Blogs

This Is What I've Done On My "Day Off"

Last week, I received the promise of evil.

Knowing of my massive amounts of stress and likely tired of my whining, the Evil League of Evil Writers committed wanton acts of eviltry; after unsuccessfully searching for a Canadian company that would deliver a vodka care package, they decided to send a basket of goodies and money for me to go buy my own vodka, and take a mental health day.

Unable to contemplate the idea of both not working on the weekend AND taking a day off during the week, I decided to work Saturday and most of Sunday, so I could take a day off this week when the vodka money transferred and gift basket arrived. (I spent Friday and Saturday answering work email. Fifty-seven of them. And there's still another fifty to go.)

So I tried to take today off.

Instead, I did a work blog post (you can win a gift card), answered some more work email, revised the editor SOP, formatted a manuscript for ebooking, and beat my head against the desk for awhile.

I suck.

I have guest blogs to write for Lineage's release (LESS THAN THREE WEEKS). I have personal email to answer. I have my Lineage galley to read. All this was to be done today, but I once again got sucked into the Black Hole of the Day Job.

Most people don't get it. Even when I list my daily duties, they don't get it. Want a sample of what it's like, though? Read this post: http://www.booksofthedeadpress.com/2012/01/publisherauthor-relationship.... Difference being that I just work at my press and I don't own it (good god I would NEVER own a publishing house and I shake my head sadly at anyone who wants to start one up) so I do try to limit myself to forty work hours a week. But that, right there, is it. That chaos. That frantic, manic pace. The hundred of things happening at once. It's fucking INSANE.

This is why people bought me alcohol.

(If that doesn't work, try: https://twitter.com/#!/skyladawn/status/164437300300873728/photo/1)

So I'm sitting in bed with the laptop. Surrounded by five cats, all purring up an evil symphony. I had Baileys in my coffee and grabbed a couple of vanilla wafers from my basket, but at 3:30 haven't had breakfast yet. Still pending in my inbox is a problem with X book, author X wanting to pull book Y, author/editor dispute A, editor B needing an assignment, author Z checking in, and website book pages need to be made for one our imprints for the next month, and author C wants to know about putting an ebook into print, and FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE want a submission update...

And there are Other Things. Family things going on and I'm not sleeping well.

This is what my attempt at a day off looks like.

Maybe I'll try for another Skyla Sanity Day tomorrow. At the very least, I won't work this weekend.

Probably.

I'll tell you, for over a year now, I've fought hard to create boundaries. And what I've learned? You can't get lax--not with yourself, not with others. Because every time I think, "Yeah, I've got this down pat." something comes and the boundaries slip and then I'm whining to Dina again about How I'm Flustered And I Have to Do Everything for Everyone 24/7. Others disrespect my boundaries, others thrust too much onto me, yes, but I've learned this lesson over and over and too often I give an inch and then more as well.

So yeah. Probably.

Mars is retrograding, chickadees. Be very gentle with people right now. Very, very gentle.

Lineage Excerpt

Want to read the first chapter of Lineage? Head right here: http://www.skyladawncameron.com/novels/lineage/excerpt

Warning: Violence and coarse language. Coming from a woman. So you know that's bound to offend delicate sensibilities. Don't tell my grandpa.

Also going to post an exclusive one on my fan page (www.facebook.com/SkylaDawnCameron) from later in the book. How about when Peri met Zara? :-)

Melissa said about Lineage: "Action packed with a new killer character, and a story that will keep you on your toes and guessing."

Coming February 21! It's off for typesetting right now.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to work the weekend. Trying to get the inbox down to zero. Wish me luck!

The Millennium Trilogy if It Starred Skyla

Book One: The Girl Who Cut a Bitch
Book Two: The Girl Who Is Stress-Crying in the Corner
Book Three: The Girl Who Ran Away to Become a Ninja

Now. First person to make these fake covers gets a cookie.

Things aren't looking good for Lineage's release date. If it moves for sure, I'll update here with info.

The "When's That Book Coming...?" Update: Winter 2012 Edition

How about an updated book state of the union? Plenty has changed in three months.

* Exhumed: Complete. Awaiting a second draft from me in the spring. I have to do some schedule shuffling so there's a strong chance this release will be summer now.

* Amends: This'll be hit when I'm done with my writer burn out. I finished two books back to back in Nov/Dec and really needed a break from writing. I will update my blog when we're back on track (hopefully within a few weeks).

* Oblivion: This is the fifth book, after Exhumed. I don't need it done summer/fall but it's tickling my brain. I think it just needs to percolate awhile longer and it'll be ready to start. Currently I'm jotting notes down on my murder board and I almost have a first draft of the jacket copy written.

