Protect the Work

The Universe has been sending me that message a lot lately. Lilith Saintcrow had blog post about the subject. She pointed to an essay by Jenny Cruisie. Even Jenny's writing partner Bob Mayer said something to the effect of focusing on the story how ever it works for you.

Maybe that's part of why I don't understand other writers' need for external validation. Maybe that's part of why I dislike writers and artists depending on AI.

And it goes back to trusting your muse.

I often refer to my Subconscious as my muse. And for her to do her magic, I need to sleep.

After the extra sleep post surgeries, the internal brain switch flicked into insomnia for the last week and a half. Which is as bad as oversleeping. *sigh*

However, I have done very little new writing since before Thanksgiving between re-editing the third volume of Millersburg Magick Mysteries and dealing with the eye surgeries.

And with the last couple of nights of normal 8-9 hours of sleep, Subconscious has been weaving her magick tapestry. I've woken up and immediately wanted to start on the stories she suggested. At least the ones I can legally write about. LOL But it's her hint that she's ready to get back to work.

So for me, doing the little things to protect the work include appropriate sleep, a working laptop. and never showing a story to anyone until it's done.

YMMV

Back to School

Nope, not GK. Me.

It's been a while since I've taken any formal classes regarding writing craft. As in years, which is a little sloppy of me since I really do believe in continuing education no matter what your career is.

Anyway, Dean Wesley Smith suggested I take his Depth in Writing online class before attending the Anthology Workshop in February. Not only has it been a while since I've taken a class, it's been even longer since I had homework.

So of course, the old performance anxiety reared its head because the class starts today. Last night's sleep was riddled with the nightmares where it's finals week and I haven't even cracked open the book. Or I forgot to drop a class and it's too late, so now I'm going to get an "F" because I haven't attended the class all semester.

Sometimes, my Subconscious can be a total bitch!

Maintenance Morning

I got up this morning, and instead of writing, I got caught up on a lot of maintenance tasks since I plan a massive writing expedition to my favorite haunt tonight.

- Entered basic information on A Matter of Death for its two ISBNs.
- Added the new covers to Bowker for one of Alter Ego's series.
- Tracked down the internet pages for Alter Ego's books on Apple, and updated the links on the general info documents.
- Started entering Alter Ego's revised series into Google Play
- Took down Alter Ego's series from her account on Amazon in order to add to the publisher's account.
- Started entering Alter Ego's revised covers and updated book files to Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.
- Realized the ending for Hero De Novo needs to come from someone else's perspective, so I can tie up loose ends and still leave room for expansion in case sales warrant another book in the 888-555-HERO universe.
- Jotted down some notes for HDN's ending so I'd know where to pick up this evening.
- Toying with the idea of a crossover event between my various universes, a la Michael Moorcock's Universal Champion. It tickles me, but would the readers go for it?

Sometimes, I need the mundane redundancy of office task work in order for my Subconscious to come up with an alternant storyline for a wip.

Cleaning the bathroom when I'm stuck on a story can do in a pinch, but the business clerical work is what keeps my publishing company going, too.

Now, it's off to write!

When the Muse Dangles the New Shiny

We writers have enough problems focusing on whatever we're currently writing. Invariably, our muses like to tempt us away from the current file/page with some awesome new idea.

The temptation often happens when we've hit a sagging middle, or worse, when we're near completion of the current work-in-progress. My muse is no different than any one else's.

So of course, I dream a story last story. I mean it's tons better than the nightmares that have plagued me for the last three months. But still, the last thing I need is another story when I've got a ton of partially finished manuscripts THAT I MUST FINISH! I mean, the readers have been patiently waiting for these stories for the months I've been dealing with my cancer.

What's worse is this idea is not even fantasy. It's a weird combination of This Is Us and A Million Little Things, two TV shows I don't even watch.

Normally, I write a page of any new idea, just to get it out of my head, before I return back to my wip. But this crazy idea isn't even in my wheelhouse! And worse, the muse cast the idea with several actors from the cast and guest stars of Friends as a further method to tempt me. And no, it wasn't funny, not funny at all, but the type of serious drama the other two shows I mentioned above would do.

And this idea will not leave me alone!

GAH! I wasn't joking when I've said my muse/subconscious was a bitch!

