get […]
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Thirty-one days ago I made the formal decision to participate in NaNoWriMo. Twenty-seven days ago my personal life really took a turn for the worse. It wasn’t anything to do with me, not exactly, but it was something I would have to deal with personally. It was me or no one. Nineteen days ago I asked myself (for probably the hundredth time) if I really thought there was any chance I could win NaNoWriMo this year. I had already committed. I was going to give it my best shot. I just didn’t see a way to the finish line except sheer dogged determination. Day 18, not even two-thirds of the way through the month I hit 40,000 words. That’s 80% […]
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I wasn’t entirely sure what I should post today. I could have said, “Day 17 – Just like many other days,” but that wouldn’t have been entirely true. I had a good writing day – I managed 2,314 words – that puts it in my top 5 word count days thus far. The writing wasn’t magical. It moved the story along to where I’m at the cusp of writing something much more interesting. What was different is, I rewarded myself. I mentioned in yesterday’s post that one of my colleagues suggested a movie to me; namely, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. The movie is a horror/comedy, a genre I am a big fan of. Bruce Campbell is easily one of my […]
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Day 16 would definitely count as a doldrums day. I’m still battling my way through the middle part of Scouts 3, trying to write content that is both interesting and moves the story forward. This is what I’m calling my pantster portion of the story. I am reminded of something Terry Pratchett used to say. He said, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” As I think about it in those terms, I realize just how right he is. I am writing the story, putting the proper characters where they need to be doing the things they need to do. Revision will tighten all that up. Challenges for the Day Nothing additional planned for evening after […]
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Day 15 was my lowest output day thus far: 2005 words. I’m not complaining. I’m not even disappointed in the word total. There had to be a day where I wrote less than the others. This year, that was day 15. It has been an interesting run thus far. I went into NaNoWriMo knowing in essence what the story I was writing needed to be. It is the third and last chapter of this Scouts of the Apocalypse trilogy (note: I didn’t say “the” simply because I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe there is another trilogy out there for my Scouts. In fact, as I type these words, I have suddenly had an idea for said trilogy (darn […]
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Okay. Maybe I should say, I passed the 30,000 word mark. I didn’t actually break any of them due to poor writing or anything else. I had high hopes I would be able to start my writing early in the afternoon. That isn’t quite what happened unfortunately. Still…I BROKE 30,000! 🙂 Challenges for the Day Lots of errands to run Number of Words for the Day: 2773 words My highest single day total for 2017. Yes, it’s a far-cry from the 5000+ I did a couple years ago, but I’m still pretty proud of the number. I had a scene that just felt so very right! It flowed so fast I almost couldn’t type quickly enough to keep up. How […]
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One of the many reasons I like NaNoWriMo is because it helps me to focus. I am very much a goal-oriented person and the whole challenge with very concrete milestones is exactly what I need when I’m trying to get writing done. I should probably do more of it in my daily/weekly writing activities. Day 13 proved to be a day when I needed to find and maintain that laser-like focus. It was another exhausting day of deal with all the various things that are magically appearing regarding my ailing parent. We found more evidence of failures to deal with the various day-to-day things that make up our lives so we had to deal with those. None of it was […]
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Day 12 was a laid back day. Almost too laid back. I decided to take some time to not do much. I got up late and wrote some, then ran some errands then did some more words. That’s pretty hard to stop and getting the motivation to put words down was pretty difficult. Challenges for the Day The biggest? Too comfortable and actually relaxing for the first time in days (weeks?), just like yesterday. Number of Words for the Day: 2240 words I had set a pretty aggressive goal of 4,000 words. If I hadn’t left the house, I might have achieved that. But, I didn’t stay home. I ran around doing other things. I’m still pretty happy with what […]
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Day 11 was almost the day that didn’t happen. Okay, that’s a little bit dramatic. I actually would have finished the day with ~300 words if I had only done the one (small) writing stint. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I’m getting tired. A large portion of the fatigue comes from trying to juggle too many balls (including NaNoWriMo). So, this weekend we have been planning a mini vacation. The emphasis should be on the word “mini”. We are going North to do some more for my failing parent, but we decided that, since we can’t really do much until Monday/Tuesday, we would go North in stages. The first stage I talked about yesterday. We went as far […]
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Day 10 was a mixed bag for writing. I didn’t start to work on my NaNoWriMo project until about 5:30 PM when we were driving up to Red Deer. I managed about 700 words on that drive. Then I had 45 minutes before I went to see Thor. I managed to go over the 2,000 word (about 1,300 additional words in about 45 minutes). Challenges for the Day I had lots going on. I had to find a couple spots to do my writing. Not really any continuous time. Number of Words for the Day: 2048 words It was another tough day of writing. I’m at a point in the story where I’m not entirely sure what is coming next. I […]
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Every year I have taken the NaNo challenge I find myself sitting on my hands in December because I managed to wear myself out. Last night I was definitely feeling that way. I had lots of time to write (almost 3 hours), but it was hard to get focused. Challenges for the Day Tired. This has been a long, emotionally draining week. I found myself not as prepared to write as I normally am. Number of Words for the Day: 2355 words I decided the previous day that I was going to hit 20,000 words today. It was a real slog. I’m not actually sure how much of the writing was good and how much was ‘meh’ but it was […]
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First, let me say, yesterday’s post claiming to be my Day 8 update was a lie. It was actually my update for progress up to Day 7. Somewhere (it was the weekend) I got mixed up. So, onto my REAL Day 8 update. I think I’m getting more creative as NaNoWriMo moves along despite how stressful and hectic my life is right now. Does that even make sense? I mean, I’m pushing myself harder than usual to get the writing done plus I’m dealing with the normal day-to-day stuff PLUS I have some personal things going on. How is it possible? But, I am coming up with new ideas for stories, posts and other interesting things as I’m going. I […]
