The Update for August 24, 2011

After a tumultuous ten days (whoo, boy, was it!), I'm back to report some real progress on a number of fronts.

I rediscovered in the Long Project work that beginnings are not always hard.  I expected problems visualizing the scene, as I really hadn't "seen" it in my head (scenes of my work tend to go though my head like movie trailers; it's how I roll, especially early in the process). The notes I had taken were enough to manage and I blocked the first scene of the work at surprising speed and dexterity, complete with OS and OHS moments.  Now I see it all right, including lighting and costumes and I can hardly get it out of my head.  I'll be filling in some of the supporting notework next time (useful in the rest of the work, so I don't have to watch for detail slip-ups in editing) and it's on to the next scene.  I'm especially pleased about this as it's a sort-of rescue of a work that has been manifesting itself in fits and starts since November of 2009.  I knew the project was important (both to myself and the Turning Springs world) and kept hacking away at it until it became what I wanted it to be.  Don't give up; change it until it becomes what you wanted.  Here endeth the lesson.

The Short Project progresses apace, and I'll be working now in the last part of scene five.  I can see the end of the tunnel there.  I'm having a lot of fun with this project.  Though I don't write in dialect for foreign English speakers, I try to portray the words and rhythm of the language that a foreign speaker might use.  Throwing in bits of the native language helps, too, which is why I took some time to research Swedish while writing.  When dealing with familiar accents, that works, but if I was to make up a nationality, I'm not sure how I'd proceed.  Probably the same way.  Solutions do present themselves to the things that require doing, it seems.  Hmm.  Guess the lesson wasn't quite over.  Eth.

I'll close this update with the Marketing that I've been doing for Turning Springs.  I've enlisted help from my wife for ad placement (thankyouthankyouthankyou), which will help a lot.  Primarily, I've been working on a re-release/re-edit of the book to be issued at the beginning of September.  How close to the beginning is anyone's guess, but that's what I'm shooting for.  I don't plan any sweeping changes, just a few word choices, closing a hole or two, and adding a bookmarked table of contents (a feature not available at Smashwords dot com for the first release).  I'll then use that version to issue a print copy (!) through WordClay.  That will take me a bit of time, so, in the meantime, I've got a few ideas for a coupon-for-review program.  Do a review, get a discount on the next book.  Don't know how I'll work that, but I'll make it work somehow.

In the process of re-editing Turning Springs, I have to re-read it, of course, something I haven't done since I finished it over a year ago.  It's been a surprisingly positive experience, a reminder that the reason why I'm selling this is because it's a good story with captivating characters and exciting situations.  Not just worth buying but worth the work to sell it.  Don't forget to re-read your finished work every so often; it restores your faith in your abilities during periods of flagging sales and indifferent response.

Okay, now I'm done.  Eth.

The Update

The system seems to be working very well.  And I'm making tangible progress.

Long project hit an important milestone.  I've finished all the notes.  Next session starts blocking and filling reference docs.  This is going to be fun!

I finished another scene in the short project (finished 4 of 8), but I'm really feeling the absence of some of the reference docs I didn't fill out ("it's a short project, I can muddle through without them").  Muddle is right.  I'm having to update them as I go, which is a PITN.  Slows me down a little, but still plugging away.

Still working on marketing, too, press release nightmares notwithstanding.  Got some help, though, so I'm wading through that.  Just waiting until I have enough time to get the cards done.  I'll post the design to my Public Access site once those are finished.

Gotta mosey.  This other stuff isn't going to do itself.  Thanks for watching!