Now What?

Wednesdays are for blogging, she says.
I did write a blog last week, but it ended up growing into something bigger than what I intended. It involved superheroes and the portrayal of women in those roles. I'll post that one when I polish it up a bit more. Not that this one will be polished. Blogging is more conversational to me, so I don't have anyone else edit it before hitting that looming "Publish" button. I'm human. I use words incorrectly. Frequently. And I also rely on my spell check far more than I should. I think at some point I'll publish a post that's completely unedited, complete with all of the typos and words I inadvertently create when I'm trying to use another word. There's another post to look forward to!

I mentioned that I was able to attend a conference for writers in Austin this past February. It was really good and the content was pretty solid and informative. Something you may not know about me, (everyone scoot into the share circle), is that I have trouble being in groups of people. I was going to say large groups of people, but that's not accurate. Let's just make that a blanket statement and say that I have trouble being around others. It's not that I don't like you. I promise. It's not that I'm not interested in your story. I'm a writer. I devour stories and words. It's just that my heart beats really fast and my palms sweat and my stranger danger survival mode has been activated as soon as you begin to engage me in conversation. That's a lot going on all at once. Put me in that situation for a weekend conference and at every given opportunity I will flee into the safety of my personal bubble every. single. time. Engagement is a legitimate struggle for me.

I wanted to find a great photo to convey the safety I feel in my own personal bubble. I searched for "safety bubble" and this was the result. Not as dramatic as a frightened looking author crouching in their own bubble in a crowded room. But...this will work. Show of hands, who is touching their screen right now to try to pop these little guys?

So as I enter the writer's lair at the conference, I decide to actually talk to someone. The first lady I spoke with kept rubbing my hands because they were cold and I almost died. It was touch and go there for a while. **WARNING! BUBBLE INVASION!** After that conversation I spoke to another author and when she asked why I was there I told her I would like to find a way to turn writing into a career. And....she laughed at me. This wasn't just a snicker. It was a head thrown back in a full laugh. I set up an extra layer to my safety bubble after that.

It wasn't all how I envisioned it, but one of the things the experts kept saying was that you have to engage your audience daily. I just wanted to warn everyone now that I'm going to try to do that. I don't want to bombard you, and I certainly don't want to annoy, but I'm just trying some new tactics in the hope that one day I'll get to laugh in the face of an aspiring author. JUST KIDDING. I would never do that...unless you're telling me all about your new book and it's a comedy. Then I'm assuming laughter would be appropriate.

All of this to say I'm working on growing the community around The Ransom Series. It will be whatever it is supposed to be, but I want to make sure that I am working with all of my heart and giving my best effort. I want to have a place where we can talk about the world we've visited together. I want to provide others an opportunity to hopefully read something that will encourage them in their day. When it all comes down to it, we each need other people to walk with us on this journey. I can deactivate my bubble for a little while each day if that allows me to acknowledge the value I see in a fellow reader and bookworm. You guys mean a great deal to me and I'm looking forward to getting to know some folks a little better. It's a privilege to have just one reader. To you I say a heartfelt, thank you.

The Time Is Nigh

In just over three weeks I will be celebrating a joyful occasion. I’ll raise a cupcake (most likely chocolate covered cherry) to Ransom of the Healer and the journey it has taken me on during the past year. I think Ransom will always be special to me because I honestly didn’t know it was going to be a book. It reminded me that I love writing, and most of the book was just me having a good time telling a story to myself. It was only after I was 3/4ths of the way through it that I considered the possibility of turning it into a book for other people to read. That was probably the single most terrifying decision I’ve made to date, followed closely by singing songs that I’ve written in front of other people. Art can be personal business.

I was thinking about the best way to celebrate something that simultaneously makes me happy and sweaty palmed. A month long party seemed like the way to go, so I will be hosting an Anniversary Giveaway during the month of November. The prizes range from gift cards to a signed copy of the book. If I could spice it up and give away a gold plated version, I would, but alas, the life of an independent artist is not always a decadent one. My September royalties came to a whopping 15 cents, and I had to spend that as soon as it came in because it was burning a tiny hole in my pocket. Best 15 cents I’ve ever spent.