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I had a minor epiphany. I realized that, because I know I’m trying to write every day and more specifically, hit a word count goal every day, I’m starting to look ahead. What do I mean by that, exactly? Well, when I wasn’t setting concrete goals I would need to have some writing done and I would jump on it, usually at the last minute. I wouldn’t give much thought to what was happening until the day of and then it was a mad scramble. Now, I’m looking at what I have on the calendar. For example, I knew I had a meeting last night so I planned to spend some time after the meeting to write. I wasn’t sure […]
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On day seven I had more than my fair share of challenges. Remember that parent I mentioned? Well, I had a number of difficult discussions with my parent, the doctor and so on. I also had a full day of errands to run before my wife and went home (a three-hour drive, btw). We managed to get the errands mostly done. At least, done enough until we go again next week. And then we left for home. I was thoroughly exhausted by the time we started back and I really didn’t want to write, but I knew I had to keep the streak going. So, I managed a few hundred words in the car. Challenges of the Day Definitely spending […]
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If you are keeping track you will likely note that I’m missing updates for days 3 – 5. I hope that didn’t frighten you or give you the impression I’m not having any success. Nothing could be further from the truth. I thought I would do a weekend wrap-up in hopes I could give you a truly amazing weekend total. Alas, while my writing totals were good, they didn’t quite hit the stellar levels I’d hoped for. For example, Saturday I set a personal goal of 5,000 words for the day. What I actually achieved was 2,443. Pretty good, but not quite what I was hoping for. That being said, let me give you a brief update of what’s been […]
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An amazing thing happened today – I realized I finished the first chapter of my soon-to-be masterpiece. This is important to note as the very first book I wrote took me twenty-five (25) tries and several months. I have now managed it in one try and two days. Perfect first chapter? Not by a long shot. Written and therefore editable? Absolutely! Challenges for the Day Work. Again. Not that it was a bad day. It was quite good actually but it does take away from writing books time. 🙂 We also had the whole family together for dinner. That is a rare thing with both my kids/young adults/young grownups having their own lives. It was awesome but also meant I […]
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I thought it might be helpful to talk a little about my NaNoWriMo journey. To that end, I will be posting my daily totals, not to brag but to show how things are going and maybe motivate you (and me) to bigger things. Challenges for the Day Work. Definitely. It gets in the way of my writing progress while, at the same time, ensures I will be able to pay my mortgage and other bills for the month. Double-edged sword. Also, I was tired. Had to go out for groceries right after work too. Number of Words for the Day: 2103 words A good total. I actually felt that I could have gone higher, but I wanted to leave myself […]
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Fall is always a busy time. Everything is restarting after a summer of rest (for some). That means, my already full schedule is even crazier than usual. To make things even more hectic, I have a parent who is beginning to fail. That means lots of trips up to deal with all the issues that are arising. Time away from home where I also have things that need to be done. And then, there is my writing. I have two books actively on the go. One is so close to completion I can almost taste it (96% complete as of yesterday). The other, my Wattpad story, is 2/3 done. And then NaNoWriMo is coming fast. I have yet another book […]
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NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is almost upon us once again. NaNo holds a particularly special place in my heart. It has been going on since 1999. I participated in my first one two weeks after completing my first ever novel in 2005. I will confess, I was worried, even a little scared, that first year. I had just spent seven years writing my first novel and I couldn’t possibly see any way to write 50,000 words in only 30 days (that is the challenge of NaNoWriMo, btw). Twenty-two days later, I hit that 50,000 word mark much to my own surprise and delight and I’ve never looked back. I have participated in NaNo six more times since then […]
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I think we have all seen books covers that make us say, “Wow!” I also know we have all seen book covers that make us shake our heads. The former make us pick up the book while the later make us move away from the shelf. Both are pretty extreme reactions. In some cases, our interest is piqued, while in others, we simply pass by without much thought. Ideally we want the “Wow”, not the, “What were they thinking,” reaction. That brings me to some tips you should probably follow when you decide on a cover. Tip #1 Knowing how to use Photoshop (or any comparable graphics software) does not mean you are going to be able to create a […]
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My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published fourteen novels for children and young adults, seven guides for writers, almost 100 nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Earlier this year he released Twisted Fate, the second installment of the paranormal Flashback series. Today, we’re looking at his latest release, the Shadowzone series. So what’s the Shadowzone series all about? The series involves the discovery of a grim dystopian version of Earth that’s ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship, the threat of a deadly virus, and a race against time to save the lives of millions. Without giving too much away, here’s a synopsis for each of the novels. Shadowzone While watching intense flashes […]
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As I mentioned in the previous post, edits are an important, nay critical piece of the process. I can’t tell you how often I have heard people complain about a story they were reading that was riddled with errors and how they simply couldn’t finish it. I’ve also heard many complaints about books that don’t have enough cohesion or are missing a critical piece. These complaints are both examples of poor/insufficient/non-existent editing. “But wait!” you say. “Edits were not the first part of the your previous article. What about finding a publisher or the contract piece?” To that, all I can say is, there are tons of publishers and articles on how to query them. I know I can’t really […]