* Solace: I'm plotting this one as well (it's the sixth). I likely won't start it until the end of the year, but then sometimes I surprise myself.

* In Darkness Waits: I'm going through that thing again where I'm struggling with the voice and wonder if it's supposed to be in first person. The book won't tell me. None of you have read it, though, so you don't much care but I still want the first draft of this done by March.

* Godless (Dess bd 5): It's still baking in my head.

* Ashes: It's likely a trunk novel so I pull it out and play now and then.

* CotA 3: I'm re-reading everything written so far and I'm hoping before I dive back into another book, I'll get my feet wet finishing up this one. Fear not! It's on my radar, at least.

* Haunted: I have to edit the other novellas coming out before I can get to my rewrites on this.

* River/Wolfe omnibus on Kindle: Delayed as I haven't the time to proofread with extra work stuff. *pushes to bottom of to-do list.*

---------------

I think that's it. I need to write a post about other stuff and I'm trying but I keep thinking I sound bitchy so haven't saved it. For now: bitching at me that the series isn't The Zara and Nate Show? Yeah, that's not going to change. They're not the main characters of the series--they never will be--nor can I write books that are carbon copies of Bloodlines. If you feel you have to suffer the other books for moments of them, you're probably going to be really disappointed. Baking cupcakes might be a better idea than reading stuff you'll hate. Or write fanfic. Fanfic about cupcakes. Or something.

Please send me fanfic about cupcakes. Yeah, I think that was my point.

Guest Post - Krista D. Ball

Please welcome Krista D. Ball with a guest post today!

Lesbians don't have wives, or Finding the Right Writing Group

Folks love to join writing groups. I even suggest that people join them to get a handle on their work, learn new skills, and figure out how to best present their work. There's so much good that can come from a writing group. And so, so much bad.

Over the years, I've gravitated away from the group RAWR RAWR environment where all that happens is your work gets line edited. Nevermind that my plot fails the Magic Cell Phone test*; it has a missing comma and everyone knows editors will reject books with incorrect commas. (As a side note, this is a myth I disprove with each acceptance).

A few years ago, I was running Road to Hell through a critique group. I had written a fairly basic after-hours military scene. I got a critique back that told me I was wrong and to talk to people who actually knew something about the military.

So, I talked to myself. I was a weekend warrior with the Canadian military for a year or two (I actually forget how long). It was a part time job during university. My ex husband? Reg force. My brother? Regs. Other brother? Regs. Other brother? Retired reg force. Brother's spouse? Full-time reserves. See, it wasn't that my scene was incorrect, but that it wasn't correct according to his idea of how military folks should act. But, I let it slide.

Then, Captain Francis was unveiled as a *gasp* lesbian. What was my dark science fiction novel was now the lesbian space captain story (a label that has stuck). The space matter hit the fan when Katherine called her wife her, you know, wife. I was told by several people that it should be partner or, if I must, spouse. But never wife. Lesbians don't have wives; they have partners. (In Canada, they have wives, thank you very much).

Even though I had a rather major plot hole, which I didn't fix until years later, the writing group were focused on nitpicky things that were in fact not even errors. I eventually left and joined a small group of authors who were all around the same skill level as myself. I no longer get 20 critiques of my work, but I also get "you have a plot hole" comments, as opposed to "lesbians don't have wives."

I've learned a couple of things when searching out writing groups. Here's what I found:

1. Personality. Never underestimate the power of personality clashes. I have seen successful groups ripped apart by nothing more than two people not liking each other.

2. Goals. We are all in different spots in our writing careers; some of us don't even have careers. We also have different goals. It's important to belong to groups that encourage and support your goals, as opposed to get jealous, discourage, or belittle your goals.

3. Feedback. If you've never gotten feedback about your work, you might need an easy, light touch the first time around. Some people don't, but many people do bristle when they first getting into writing groups. I was told that I'd caused someone to never write again (if she couldn't handle me saying "I spent 4 hours writing this out for you because I think this story has excellent potential and is worth working on" she couldn't have handled her first 1 star review as an author saying "I wish I could give this a 0.")

At the same time, back patting can only last so long. Folks talk about self-publishing because there are no "gatekeepers" to prevent them from publishing. Yeah, but instead of being rejected by publishers, you'll be rejected by readers who paid money to look at your work. It sure doesn't get easier.

4. Commitment. If you only have 2 hours a week of quiet time where you can write, do you really want to be spending it critiquing 8 stories that you hate?