My hope is that Ransom will continue to fall into the hands of people who will enjoy the story, and that those people would tell someone else who might like it as well. Grassroots. I promise now that if we end up somehow getting The Ransom Series to a bestselling list, I’ll make the subsequent Anniversary Giveaway exponentially more exciting. I don’t know how yet, but I have a feeling it will involve confetti and something a little flashier than a cup of coffee.  The possibilities are endless.

Indie Author Spontaneously Combusts

First time author, A.C. Autry, spontaneously combusted in her home office on September 2, 2014. As with most cases of spontaneous combustion, the only remains found of Autry were one small globule on her office chair strategically placed beside a copy of her novel. Authorities are investigating the incident and remain optimistic that they will be able to solve the current mystery.

“It’s really not all that uncommon in these young and independent artists. All it really takes is for someone to acknowledge their work, or worse yet, compliment it, and up they go in a glob of smoke,” said Detective Ezekiel Brindle, of the local law enforcement. “We’re now just working backwards, trying to find the key to the puzzle that instigated the unfortunate event.”

Autry is relatively new to the literary scene, having published her debut novel, Ransom of the Healer, in November of 2013. It is said to be book one of The Ransom Series. Whether or not the series will reach a conclusion remains to be seen. The second book in the series, Rise of the Seer, was found on Autry’s laptop in a state of disarray and somehow correlated to a series of multicolored sticky notes. Local authorities are still trying to decipher her system of writing, but have been unable to do so thus far. “She’s just got boards with names and titles all over the room. Here and there you find a notebook or scrap of paper with a scene written on it. I’m not sure how anyone could ever piece this thing together,” Brindle offered.

Autry wrote supernatural fiction and had created a world where people possess extraordinary talents and abilities. Perhaps she simply drew closer to the world she created than one can safely attempt. Not all hope is lost, however, as local pathologist, Zoe Blithe, informed the minuscule group of mourners gathered outside a small bookstore in Autry’s hometown. Unfortunately, the owner of the shop had never heard of Autry and chased the group from the premises with several large leather-bound copies of traditionally published works. “They’re doing remarkable things with globule research these days,” Blithe told the group as they nursed paper cuts as well as broken hearts. “The essence of A.C. is still very much contained within the globule. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they had already grown a new A.C. Autry by sometime next month.”

It’s said all 14 people who have read Ransom of the Healer have taken a collection to raise the necessary funds to unglobulate their beloved author. Inquiries for donations can be sent via message to Autry’s Facebook page. Brindle cautioned well-wishers from leaving too many positive posts on the page. “We found a mention to her being involved in a book club. That might be the key component for the combustion. If she does recover from this, too many kind comments might just make it occur again. We don’t want to see that happen.” 

Will Write For Sequel

I confess, December swallowed me whole. It chewed me up and spat me out. I now find myself in January with nary a new paragraph in the sequel to Ransom of the Healer. I did hammer out 1,601 words on a random short story idea I had just to keep myself writing something. I tend to keep several ideas simmering and stir the pot every now and then to add some life to the story. I have aspirations. I have goals. I want to write a paragraph that people have to read twice because it’s beautiful or thought provoking. Thank you, Margaret Atwood, for your beautiful prose and the challenge it creates for me to become a better writer. In order to do that, I have to practice. Every errant sentence in all of my random musings will mean nothing to anyone else, but to me they are akin to the driving range and teeing up just to keep the motion of my swing familiar and deeply ingrained. (Sidenote: I (sadly) haven’t played golf in 14 years now. I don’t know that I even remember how to hold a club.)

I’m currently questioning the attainability of some goals and how much of a role persistence plays versus right time and place. It seems to me that you just have to keep up with the persistence in order to find the right time and place. Until I’ve met my goals, I’ll just keep plucking away at the keyboard and remind myself how much I love this craft and that there are a few folks out there who are just as curious as I am to see how this journey unfolds. So, fellow reader, look for Rise of the Seer later this year. And give your local independent authors a smile of encouragement every now and then. Who knows? You might just end up as a character in their next story.