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When I got my first book contract I was told my book wouldn’t be coming out for almost two years. By the time all was said and done, it was actually slightly more than that. But why? What the heck takes so long? I mean, the book is already written, right? That’s the hardest part, isn’t it? Fast forward seven years. I now have six novels in print and I am a publisher myself (check out https://evilalteregopress.wordpress.com/ if you are interested) and I have a much better idea why things take so long. Over the next few posts I hope to provide you with some idea of things to consider when you are getting published (whether with a small or […]
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There is a very strong connection between music and writing. Both tell stories. Both can bring forth very strong emotions in the recipient. For me, music represents yet another avenue for inspiration. For example, as soon as I heard Kiss from a Rose by Seal, a story popped into my head. The imagery from the song was so strong the story was almost immediately there. It took me a while to work out all the details for the story, but once I did, I had to write it. That has happened other times too; a song has inspired a character or a setting or plot points. I wonder if stories do the same for song writers? Music also provides me […]
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On Friday I had the good fortune to be interviewed for a piece on Global News Calgary. You can read and see the whole thing here.
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We have finally managed to get Amazon to put SotA:Zombie Plague up for $0.99. I meant to have that happen back in May, but for whatever reason, Amazon didn’t want to play nice and nothing could convince them to change their minds. If you have been curious about the hype around the book, now is the time to pick it up. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074P8CVD5. Enjoy.
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I’ve heard different opinions about book awards from different publishers. On the one extreme, I’ve had publishers say awards don’t mean anything. They don’t really make any difference in book sales. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve had publishers say awards are critical. They can make a book and a writer’s career. I’m somewhere in the middle (maybe I lean a little towards “Awards are important”). I think a book award can absolutely sell books. A book award can increase awareness. A book award can open doors that might remain closed otherwise. A book award can move a career forward. But…why do I feel that way? I feel that way because I know some readers look for “Award […]
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I went on a week’s vacation a little while ago and the last thing I did before I left the house was reboot my computer. That was also the last time I saw it alive. It (the computer) made the unfortunate decision to refuse to reboot. Because I was going out of town and had my backup laptop available, I didn’t worry too much. I could fix it when I got home (I told myself). That was two weeks ago. Fortunately, all of my data is backed up in at least two different places. I have spent several hours working on said computer and only last night did I see the faintest glimmer of life come back to its old, […]
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For those of you who are unaware, Canada celebrates its 150th birthday as a country July 1st, 2017. I am so proud of this wonderful country I live in and I want to wish all Canadians a joyous Canada Day!
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I have this nasty (or is it merely foolish?) habit of taking too much on. Too many writing projects, too many volunteer jobs. Just…too many. I can go great guns for a long period of time but, when I stop to smell the roses I have a hard time getting things going again. That was the case with the release of Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. It was a LOT of work to get it ready and out. Now that it’s in print, I still have work to do promoting it plus there’s all the other stuff. Getting underway on all that other stuff is proving to be difficult. It doesn’t help that it’s summer and spending time out-of-doors […]
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My copies of Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War have arrived and I couldn’t be happier. They are beautiful and I love the cover more and more every time I look at it. Even better, I was concerned that, because it was significantly different from the first book cover, I would find the difference too jarring. I needn’t have worried. They compliment each other in a way that is really fantastic. I’ve noticed that the print copies are still only available on Amazon.com. I will work to correct that. In the mean time, if you want your own copy (or copies or even other books of mine), please email me (use author at michellplested dot com to contact me). Let […]
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The world has gone mad. The living are gone, replaced by the mindless undead. The good news: a cure has been found. The bad news: whatever has animated the mindless undead is failing, and what’s left cannot be saved. All that stands between extinction and survival of the human race is a small group of Scouts with a plan. Will their determination and training be enough? Will they be able to use what they’ve learned to restore the undead or is the human race doomed? Whatever the answer, the Scouts are going to do their very best to overcome this disaster. Amazon Amazon Kindle Kobo
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Finally. After months of work and more than a little stress (yeah, I care too much), Scouts of the Apocalyse: Zombie War is now available for purchase. The print copy is available on Amazon (it hasn’t flowed through to other distributors yet) and the eBook copy can be purchased pretty much anywhere eBooks are sold. I’m very happy with the way the book turned out. I hope you can pick up a copy and let me know if I’ve succeeded with this one. 🙂
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Today is a red letter day. It was just announced that Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience has made the Prix Aurora Award Ballot for 2017. Read about that here. This is my second time on the ballot (first appeared with Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero) and, with your help, this might be the year. To vote, you must become a CSFFA member (at a cost of $10 Cdn). What that membership gets you in relation to this ballot is ebook copies of most of the books that are on the ballot (including mine). That’s over twenty books for $10. A deal by any definition. I would love your support on this. Every vote is important (last year, the difference between first and third place was […]
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I was interviewed a couple weeks ago by Joshua Pantalleresco. You can listen to that interview here.
