Music of The Moment

So I thought I would start sharing more of the music I'm listening to, because I listen to a lot of it.

I like a bit of everything, but I go through phases. I always like pop and indie, but everything else - rock, screamo, rap, foreign music - all comes in waves and phases, where I'll only listen to rap or K-pop for a month and then go back to indie/alternative or mainstream pop music.

So here's what I'm listening to right now:

(This might be my favorite Ariana song ever, to be honest.)

And on the other side of things;

The Wondrous Evil of Video Games

If I finish editing the first two chapters of Shadows tonight, impleneting the edit notes I drew up for those chapters earlier, then I'm going to let myself play Alice Madness Returns for a few hours, because while I love it, I've never beat it before, and I haven't played it in like, a year and a half. But I bought my own copy the other day, along with a copy of Final Fantasy XIII, and I'm taking turns with both of them.

Video games are evil, beautiful, distracting things that I should probably spend less time on. But I won't, because that's how I roll.

Frenzy & Rage (Free Books!)

So. I wrote some things. Some things I would like to get more exposure and mainly, more feedback on. So I thought I would offer up some freebies! As you do, right?

Rage & Frenzy are both paranormal novellas. They're set in the same universe, and while they can each be read as standalones, they work best when read together, and are available in a single collection, as well as individually;

 

They feature racially and sexually diverse characters, as well as action, romance, comedy, and horror elements. And I want you to read them for free.

So, if you're a book blogger, or if you rate books on Amazon or goodreads, comment on the blog with your email - or shoot me an email at ApolloBlake@mail.com with the subject line 'rage and frenzy' and I'll send you a free epub!

I would love to see more reviews and ratings - it's always fun to hear feedback - and I'd love to share Myra and Evelyn's stories with more readers.

(Note: I know the blog has been slightly dead in the last few weeks - that's because I'm working on editing Shadows of Ourselves for publication, and getting ready to interview some fellow indie authors here on the blog! I'll be posting updates about those soon! And, if you're an indie interested in being interviews, feel free to email me!)

How Long It Took To Write Each Book + Wordcounts! (How Do You Write So Fast?)

So today I thought it would be interesting to write about the books I've written and how long the process took for each one. Not all of these are published, and I'm only counting novellas, collections, and novels - not individual short stories.

I have a fairly quick writing process; I take my initial spark or idea and come up with a few loose scenes, and usually the ending of the book. Then I create a character sheet with every character, a brief description of their looks and personality, and an outline for the book. Drafting itself takes around two or three days for a novella, and around fifteen to thirty days for a full-length novel. Editing can take days or months, depending on the manuscript.

I attribute my fast writing to my detailed outlining strategies, which I developed after reading about how authors like Amanda Hocking and Rachel Aaron outline, and try to emulate the attitudes of writers like Jennifer L. Armentrout, who write for 6 to 8 hours a day when working on a book.

It should be noted I've been writing stories and starting books since I was twelve, but didn't actually finish a novel until I was seventeen, so I did have plenty of writing practice and time to figure things out before I actually began to finish things.

So, here's all the books I've written, their wordcounts, and their writing lengths, in the order I wrote them in. The wordcounts aren't exact - rounded up or down to the nearest thousandth.

* = published

Stars Full of Lies:
Wordcount: 48,000 words.
Writing Time: 27 days.

(Note; this is my first book, and also the only book I wrote without an outline. Both those things show in the manuscript.)

Demon Moon:
Wordcount: 25,000 words.
Writing Time: approx. 14 days.

*The Lilac Jones Adventures:
Wordcount: 17,000 words.
Writing Time: 2 to 3 days per story.

Blood of Midnight:
Wordcount: 52,000 words.
Writing Time: approx. 20 days.

Shadows of Ourselves:
Wordcount: 73,000 words.
Writing Time: 14 days.

(Note; this is both my longest book to date and also, in my opinion, my best. I'm editing it for publication now, and the fact that it was fun to write definitely made the process faster. I highly recommend writing books that are as fun for you as they are your readers.)

*Things We Saw At Midnight:
Wordcount: 13,000 words.
Writing Time: 1 day.