Listening to Your Subconscious

Yesterday, I mentioned having my Subconscious yelling at me when I was doing something wrong. Here's a concrete example of why I believe we writers should listen to our inner voices.

Did you know the original main characters for my first urban fantasy novel were supposed to be Duncan and Phillippa?

Yep, that's right. Duncan had a bit more of a sense of humor back in the early '00's, and he was Greek, not English. Phil was a vampire, not an Amazon demigoddess. She contemplated a restraining order against him for stalking when he walked into her nightclub, but she knew someone showing up every fifty years or so wouldn't fly with a mortal judge. Alex was Duncan's best buddy, and he was a former Texas Ranger from the beginning. But he was the one Duncan rescued from rogues who'd bit him.

I loved the concept. I loved the characters. Except no matter how I tried, the freakin' story just wouldn't gel.  So I gave myself a break and started toying with a sequel for Alex. A reporter named Samantha learns about him, but for some strange reason he couldn't erase her memory. Neither could Duncan or Phil when Alex told them about her.

That story wouldn't come together either. I was the proverbial frustrated newbie writer. Until Subconscious yanked my attention to her solution through a dream.

The scene in Zombie Love where Duncan and Sam are chased to Phil's antique store? And Sam stabs Sierra Mallory in the chest with a wooden spoon? But Sierra's not dead, and she opens her eyes, Sam literally climbs up Duncan's body trying to get away?

Yeah, I literally woke myself up laughing at that scene/dream.

And once I set Duncan up with Sam and Alex with Phil, the words started to flow like melted chocolate.

By the time everything's said and done next year, I'll have written nine full-length novels, two short novels, and two short stories in the Bloodlines series.

Because I got out of my own way and listened to my Subconscious. She can be a pretty smart bitch when it comes to storytelling. I suggest listening to your Subconscious once in a while, too.

My Subconscious 2: The Bitch Is Back

I've complained about my subconscious before. A little over five years ago in fact.

Well, the bitch is back, and she's taking things to a new level.

From 6th grade through law school, I'd have nightmares right before classes started. The most common one involved me panicking because I hadn't gone to one particular class all year, but I forgot to go to the admin/registrar's office to drop it. I'm desperately cramming for the class because if I didn't take the test, I'd fail all classes for the semester.

I graduated from law school in 1998. I haven't attended an official "school" for nearly twenty years. Yet, I've been having that Selket-damned recurring dream a lot over the last five months. By the way, a lot means nearly every night. Think I'm a little panicked about my writing career right now?

I don't know why I'm freaking out NOW! I'm getting things back on track. I've published two  Alter Ego short stories. One of them was accepted for republication by a small publisher. I submitted a "Suzan Harden" short story to another small publisher. A Question of Balance is almost ready to go to my formatter. Zombie Goddess is making headway again after the April flu-from-hell hiatus. And the lovely Deanna Sanchez, who was the narrator for the Far-Fetched Fables podcast of "Justice," and I are discussing her narrating "Diplomacy in the Dark."

Things are bouncing along smashingly as a U.K. friend would say.

*sigh* I hate my subconscious. She can be such a bitch sometimes.


P.S. The podcast featuring Ms. Sanchez reading my work is still available for download at Far-Fetched Fables. On iTunes, you'll want Far-Fetched Fables No. 38. Oops! FFF#38 is no longer available on iTunes.

Bitch Stabbed Me in the Back!

Who is the bitch, you might ask?

My own fucking subconscious, that's who.

I sing her praises, tell others how often she gotten me out of plot scrapes, rely on her to flesh out my characters, and what does she do?

She throws all my insecurities in my face.

The other night I dreamed I'm in a store, perusing the magazine rack.  I'm thumbing through a dream version of Entertainment Weekly when I stumble across an article about two people I know.  There's matching full-page spreads about the movies coming out based on books written by these two.  The article goes on to describe their rise to the NYT list, and how their next book contracts are estimated to be the seven figure range.

[Now, I know these two people in real life.  They've both worked their asses off to get where they are and are very successful authors, but in reality, it's nowhere near the level described in my dream magazine.]

As I'm reading the article, Bruce Campbell, in his Coach Boomer persona, leaps into the room.  He aims the blade of his hand at me and yells, "Sidekick!"

Thanks, Subconscious.  Thanks a lot.

[If you don't get the movie reference, download, rent or buy Sky High.  A little formulaic, but funny as hell.]