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We’re almost there. That single statement fills me with both joy and dread. Joy that I will be sharing a book that I think readers will enjoy/Dread at the possibility readers might not enjoy it. I think that Joy/Dread cycle probably exists for every single writer out there. Realizing that is what keeps me moving forward. That, and I believe in the book. I think it’s a great sequel to the first book in the trilogy. Next steps: complete layout, generate the proof copy, proof the book, generate the eBooks and send it to the printer. I know those sound like a lot of next steps but, believe me, we are in the home stretch.
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There are many costs in producing a book whether you are a big press or a self-publishing independent. Some of them are obvious and some much less so, especially if you don’t live in the United States. For example, to produce a professional-quality book (note, I didn’t say, “bestseller” or “best-written”) there are several things you need to have and do. The one cost I don’t talk about is the cost of time. That’s a given. To produce anything worthwhile will take time. You’ve got to be prepared to invest that. Editing There are two main types of editing that I’m talking about here: developmental and line. You need both. Some editors do one kind, some the other. Occasionally you […]
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I received my final line edits last night for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. This is very good news indeed. It means, the book is almost finished and ready for publication. Only a few steps are left: final edit of the story, layout of the novel and printing of the novel. It is my hope to have the first two done by the end of the weekend. Then I can refocus on the other books I’m writing. Unfortunately, those books have taken a bit of a backseat the past few weeks as I’ve worked (also stressed about) exclusively on Scouts. I’m sure JR Murdock will be very happy to have me working on Jack Kane and the Kaiser which […]
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I’m not sure why it is, but the book cover always makes me realize a book is almost complete. To that end, it was with great excitement that I received the cover for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. It is very different than the cover for the first book and very awesome. I am so happy to share it with you all. In case you are wondering, the print edition will be available in June of this year. If you are interested in your own, signed copy, please let me know. 🙂
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Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War is so close to being done, I can almost taste it. I have one little scene to work on and it is off for final line edits. I also know my my excellent cover artist is working on another amazing cover. He is creating some special Scout badges for the cover that I might just have to get made up for sale. They are uber-cool and may be the first thing I put in my storefront when I’ve finished building it (the new host has great plug-ins that should enable that easily). And, speaking of the new host, did you notice any difference in the website? If I’ve done it correctly, the answer should […]
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I received a renewal notice from my hosting company about three weeks ago. They want to boost the cost of this website by about double what I currently pay. And, what I currently pay is more than double what I paid when I first signed up. When I looked at what is out there for quality hosting, I learned (quickly) that I have options. Many, many options. So many, in fact, I could change my hosting company daily for several months without ever duplicating hosts. I also quickly learned that what I was being offered as a renewal price was upwards of eight times more than I can get elsewhere as an introductory deal. I do realize that after the […]
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I have several “tricks” that allow me to write consistently and productively. They come from self-observing what hasn’t worked for me. Maybe some of these things will help you out too. Remove distractions – there are several things that pull me away from writing effectively. Television is a BIG one. I’ve tried many times to write while watching TV. In every case I’ve never managed any kind of quantity or quality of words. The same is true, to a much lesser extent, with music. In both cases (and with other more minor distractions), the best thing to do is get away from them. Turn off the television or your music. Give your mind the opportunity to only focus on the […]
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Yesterday, I finished my first full-pass edits for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. That puts the book one step closer to its planned June release. Finishing a book in the first place is a big deal. Getting it ready for publication is too, especially when this is my second series to hit multiple books. By the end of this year, I will have four series that have at least two titles. I think that’s a hint to myself that I should finish my book series before I start new ones. It’s just, new ideas are SO much fun to explore, darn it! 🙂 There is still a lot to do. The book will have a second edit/revision pass and […]
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I have lots of things I want to do. For example, I want to redesign this web page to make it more Young Adult friendly. I want to create a complete set of class materials for my books to make them more accessible to teachers. I want…well, let’s just stop there, shall we? I think you get the point. The problem is, I also want to write books while I give my family the time it deserves. I’m also involved in a few community organizations. This is where the 24-hours-in-a-day limit gets in the way. What I need to do is finish the three books I’m currently working on and then do the other stuff. A web page redesign might […]
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Have you ever had an experience where the words almost seemed to write themselves? Perhaps you didn’t realize it at the time and only saw it much later when you reread your stuff. A good indication is when you read it and say to yourself, “Gee, I can actually write!” I had that happen last night. It was almost like I was either (a) possessed by a real writer, (b) channeling the spirit of a writer (who has passed), or (c) I’m actually a writer who can put good words down from time-to-time. If the answer was either (a) or (b), I’m thankful to have been the vessel that actually brought the words to life. If it was (c) then […]
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Writing is a solitary venture and I often lose sight of the fact that without you, my friends and fans, this life would be a hollow endeavour. Kind of a melancholy way to begin a post, wouldn’t you say? It’s not meant to be. Not at all. In fact, it is a statement of truth and a wake up call for me. I wish I were less self-absorbed and didn’t need these sorts of calls to realize just what I have. In the past week, I have lost two people. One a cousin and friend, the other an acquaintance and member of my writing community. The passings of both came as a shock to me. The kind of shock that […]