(Note; I was able to write this in one day for lots of odd reasons. I'd been awake for two days, was stoned out of my mind, and had more caffeine in my system than is probably healthy. I don't recommend any of this, especially not the part where I smoked a bunch of pot -drugs, even ones as relatively harmless as weed, are not integral or even truly beneficial to the creative process- but I admittedly had a lot of fun writing this and think it's some of my strongest work.)

*Frenzy:
Wordcount: 15,000 words.
Writing Time: 2 days.

*Souls of Salt & Seawater:
Wordcount: 32,000 words.
Writing Time: 17 days.

*Rage:
Wordcount: 16,000 words.
Writing Time: 5 days.

So there you have it. I highly recommend Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k for fast writing advice, especially if you want to draft quickly without sacrificing quality or artistic vision.

Fast drafting is about accepting that your first draft isn't just allowed to be bad, but that, to a certain degree, it exists to be. It's supposed to suck, in parts. A lot, sometimes. Editing exists for a reason, and is both fun and revolutionary for any manuscript.

As I mentioned above, I drink a lot of coffee when I'm writing. An unhealthy amount, even. I also make sure to drink a lot, if not more, water. 9 times out of 10, if my writing is interrupted, it's because I need another drink or I have to pee.

I also sometimes smoke pot, although I'm trying to do that a bit less. It can help with anxiety and distraction sometimes, but more often than not it puts you to sleep. I definitely work best while sober, so I don't really think this bolsters more creativity or work ethic, it's just something I do from time to time.

Mostly I put my fast writing times down to a few things:

1) Outlines.

My outlines have saved me more than once. Winging it can be fun, but going into your novel with a guide, structured to make the story the most exciting, fleshed-out, and intelligent it can be before I even write the first paragraph is always helpful. My outlines range from highly, highly detailed, to just one sentence per scene, and I always give myself permission to switch things up and introduce new elements while drafting. Your outline shouldn't restrict you, rather, it gives you more room to play around where it really matters.

2) Butt in Chair.

• Sit down. Open Scrivener. Stare at my outline.
• Put on my 8Tracks playlist. Scroll through my current projects Pinterest board.
• Do not look at Facebook or Twitter. Do not go on Tumblr.
• Write your damn book. You want it, you have to work for it. It's as simple and as difficult as that.

3) Dedication.

I dedicate myself to my writing and my current project. Don't start something unless it's something you care about or know that you can at least have some fun with. If you're bored or frustrated you're less likely to work on things and finish them. I'll admit some of my titles, like Rage and Souls of Salt & Seawater, have been harder to write than others. But that said, for the most part, writing should be fun. It should be intoxicating and enjoyable. If it isn't, you need to change things up until it is again.

4) Enjoyment.

Make your writing fun. Look up some graphics tutorials on Tumblr or Deviantart and make images and edits for your books. Posts quotes of WIPS to social media and make 8Tracks playlists for your projects or certain characters.

The plus side of playlists is you can listen as you write. I made one for Shadows of Ourselves (particularly for my main character, Sky) just tonight;

Listen here: http://8tracks.com/jinx-king/tiny-blonde-mess

Why do I recommend things like this? Because if you think like an actual fan of your novels would, you'll enjoy writing them more, and utilising multimedia to foster your creativity will give you a richer experience with what you're trying to create.

There are so many things you can do to make writing more fun, more fast, and more effortless. It's not supposed to feel like a complete chore. So there you go, that's how I write so fast.

Why I'm Leaving Goodreads

So. I decided something today that I’ve been trying to decide for a pretty long time, and that thing is essentially should I leave Goodreads?

The decision I came to was something like no fucking doubt.

Why? Lots of reasons.

I joined Goodreads in 2012, when I was in middle school. It’s been five years. I’m not even in high school anymore. I’m turning twenty this month. I’m an adult, and an author, and so many other more important things it’s hard to keep track of.

One of those things is someone who is fed up.

When I joined Goodreads, it was amazing. It was full of cool users and thoughtful reviewers, it was a place where authors were started to interact with their readers more, and it did - and still does - work as a great tool for keeping track of what I’ve read.

