Happy Halloween and Nanowrimo

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully, everyone is getting in the scary fun swing of things.  I'm going as a zombie this year- so original, I know.  But it just feels wrong to be anything else when I am writing a zombie apocalypse romance.  My characters would feel betrayed. Wait, did I just type that out loud?

Moving on...

Huffingtonpost.com has a great 'zombies' link today http://www.huffingtonpost.com/culture/ .  It's actually just the culture section but on the homepage it says zombies with blood dripping.  Way to get in the season!  And they have lots of cute zombie written articles.  How can one not love it??

Okay, so, yeah, writing, um, I'm supposed to be doing that, right?  Well, as of tomorrow, Nanowrimo begins and my output had best explode or my head very well might.  I have put up a nanowrimo word count graphic so y'all can keep me accountable.  Kick my butt if I'm not performing.  Give me a lashing.  I will have deserved it if I get behind.  I will say 'thank you may I have another' if said lashing event does occur.

I will be writing and finishing- Yeah, that's right, I said it!- finishing Empty.  I am not sure that will get me all the way to 50k words tho, so I might write some other stuff that I have been working on for my other pen name to fill out the wordcount.  Or I can start on the Empty sequel.  I have part of it mapped out but it still needs some tinkering.  And I figure I better wait till I have the Empty manuscript written anyway in case a few surprises spring out of me as my fingers are flying.

As I mentioned on twitter, I will be using Scrivener- I am pretty much sold on this program.  The digital notecards on the cork board feature alone got me.  But being about to rearrange by drag and drop instead of lots of cut and paste.  That is pretty sweet.

Well, that's all I got.  I hope everyone has a scary time tonight.  Protect your brains!

Kate

Amazon vs Apple: Two Hot Suitors

Amazon and Apple are my hot and hunky suitors vying for my technological heart.   I go to bed at night with my iphone and Kindle (and my husband-but don’t tell Apple/Amazon).  They are my can’t live without devices nearest to my heart.

Of course, if we’re being honest here, Microsoft is also there as the dependable, lifelong friend who has unrequited love for me and that I want to love back but he just doesn’t do it for me. So we’re only coworkers/friends. Bc I can’t really live w/out my netbook either.  My trusty little writing tool.  I love touch screens for everything but writing.  Typing on them is a pain.  A real keyboard is much more efficient.  So, yeah, Microsoft will always be my work husband.  But while I have been having lots of fun dates with Amazon and Apple, they are both wanting a commitment lately.  How is a girl to decide?

I have had an iphone since ’06 and a Kindle since ’07.  I am also a pc girl and have had a netbook since ’08 (and regular huge laptops since forever).  So when the ipad came out I of course was in love… but not enough to buy.  Because, well, I have an iphone, kindle, and netbook.  Not really sure what I would need it for.  And the price wasn’t (isn’t) in the impulse buy range for me.

I love Amazon and buy all my books there and am a prime member and buy all kinds of non book items and get free shipping.  I recently started buying music at Amazon bc some of the songs were 20-40 cents cheaper and they have this doohickey thingy that will automatically put it in my itunes for me. 

All my music (until recently) and app buying has been through itunes (Apple).  The android phone explosion was never enough of a lure to get me away from the iphone.

Enter the Kindle Fire- a cheap tablet that is what I have been looking for from Apple but not getting.  I am firmly committed to buying my books from Amazon (have you tried to browse in the ibookstore-it sucks!) and am somewhat committed to buying my apps from apple bc I love my iphone.  But it looks like the kindle Fire will be like merging my kindle and iphone and taking out the phone (which I rarely use- I am a texter). 

It’s a conundrum.  $200 is impulse buy for me.  But I would have to populate the apps with new purchases.  But I could read all of my amazon ebooks on there.    

If I add in my opinions of the companies’ behavior in regards to publishing the last couple of years, I tend to lean a little Amazon.  Apple made an ego play in 2010.  And to publish directly with them and have better rankings in the ibookstore, you have to own a Mac.  So I bought a used Mac last month and have uploaded a couple of titles under one of my other pen names so that I could get things going on that end.  A lot of work for the non-mac-owning indie publisher.  I know smashwords will do that all for me but who wants 6 months old, disorganized sales data.  When compared to Amazon and BN, smash is the right place, right time little guy.  Hopefully, they will mature into a big guy soon bc I have high hopes (excellent accounting backend and audio selfpubbing would make Smash downright sexy).

Ok. So, writing this out hasn’t really helped me to decide anything.  You lovely readers have basically been my therapist couch.  Thanks so much for listening.  I will keep you updated. Sorry for the long post.

Thanks,
Kate

Heading off to a cabin to write

I am heading off to a cabin on a river to write.  My hubby will be there.  And another couple.  And another guy.  And lots of alcohol.  Okay so maybe the point of this trip isn't primarily to write but I do hope to get a bit of a wordcount knocked out.

But I am very much a drop everything if there is a hint of a gettogether/party/slightly fun social activity going on type of girl.  Actually there are many things that make my brain go "Squirrel" and drop everything.  But I don't usually feel guilty about the social stuff.

I've got a decent outline worked out and detailed sketches for Empty.  So today will be the first day of redrafting.  I was writing and writing without an outline before and I just can't trust myself to not go down too many rabbit holes.  I'm not focused enough.  I need somewhat of a map.  I have decided not to be bummed about all of the wasted effort over the last couple of months.  But rather to see it as a pretty short lesson in the scheme of things.

You know what will be weird?  It'd be weird if the sky drops a few tears today.  That would be weird.  And amazing.

Happy Thursday, all!
Kate

Update

I just had to post this photo.  It's pretty cool that a couple decided to go zombie for their wedding, though not that uncommon these days.  But to get so much of the wedding party in on it, too.  Kudos!

I have been totally not working on Empty and in fact think I am going to redraft it completely.  I write under a couple of different pen names and those projects have been taking my time as well as a week where I was under the weather and watched BONES all week.  I've now seen every episode and can't wait for the premiere in a few weeks.  I LOVE September bc it is premiere month- yay!!!

I'll post updated excerpts as I write them.

Happy Friday, y'all!
Kate

Target Practice (Zombie Flash Fiction) Now available

Hey everyone,

So I got mad at myself for not finishing Empty in time (rightfully so) and decided a good remedy for my pain besides, ya know, finishing Empty, would be to write a quick flash fiction piece with a couple of the same characters and get that up. Voila. Target Practice was born.

I hope you like it. I'm thinking two weeks for Empty. I suppose if you held a gun to my head while I typed (or threatened me with a zombie bite) that would be a definite two weeks. One of the perils of self publishing, I guess: one must be one's own deadline enforcer.

That's all for now.

Kate

Empty (Zombie Book 1) Soundtrack (procrastination activity #1,207)

Here's how I'm feelin' it.  Hope y'all like it.  I do.

More covers (not procrastinating this time, tho. Honest)

These were done by the amazing Nathan Wrann (@nathanwrann) so I really didn't procrastinate to make them.  And he did these in like 2 seconds so he didn't, either.

I think I like this first one the best.  But I'll put up the other three, also.

They're all awesome, of course.  It's amazing what a difference font makes.  That is the true art of ebook covers, I think.
Thanks, Nathan!

Kate