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I came to the realization last week that at this point in my writing career I would much rather have reviews than sales. I know that sounds odd, but there’s a very good reason I say that. The more reviews a books has (specifically on Amazon) the more likely it is to be featured and actually show up in someone’s recommendations (who isn’t associated with the author). I always find it laugh-worthy when Amazon recommends my own books to me, especially when I realize I’m probably one of the few people getting that recommendation. I either laugh or I cry. I choose to laugh. I know I’ve made the offer before but I will make it again. If you are […]
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Last week I received the revisions from my lovely editor for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. Ordinarily, I’m am of mixed feelings about revisions. On the one hand, revisions let me make my story better; I’m able to add some of the nuances that I missed the first time. More detail and more emotion tend to find their way into the story. Plot holes are plugged Sometimes the book goes in a slightly different direction, which has the feeling of entering an alternate dimension (I’m trying to put it in the best possible light here). On the other hand, revisions mean I’m ripping apart my precious story. It is work that doesn’t always feel productive and…well, simply put, it […]
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At this very moment I am trying my very best not to pull up my editor’s document and get to work on revising Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. If I succumb to the temptation, I won’t be much good for anything else for several days. This is an important book for me because it represents a few things. First, it is book two of the trilogy. That means I will soon be closer to the end than the beginning. That is really cool. Second, it represents a much bigger cast of characters, more going on and, really…the whole world is at stake. That makes the revisions even more important in that I have so much opportunity to enrich the […]
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I made some promises to my Wattpad readers earlier this year. That promise was to start writing and releasing GalaxyBillies 2 in Wattpad. I had hoped to have chapters available in the early Fall but that didn’t work out. Too many other things were demanding my time. I realize, I almost couldn’t come out with a Chapter later in the year than now, but I try to always keep my promises. To that end, the first chapter of GalaxyBillies 2 is now available on Wattpad. I hope you will take a moment to follow the link and have a read (and perhaps vote and comment too).
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I set a goal for myself to complete Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War before Christmas. Then I hit a great writing pattern and it looked like it would be done a bit before that. I reset my goal to finish by December 18th. I managed to finish it December 16th. I had a fantastic final writing sprint, knocking over 3,000 words off on Scouts alone. I finished the day with over 5,000 words total (wrote a short story for a Winter Anthology too). It was a day full of win. Of course, the journey is far from over. My Alpha Readers now get a few weeks to pick the story apart and make suggestions for revision. I know there […]
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I’ve known there would be a sequel to Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Plague since before I ever wrote the book. I’ve even had the broad, overarching story plotted for a long time. It was getting to the actual writing that proved problematic. I made the decision back at the beginning of November that I would have the first draft complete by Christmas. I made a spreadsheet to track my progress and fancied it up by having it calculate how many words I needed every day to hit the mark. Then I wrote new words. And then I let it sit for almost a week-and-a-half. The entire time it sat, I agonized about it; why wasn’t I writing? So, after […]
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I have long believed that the best way to get better as a writer is to write (reading is important too, but writing is where the rubber meets the road). I have also said many times, you can’t edit anything that hasn’t been written down. I haven’t been practicing those beliefs as much as I should be. I have an excuse for that, and believe me, it is an excuse. It’s one I suspect many fledgling professional authors have faced. The excuse is this: I want every book I write to be better than the last. At first glance that probably looks like a good goal to reach for and it is. However, and here is how it has become […]
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I just looked at my last post and realized it has been two weeks since I blogged last. TWO WEEKS! How did that ever happen? Is it that I don’t have anything to say? Um…sure, let’s go with that. Or maybe not. In actuality, I have had a couple extremely busy weeks since I last posted. That is, of course, an excuse. Busy or not, if getting a post out was a priority none of the rest of the stuff would have mattered. Unfortunately for the website, everything I was dealing with WAS important. So, I didn’t blog. I did do a little writing though. I just broke 14,000 words on Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. That is a […]
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When I first took the NaNoWriMo challenge back in 2005 I was worried. Worried I didn’t have the right (or is it write?) stuff to succeed. I had just spent seven years completing my first novel. How could I possibly write another (albeit shorter) novel in just thirty days? I did my research – I read everything I could about NaNo – including strategies on how to win. I also saw a lot of the Poo Pooing some of the professional authors of the day were doing. “Only junk can be written so quickly.” “It is a waste of time.” “Just a bunch of wannabes pretending to be real writers.” Those were only a few of the negative comments I […]
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I just saw the movie trailer for Logan and, while I’m excited for the movie, I’m also dreading it. Wolverine has long been a favorite character of mine. In fact, I probably have been a fan for more than thirty years. That makes the theme of the movie somewhat melancholy for me. It faces the aging and perhaps even death of someone dear to me. That may sound a bit strong for what is in reality a fantasy. A fictional character. You might even question my grasp on what is real and what isn’t. But, I ask you to consider this: characters from books, television and movies offer something real people often can’t. You as the reader/viewer get to experiences […]