*Magic Cell Phone Test: Can your heroine get out of this sticky situation by the use of a cell phone or magic? If so, there better be a damn good reason why she has neither.

---------------------

About the Author: Krista D. Ball is a Canadian speculative fiction author who is currently hiding from necromancers. Better safe than undead. www.kristadball.com

Okay, There's a ChipIn Thing on the Blog Now

Update: This is over. Already. As someone just covered the cost and then some.

I *have* been asked before to have a PayPal donation link on my blog.

Then Dina suggested I start something to contribute to the laptop I need to keep up my workload (as I now have a makeshift treadmill desk which has cut my computer hours from fourteen to under six).

Then Andrew on Twitter last night said the same thing.

I keep saying no because I don't like being a charity case. I like taking care of things on my own. But apparently people like me or fear me or something and occasionally want to contribute to my well-being? I have no idea--I still have trouble understanding why anyone likes me.

So anyway, I'm getting a laptop. I'm owed some $$ on some recently submitted invoices for art and edits, but it's not quite enough this month (not with the cost of a cat spay next week). So there's a ChipIn widget to your right now. In case anyone wants. But you don't have to.

Also, if your name is SKYE and you often gift me books for my Kindle--which you gave me to start with--you are forbidden from participating. Please go work on the sequel to Misdirection.

Yeah. Now I'm uncomfortable. Thanks, Dina and Andrew! (Dina is likely cackling.)

New Experiment (AKA Why I Will Be Quiet For Awhile)

Did you know Amish women in Ontario walk an average of 14K steps a day, according to one study?

To put in perspective, most people who work desk jobs walk like 3K - 4K.

While I'm not immediately running away to become an Amish ninja yet (this is my dream...and if you don't follow me on Twitter to know this, it's best if I don't get into explaining it), the fact is I sit too much.

I sit all day. I sit down with breakfast. I sit to work the day job. I sit to do extra stuff like edit. I sit to write. I sit when I relax with video games. I sit while having my other meals.

Yes, I get up and run. Yes, I take the dog for a walk. But that doesn't change the fact that I spend most of my day sitting, which the human body wasn't really designed for.

So yesterday I pulled a MacGyver.Read more

Dear 2012: I WILL Turn This Car Around

And the week started off so well.

I hit the ground running on Monday. Literally. Out of bed at 10:30, had breakfast and worked with a timer, signalling for me to go for a run at 1:00. I was getting SO much accomplished, cleaning my inbox and formatting manuscripts and following up on things and finishing edits and proposing ideas to the boss which he accepted. I started tweeting from my new work account (more on that later).

Phone rings. My mother was in tears. Then she says the words that stopped me cold:

"Clancey fell."

Oh god.Read more

My Overall Resolution for 2012: I Choose Chaka Khan

This week I'll bring you a couple of different posts; I started my resolution/goals post and it was getting long. I have very specific plans for my health and wellness, writing, work, etc. So I'll devote a shorter post to those things this week.

2011 was...intended to be a quiet year for me. I just wanted to be "pretty fucking okay" with things. It didn't go badly, for me at least (my nervous breakdown notwithstanding), however things were rough of many people I care about. Many are glad to see 2011 gone. I did lots of stuff, learned lots of stuff about me. Saw things end, saw new beginnings.

My overall resolution for 2012?

I want to be awesome.

Of course, I said this to Dina tonight, and she informed me that's cheating because I'm already awesome. *cough*IloveyouDina*cough*

So, to amend that, I plan to own my awesomeness.

I am taking care of me. I am not worrying about what I can't control and owning what I can control. I will do scary, new things, so long as they don't involve facing earwigs. I am the motherfucking Bitchstress, after all. I will not be defeated by [insert stuff here: bad man and an American stick insect, depression, people through work, boys in general, stupidity, piracy, the need to stab my neighbours, etc].

Instead, I choose vodka. And Chaka Khan.Read more

Reminder: Free Zara/Nate Christmas Story

Happy Holidays!

I'll check in with everyone next week and if you usually receive a Christmas card from me, worry not--I just haven't freakin' sent them yet. Yes, yes, Skyla fail. I know.

As a reminder, there's a short story set in the 'verse that takes place around Christmas time--I wrote it exclusively for Melissa of My World...in words and pages for her two year blogging anniversary this summer. If you missed it (or want to check it out again), it's free to read at her blog. Linky-link.

Have a wonderful day! I'm hoping to be online playing catch up tomorrow (me? Boxing Day shop? Um, NO. *shudder*)

(Anyone else picture Zara singing this to Nate because she's so pushy? Yeah, me too.)