My mid-week report to you that covers the three major commitments I’ve made: to write, to edit, and to read.
Writing
I’ve continued my N’Inktober writing in conjunction with illustrations from Cedar Sanderson. When I first started, I was worried that I might peter out at some point. I mean, how in the world can you come up with what’s essentially a story a day? As it turns out, when you’ve got prompts like the one Cedar creates for you, it’s… well. It’s still not easy. But it’s not nearly as hard as you would think, and it’s some amazing fun!
If you’ve missed them, here are links to the stories from last week. They cover a range that includes science fiction, detective noir, fantasy (high, low, and urban), Lovecraftian horror, and… I’m not sure what a few would be. Most with at least a dash of humor.
N’inktober #11 - Artichoke Lubber
N’inktober #12 - Stygian Squirrel
N’inktober #13 - Angelic Catfish
N’inktober #14 - Chaotic Growth
N’inktober #15 - Coffee Failure
N’inktober #16 - Verklempt Crawfish
N’inktober #17 - Psychopomp Angular
Over on the Mad Genius Club blog, Cedar mentioned that knowing I’m writing to her prompts has affected her drawing. She’s been “shaping the art towards being evocative” and hoo boy! Let me tell you, I can see it! The ideas her images have sparked for me have gone off in directions that I didn’t even realize existed. This has been an amazing collaborative feedback loop for me as well.
Editing
I’ve been doing my best to keep up on reading and critiques for my author’s group. Shari’s joined in and is doing critiques and some copy-editing as well. I’ve got one novella that I keep… meaning… to… get… to, because what I’ve seen of it looks amazing, but I keep getting distracted!
I’ve decided that since October is filled with writing, November will be filled with editing. By end of month, I’m going to get the outline for An Understanding done and up for critiques; then I’m going to dive back into Sigils and do some surgery.
Reading
I picked up a copy of From Spark to Finish: Running Your Kickstarter Campaign by M.C.A. Hogarth. Yes, I’m considering doing a Kickstarter for the Stories in the Key of Tull open call. Before I started looking into that, I wanted something to orient me and help me understand how the process works.
Hogarth’s book did not disappoint. Unlike a lot of writerly “how-to” books, this one was slim, focused, and to-the-point. I read (and re-read) it in an evening. Don’t let that fool you, though. There’s a lot packed in here! Setup, timing, the importance of different contributor levels, working your campaign, dealing with fulfillment - it’s all in there.
I liked the comments and examples she provided about successful campaigns, too. From the beginning, Hogarth makes it clear that you don’t need to have a million-dollar idea to use Kickstarter. Smaller campaigns - ones with a goal of a few hundred or a few thousand dollars - are typical. She focuses on that sort of campaign, and it was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. If you’re wondering if Kickstarter will work for your project, you’ll definitely want to pick up a copy of From Spark to Finish.
Next up: I’ve got copies of Space Cowboys 3 and All Will Burn to read. I am really looking forward to both. There’s a solid Alpha Merc presence in both, which makes me smile every time I think of it :)
Other
We had our annual fund-raising gala for the pregnancy center. Good turnout, and someone was foolish enough to let me get up and blather for a bit, which is always fun. I got to meet some really wonderful supporters, spend time with friends, and fund raise for a good cause. Oh, and there was a cookie table! So it was a wonderful evening over all.
On the home front, the log splitter engine’s been replaced! I started chewing through the backlog (pun completely intended). We had a temporary interruption thanks to some rain, but the pile of split wood is growing and will get loaded into the woodshed soon. It’s fall break for da younger goils, too, so I’ll have a couple of potential helpers at home this weekend. Whether or not I can convert them into actual helpers remains to be seen…
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I have a friend who just did a Kickstarter for a Graphic Novel, for 2K, so smaller numbers are definitely possible. I think the key is your stretch goals...figuring out what they are going to be/what you can deliver. The second key is advertising, getting the campaign under as many eyes as possible. Good job on the wood pile!