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I have a number of writing projects on the go right now and I’m excited to say, forward progress is being made. The first of those projects is the sequel to the novel I co-wrote with JR Murdock. That book is Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty, a steampunk/superhero/YA novel. We started writing the sequel a year ago and, due to a number of life complications for us both, we stopped writing over the summer. Well, we are close to 25% finished our first draft and I’ve got to say, it is better than the first (and let me tell you, the first was some of the most fun writing I’ve ever had I’ve ever done). I think we […]
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Hi there. Mik Murdoch here. My biographer, Michell Plested, has kindly allowed me to talk a little about my newest adventure. For those of you who have been following my adventures, you know that I decided to become a superhero a couple years ago. The one problem I was up against? I didn’t have any super powers (note: Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero). I was and still am an avid comic book reader and I have read countless stories about ordinary people like me who regularly get super powers of their own. If they could do it, why not me? Turns out, comic book people have a slightly easier time to get super powers than people in the regular world. That […]
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I’ve been give a lot of thought about brand lately. What am I exactly? Author, YA Author, cheerleader? This line of thought has come from a couple different incidents. The first was a request for my website link so promotion could happen for an upcoming Christmas fair. I’m going to have a table at said fair where I will be selling and signing books. Then I had a request for my business card from a young mother who was considering buying my books for her child. Both requests got me asking myself, “How do I want my target audience to see me?” Don’t get me wrong, I love interacting with other writers through my blog. But am I reaching my […]
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One of the exciting things for me as both a reader and a writer is watching our characters evolve, grow and most importantly, grow up. It’s rewarding to experience their growth. It’s also a little melancholy. Take, for example, the Harry Potter series. We readers get to see Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest get older, smarter and more accomplished with each book. We enjoy their successes, lament their failures..and mourn those characters that die over the course of the series. When the books were done, we knew that the adventures we lived vicariously through the characters were over. At least that series of adventures. And nothing would ever be the same. It’s very much like being a parent. We […]
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As you may know, Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience, the third book in the Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero series is now available. To celebrate the new book, I will be holding a book launch Saturday, September 24th at Crowfoot Chapters (11 – 4 PM). Please come by if you would like your very own signed copy. I am also looking into doing an online event at the same time. I will post more if that comes to fruition. 🙂 Finally, if you would like you own signed copy, email me with your name and address and I will let you know what the total costs (including shipping) would be.
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I’ve been guilty of setting high expectations for myself throughout my life. Things like, if I work my butt off this year, I will show my boss I deserve that raise. Then, when I do my part and the other party doesn’t quite live up to their end of the bargain, I’m disappointed and frustrated. Usually when that happened (in the past) I started looking elsewhere. Let me tell you, moving jobs really sucks, even when you only do it every four or five years. The same has been true of my writing journey. If I write good stuff, am friendly, promote others and help out where and when I can, surely good things will happen, won’t they? Except, I’m […]
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I remember when I first told someone I was writing a book. His response? “I can’t wait to read it so I can get into your head.” I won’t lie, his answer freaked me out more than a little. I’ve also experienced the fear that my work won’t be good enough. The question, “What if people hate it,” has run its course through my head more times than I would care to admit. When one of my novels was picked up for publication, I put some of those fears aside. I mean, surely someone wouldn’t publish the book if it was complete rubbish, right? Also, I would have a professional editor to help me polish it to a brilliant shine. […]
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Today I go to When Words Collide 2016 where I will be representing my author-self and Evil Alter Ego Press. Two hats, one large head. Over the course of the weekend, I will be hosting a book social (Friday at 5 PM), sitting a panel, holding several pitch sessions and doing a signing. Those are the official tasks. Unofficially, I hope to reconnect with many of the writer friends I have out there and get new ideas for the press. Maybe even find a book or two. It will be busy, but fun, I think. I will be bringing plenty of books to sell and sign not to mention business cards to hand out. If you are going, please come […]
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Huzzah! Today, August 1st, 2016, my newest book, Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience is finally available. This book represents so many different things for me. It is the third book in my Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero series. It is my first new book since the series was acquired by Evil Alter Ego Press AND it is my fifth novel! I’ve heard enough people say the third in the series and the fifth book are both turning points for an author. I’m eager to see if that’s true or not. 🙂 I’m not foolish enough to think it will magically change everything. Still lots of work to do on my end to promote and garner interest. If you know a reader aged seven […]
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Mik Murdoch has done a lot in his short career as a superhero. He’s discovered the Cave of Wonders, battled giant glowing turkeys, and rescued a legendary creature. So when mysterious snow circles start appearing in the fields around Cranberry Flats, it looks like it’ll be business as usual. Except, a voice in his dreams is warning him to ignore the circles. And when disaster strikes, Mik is faced with a number of tough choices – choices that make him begin to doubt himself and his decisions. Is he making things better or worse for his town? Is he solving the mysteries around him, or is he simply running around putting everyone at risk? Will the voices end up helping […]
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I am sitting on pins and needles right now and for good (I think) reason. Book 3 in my Mik Murdoch series (Mik Murdoch, Crisis of Conscience) is about to launch and like many authors about to launch a book, I don’t know if people will love or hate it. Just for the record, I hope it is universally loved. Shocking revelation, I know. 🙂 I will say, I was told by a beta reader, “It’s the best thing you’ve ever written.” All I can say to that is, “Thanks Mom!” 😉 Seriously though, the eBook is already available everywhere for pre-order. Where the excessive worry comes from is the print version. I am waiting on the proof copy before […]
