Only a few more sleeps

This post is going to be a mixed bag so bear with me.  It has been a nerve-wracking time for our Wordwick3d Writer’s group as we power on to get our anthology up there in outer space where lots of aliens are waiting to eat us up and possibly spit us out.  There is so much to think about. I have long been a supporter of Indie Authors but perhaps there are still people out there that remain sceptical and still don’t understand how much courage it takes to self-publish.  It is truly an intimidating world.

You survive it by using a check list over and over and then there are still no guarantees you have got it right.  There are four of us but like everyone else between holding down jobs and family and other demands it has been very difficult.  We are all novices, hoping this, our joint experiment, gives us a small entry into the world of writers and writing.

Secretly we all have wished we had handed this over to professionals but that takes money.  Unfortunately sometimes the things we want are not possible easily.  Giving up however should never be an option.  There is no need when resourcefulness can do a lot more than we thought in getting us to that dream. So that’s exactly what we have tried to do from editing, to an original cover, final proof-reading, formatting and the dreaded upload still too come.

Truly what would we do without friends and family? We are hoping now with the help of our readers and their feedback we can improve what we do and keep doing it. Although it has been exhausting and confusing and a roller coaster ride of so much knowledge absorption that our brains are fried, we are looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.  Why we have wondered every day, are we doing this even as we have persevered?  The answer is simple – the process is been exhilarating.

We are finally ready with our anthology. I will post sometime at the end of next week to confirm the upload.  For now I can offer a taste of our work by giving you a glimpse of our cover and challenging you to read about our characters whose tales range  from fantasy to the paranormal, science fiction to metafiction. 

A newcomer to town is drawn into its secret, dark side.

An assassin treads a fine line between life and death.

A battle to survive is enacted in darkness fraught with silence.

A character suffering the whims of his author

A wrong turn leads to a discovery

A mysterious Watcher who loses sight of what it means to watch.

Before the tears there was the joy.

Everyday life is enough of a struggle so dare she accept the challenge offered…?

A world where belief is power…

How long would you last without the light?

We hope the above piques your interest.  For us it is a little scary certainly but exciting too.  I have an author friend who is now entrenched in this process and about to launch the second book in his series.  As demanding as the world of writing is there is a side to it that is also very satisfying.  Most writers are so happy to help others along their journey.  Watching Luke progress has been quite fascinating as he has had his own unique approach to publishing and marketing.

What has interested me the most is his willingness to ask his readers to report on errors and anomalies they have found so that he can make the improvements.  Readers are everything and this consideration is so important. Not normally my genre his first book was very different so I am looking forward to what he has done in this next one.   A series is a very difficult choice of work to take on. The continuity has to be there and yet it has to have a point of difference.   I am showcasing his beautiful covers and wish him well on his launch next week.

The world of literature is really a joy but no more so than when people use it as a celebration.  Only this week gone a good friend of mine who manages a store for a non-profit organisation, arranged a tea party for her volunteers.  Deciding the best way to thank them for their generous donation of time was to make the occasion a little different she decided that a Mad Hatters Tea party was just the thing.  It was.

The winner (we all had to make our own hats) was the young lady in yellow (featured in one of the photos) who decided she would give her own twist to Alice in Wonderland.  Not having a terribly artistic bent myself my granddaughter Ella stepped in and made mine.  I must say she was quite creative. 

She really gets into the spirit of things as do her siblings because they have been taught to love books from the time they were born.   Every time I get nervous about this new world I have entered I remember what fun books can bring and I am reassured.

Talking about a mixed bag I am now jumping from Mad Hatters to my website. I have decided rather than add a newsletter I would encourage people to follow me on my site (scroll down on the home page and on the right hand side you will find a button) so that any news can come from the blog.  I will announce any new events at the beginning so that if you really don’t want to read what I write you will at least know what is happening (news will also go on the website home page). Of course I hope the opposite happens and you read and comment, please.

Speaking of commenting I am going to add a guest register to my home page.  I thought this might be a much nicer way to encourage your comments as commenting on posts can feel confronting.  Let me know if you like the idea and please feel free to make suggestions. N.B. Check you junk mail folders as often when you sign up as a follower the verification is picked up as junk mail and deleted.  The guest register will help this run smoother.

For those who have asked about graphic novels I totally agree that is a fascinating genre. Last post I discovered this very interesting website whilst chilling out from my own work and was pleased by the interest. I am sure Jessica Abel will be only too happy to have you visit her site and comment or ask questions.  She has some beautiful and interesting art work to browse and her blogs offer some great ideas. As I have said, I have two young friends very keen to try some work of their own and I can’t wait to see what they come up with.  It really is an exciting and innovative area.

Enough talk now, and see you next time

Barb