Author Journey: May 21, 2021 - Progress is Progress

 As promised, I set right to work on this Friday post. I've had several irons in the fire and knowing what a blacksmith has to do and how precise the work must be, that's never a good thing. However, sometimes it can't be helped. So here's a little rundown of what's been going on since last month.

A New Indie Author Spotlight Interview is in the Works!

I have a new indie author lined up for an interview. I also happen to know she's got more irons in the fire than I do! So I can't promise when that interview will be up, but I'm excited that this author said yes!

I Lost. But I Won, Too!

For the first time since I started participating in Nanowrimo events, I lost. I managed to edit around 30k words. So while I lost the event, I still feel like this was a win, especially since it's been so hard for me to work on that edit. I finished a complete content edit of The Tale of Outh'n Durr and started on some of the content editing for Surge, which is the second book in my Children of Y'Dahnndrya series. 

What's Been Going On and Where I Hope to Go From Here

My plan is to release The Tale of Outh'n Durr as a prequel novella. I just had so much fun with Outh'n's character while writing the rough draft of Surge. I couldn't resist giving him a little story on the side. Once it's done, it'll be free (in pdf format) for my newsletter subscribers, or $0.99 for those who just wish to purchase the ebook format. I don't know whether I'll offer it in physical format yet. ISBNs are expensive and with the evidence that inflation is on the rise with the policies being put out by the new administration, I don't know if I'll be able to purchase enough of them to be able to print books in the future. I guess it depends on future book sales. 

I'm still planning to have Surge ready by the end of this year, though it has definitely been my biggest work challenge. I'm still not sure I like the ending that exists right now. *sigh*

I completed a read-through of the fourth book of the series. I'm quite happy with what I have so far, though it is far more rough than the others books have been. I can't wait to see what I can do with this first draft. 

I'm super excited about this next bit of news! I have the beginnings of a plan for the fifth book in the series. I can't say much more than that, but I'm really excited and have started putting some planning together so I'll be ready for Nano 2021. More of the mythos of my book world will be coming to light in this novel and I'll have to be extremely vigilant to keep the story on track.

Uh-Oh! Where'd My Newsletter Go?

I think I neglected to put out a newsletter this month. I've been seriously hiding from all kinds of work. I know I need to get moving on stuff, but I'm just so tired -- mentally and emotionally. I'll get a newsletter out for June, though, as I'm really excited about releasing Outh'n's story. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to hear about that release, and as I mentioned before, will recieve a free pdf copy of the book. 

It takes me so long to put books out there because I want to make sure my readers are getting the best work I can publish. I know doing everything on my own (because of budget strictures) means it probably won't be quite as nice as those who have the benefit of a good beta reading team and/or editor. I like writing so much and have a lot of fun with it most days. But I can't ask my family to set aside their own opportunities and goals just so I can pay one person thousands of dollars for a single job. Granted, it's worth the money if you find a really good editor. I just can't afford it, especially when it looks like we're going to need to make some renovations on our current home.

So that's what's been on my author plate these days. Are you currently struggling with something in your writing? What ways are you trying to overcome the hurdles blocking your path? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 

Thanks so much for reading! Until next time...