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The new book is almost available. No re-release here. Brand spanking new! Very happy to finally be able to bring you the third book in the series in August. The new cover keeps the Mik Murdoch brand alive and well. Let me know what you think. 🙂
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You have been seeing me talk a lot about the relaunch of my Mik Murdoch series. Book 1 (Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero) was released June 1st (2016), book 2 (Mik Murdoch: The Power Within) will be released July 1st (2016 – only a few days from now) and the brand new, Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience is coming August 1st (also 2016). As I’ve been working to get them ready to publish I’ve had the opportunity to reread every one of the books and see the progression of the story and the character. Along the way, I’ve learned a few lessons about series writing that I want to share with you here. Lesson 1 – Have a High-level Idea How […]
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When Evil Alter Ego Press acquired the rights for my Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero series, it was always the plan to re-release the books quickly. I had even (in a moment of insanity) proposed we bring the first two books out the same time. Of course, there is always more that can be done to a book; in the case of Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero and Mik Murdoch: The Power Within the cover was being reworked and the known typos could be fixed. That took time. EAEP decided to bring Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero out June 1st and Mik Murdoch: The Power Within out July 1st. I am delighted to say, both have/will meet those release dates. Mik Murdoch, Boy […]
The post The Mik Murdoch train keeps chugging along appeared first on Irreverent Muse.
How did the book come out? First of all, thank you, Michell, for letting me come on to your blog and talk about my new book, Winter’s Secrets. This is a project that has been near and dear to my heart for the last several years, and finally seeing it in published form has been awesome. It’s been a long ride, though. Molly, Schrodinger and Carter’s Cove came into being as part of an Advent story that I first created back in 2010 as a present for my fans. I’ve always loved Advent calendars: we had a large paper calendar when I was a child, a Victorian house decorated for Christmas. Every day, Santa would move one room closer to […]
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After a very brief hiatus, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero is once again available for purchase and download. As you no doubt know, Evil Alter Ego Press (EAEP) acquired the rights to the Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero series the beginning of May. Since that time, things have been moving extremely fast and book one, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero is once again available. The book has undergone a few, subtle changes. It has been edited for better readability and the cover, while still sporting the original iconic image, is now a gorgeous wrap-around. Oh yes, and it has a new, lower price too! If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience Mik Murdoch yet, please take a moment and go here to […]
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Believe it or not, an author’s success is not based on selling books…at least, not just on selling books. Okay, I realize that is a counter-intuitive statement, but let me explain. If I sell 100 books to friends and family who have me sign said books to go up on their shelves, all I’ve done is sent 100 books out into the world to collect dust. Those friends and family who don’t actually read the books might tell the occasional visitor (who asks about the book) about how they have a friend or family member who is a writer. Likely, that is where the word-of-mouth promotion ends. On the other hand, if I sell 20 books to strangers who read […]
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I’ve been away from writing new work for a while and it is weighing heavily on me. I haven’t added any words to Scouts 2, Jack Kane 2 or anything on Wattpad. Why? Cause I’m a publisher now too. You probably already know this but, my partner Jeffrey Hite and I started the press, Evil Alter Ego Press (EAEP) just over a year ago. Last year we published three books. This year it will be more (four in the next four months or so). Granted, three of those books were previously printed by another publisher but we still need to go through all the right steps to ensure quality books come out the other end. That means editing, proofing, layout and […]
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I’ve been working very hard to get Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero ready for print. Ever since my former publisher and I agreed to part ways, I have been planning for the relaunch. It will happen June 1st, 2016 and I couldn’t be happier. The book will feature a familiar, but improved, cover. I’ve had a crack team of proof readers going through the book with a fine-toothed comb to iron out some of the issues and clunky bits of the story. Evil Alter Ego Press (EAEP) will be offering the book at a much-reduced price (and the eBook for $0.99 too). In other words, Mik Murdoch 2.0 should be improved in almost every way. And it doesn’t end there. Mik […]
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The acquisition of my books by Evil Alter Ego Press (EAEP) means I can’t quite focus on new writing. At least, not yet. Every book, published or unpublished, has errors in it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book without a few. That being said, EAEP wants to put out the best product possible. That means more time put into reviewing/revising. New layout. New cover. All that good stuff. Fortunately, I have some wonderful people working with me on all of that. The refreshed cover for the first book is complete and I have word-police sifting through the book as we speak. I expect the resulting product to be glorious. You may say, “But the new cover looks like […]
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I’ve been vaguely hinting about a big announcement for a few weeks now. The time has finally come where I make the big reveal. So, here goes… The print and eBook rights for Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero and all books in the series have been acquired by Evil Alter Ego Press (EAEP) effective April 30th. What does this mean? Five Rivers Press has removed all distribution for the series and will no longer publish the series. The books are currently considered out-of-print and are only available as used books. Effectively, I am no longer a Five Rivers author. As of June 1, 2016, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero will be available for purchase as a print and eBook from Evil Alter […]
The post The Big Announcement appeared first on Irreverent Muse.
I have a major announcement coming up (Sunday) that has essentially killed my writing productivity. Instead, I’ve been preparing for the announcement and everything it means going forward. Trust me when I say, the waiting has been VERY difficult. I hate being idle but the creativity just isn’t there so I have to live with it. I’m not actually writing this post to intentionally tease you either. I just realized that I’ve been silent for almost two weeks and I wanted to let you know I AM still alive. In other News I will be at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo again this year (as a spectator-only). […]
The post Waiting (Im)patiently appeared first on Irreverent Muse.
Have you ever been working on a story and it’s almost there, but there is something missing? Maybe it needs a character or a scene or a plot point that would change the work from pretty good to fantastic? In my case, I’ve been thinking about my next Mik Murdoch novel. For those of you who have been paying attention, I have been talking about Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience. That book WILL be coming out soon. The exact date is still a closely guarded secret but, I promise, will be announced in a few weeks. No, the book I’m thinking of is Mik 4. The final title is still a while away from being decided. Anyway…I started thinking about […]
The post The Missing Link appeared first on Irreverent Muse.
There are a number of changes coming in my life, none bad…just different. I know I’m teasing you a bit here because I haven’t given any details. Just be assured that I will be making an announcement in a few weeks. It will involve my books (naturally) and what’s coming and how soon. I know I’m excited to share and I hope you are happy with what you hear. In other news, GalaxyBillies is the little train that could. If you don’t know what GalaxyBillies is, it is a serialized story I wrote and podcast a few years ago. Two years ago I decided to put it up on Wattpad. It did okay until it was featured. That’s when it […]
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I first read the novel, Tunnel in the Sky when I was barely into my teens and it is a story that has always stuck with me. It tells the far-future tale of a school group that goes off-planet for their final exam. To pass, they need to survive several days in an unknown, alien environment filled will predators and prey (some of whom are human on both sides of the scale). There is a problem and the several days becomes a much, much longer period of time. The story fascinated me then and still does today for many of the same reasons. Surviving and even thriving when the odds are stacked up against you is a theme that resonates […]
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A few years ago, JR Murdock and I wrote a book titled Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty. We were both delighted with how it turned out and were convinced it would one day see print. Then, a couple years ago it was accepted by Champagne/Burst Books for publication. The model Champagne/Burst Books follows is, e-book first and, if it generates enough interest, then a print book. It was released in e-book formats in June of last year. Sunday, I learned that it was now available as a print book. You can purchase it right now from the Champagne Books store here. It will be available on Amazon in the next few weeks. If you have been waiting for […]
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When I was in grade school I read everything. Or, at least, I tried to read everything. When I got to the “Classics” like Moby Dick, Three Musketeers, Don Juan and many others, I just couldn’t get through them. The language was too dense and odd to my teenage eye. Recently I started reading Dracula. I had nothing else to read at the time and decided to fight my way through it if for no other reason than to say I’d done it. I can now see why some people gravitate to the “Classics”. The language is rich, the characters are proper and polite and the detail makes the prose extremely vivid. You feel like you know the characters when […]
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All, Prix Aurora awards season is here again. Please take a moment to get a $10 membership and nominate Scouts of the Apocalypse for a Prix Aurora (YA Best novel). And while you are at it, nominate Suzy Vadori’s The Fountain in the same category. Membership gives you the ability to nominate AND you will get e-book versions of the finalist books when they are announced for free. Please do this by Saturday (March 19, 2016). Go here: http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/ Thank you, -Michell
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I’ve heard many different opinions on Writer’s Block. Some people deny its existence while others say it is absolutely a real thing. Regardless of where you stand on the issue (I personally don’t deny it but don’t really believe in it either), there are times when writing is hard. Maybe impossible. So, how do you overcome it? Well, before we come up with some strategies to overcome the problem, it would be wise to understand what might be causing it. Let me list a few of the reasons I’ve had difficulty writing and then I will relay some of my own strategies to get past the problems. Causes of Writer’s Block You don’t know what’s supposed to come next in […]
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