But the community has been going steadily downhill in the past five years, and it’s time for me to jump ship. Why? Because Goodreads is not the supportive, thoughtful, talented, and fun community it used to be. That’s not to say there aren’t some fantastic people here, that I’ll miss - there are. But at this point the cons outweigh the pros. Lots of users left back when Emily May created her book site, or left for Booklikes or left altogether when the whole no badmouthing authors censorship bullshit came up a while back. I don't want to be part of a site where I'm not allowed to drag Orson Scott Card through the mud for being a shite human being, honestly.

And I’m exhausted - of petty fights, rampant sexism and homophobia and transphobia, of pointless respectability politics and feeling obligated to read not for my own enjoyment, but so I can write reviews. I don’t want reading to be about writing reviews or gaining followers or defending my opinions (as if I should have to defend my opinions) or anything other than me and a book, an experience and hopefully some learning. I still like to talk about books, but it is what it is.

I’m exhausted of authors attacking readers and readers attacking each other and so many things it would be impossible to list. Over the years I’ve seen dozens of reviewers I loved and users I called friends leaving the site, most of the time for very good reasons.

Goodreads has become a shark tank. It’s not one I want to swim in.

I would rather spend my time reading than talking about reading. I would rather spend it writing, than talking about writing. And I would really also just rather be on almost any site but this one, these days.

So, am I leaving entirely? Nope. I’ll still be maintaining my presence as an author and using Goodreads to catalog what I’ve read. But I won’t be reviewing books, anymore. I won’t be rating them, either.

Over the next few days I will be removing most, if not all, of my old reviews, and then I’ll only be active on the site as an author, i.e. Posting covers and blurbs, syncing blog posts and making bookish announcements. I won’t be reviewing anymore.

That said, I do want to sincerely take the time to thank everyone on the site who is awesome for making the last five years such a memorable, curving, fascinating road - from other reviewers to other authors - so many of you are fantastic. So many of my experiences with this site are good ones.

I can’t say I love what Goodreads has become, but I can also say with certainty that not a part of me regrets the moment my younger self created their account.

So, thanks, and see you around - just not in the same capacity. It’s been fun <3

Meet The Ladies + Quotes!

Opulence Is My Middle Name

Okay, that's a lie. In fact, I'm kinda poor. My version of opulence would be being able to pay someone else to do cover designs and still having enough leftover to buy veggie burgers and a new pair of headphones. It would be being able to buy a new laptop, since that one that died on me last week is clearly done with life.

Alas, I can't really afford anything on that list, so I'll keep going DIY on covers (no big deal, since I'm also a graphic designer, but I like other people's art more than my own - who doesn't) and using broken headphones that I have to twist right in order to get them to work. That's how I roll.

I think a lot of people have this misconception that I have all of my shit together, or that, because I'm an author, I must be rich. The thing is, and if you're an author, especially an indie one, you will know this - we don't make much.

I mean, there are exceptions, obviously. There are indie authors out here who are killing it.

Then, there are the rest of us. The market is overflowing, and there are only so many readers. Even I'm skeptical of self-published books, sometimes. Probably the only indie authors who I don't really hesitate before reading one of their books is Nenia Campbell and Heather Crews. Wart Hill is really good, too.

And Leah Raeder/Elliot Wake, but he isn't self-pubbing anymore. Which is good, considering those books need to reach the widest audience possible. I need someone to share the pain with, since those books destroyed me.

My point is, it's scary taking a chance on a new author, especially an indie. It's why I run so many free promotions.

But we all know the only thing we can do is keep working at it, because the alternative is not doing anything at all, and that's a decidedly ugly alternative. But I can't lie and say I didn't come into this as a newbie without any dreams of blowing up and becoming some fancy bestseller. Isn't that what we all dream of?

Well, that, and becoming a top secret agent and/or contract killer for a government agency shrouded in mystery. Unless that one is just me?

Anyway, I just got home from a friend's place, and published Rage and the Rage/Frenzy collection the other day, so today is mostly writing and marketing stuff, and I figured I'd share the music that's getting me through it with you guys: