Used To Be...

It used to be fear of that almighty rejection letter. Those envelopes would come in the mail and I'd try to push down the hope because...well, I'd had enough of them to know it's probably another rejection.
Then it got worse...email rejections. Those come fairly quick and hit you in the face as soon as you open your email box. Like ripping off a band aid you get that sharp sting-quick but still just as painful.
The times change...publishing rolls on...
And out comes Amazon for Indies.
We can put our books out there. Do it yourself publishing.
I admit I'm a coward, but this comes from years of jumping into the fire without thinking. Sometimes I wonder how I made it this far still unscathed. But I'm here. Older, hopefully wiser and looking at all the Indie authors. I've been reading their blogs for years, watching what and how they figured it out.
And now I'm ready. My book will be out there soon. Thrust into the world of Amazon looking for a chance.
So now without the fear of the rejection letter looming over my head I have a new fear or two.
Am I edited enough?
Is my book clean enough?
Does it flow?
Should I do something more?
I don't worry about going indie any more than I worry about the way I sell my art by walking it store to store. Its just another form of art.
If you're an indie...do you have fears?
The pup is Marley, up from a high kill shelter in Tennessee with her five puppies. She's looking for a home with lots of love.

Multiple genres

As I approach getting ready to Kindle my book I wonder about a pen name. I write in several different genres so I worry about a person who reads my angel books, being upset about the darker books.
When I read Charlaine Harris I expect vampires and shape shifters. When I read Constance O'Day Connor I look for romance.
So, here's my question? How do you pick a pen name? I once read that if you write like King and Koontz you should pick a name that begins with K. Or if you're writing sci-fi pick the same initial as someone who's big in that genre.
Sounds like too much thinking. . . then there's Konrath.
King
Koontz
Hmmmmm, gotta think on this some more.
Do you have a pen name? Where did it come from?

P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N

The biggest waste I have is time. I have so much to do and so little time to do it in, but for some strange reason I procrastinate. I drift from thing to thing, knowing I should be working on my WIP but not quite getting there.

I finished another edit (on paper) of the book I’m thinking of putting up on Amazon and now have to enter these changes in the computer. Then I have someone who will edit it for me a final time. When it passes that, then it goes up.

I think.

No, I know.

Yes, I think this will be a good thing.

It’s an experiment.

It’s a hope.

I guess.

So my plan today is to go home, let the dogs out, feed them, and sit down and get started.

Good plan, right?

Wanna take bets if it will actually happen?

Procrastination is an ugly word. It sits heavy on my shoulders and presses down when I’m trying to get up.

Maybe I’ll pick up some iced coffee first. A little caffeine goes a long way.

Verbal People

I like verbal people. The ones that speak in pictures. Their general talk paints vivid images as they speak. My cousin is from the south and speaks in pictures. "If dirt were dumb, he'd be a mile." "His mouth just overloaded his butt."
See the dirt? Man standing in the middle of a mile long dirt field? The mouth/butt thing...scary visual, but I'm not sure what it means.
I think this is more common in the south. Jersey girls don't speak in pictures, they speak in staccato bursts. "Do it." "Wassup?" "Yo, bitch."
What do you see? Ummm...nothing.
But I like when people speak in pictures better. Or maybe its because I don't hear it that often and, try as I might, I can't think quick enough to do it on the fly.
My cos also uses "bless his heart" a lot too. Its like a disclaimer. You can say anything and you're cool if you end it with "bless his heart".
Right now I'm listening to an audio book for my 40 min ride to hell...oops...I mean work (bless it's heart). Charlaine Harris, Dead as a Doornail. A Sookie Stackhouse vampire story. I'm not a big vamp reader overall but some of them grab me. I'm also reading Amanda Hocking's 4th book and one of the Lee Child, Reacher stories.
Anyway, Sookie Stackhouse has the verbal/picture/words down pat. I think I love the words more than the story. (Although it is an excellent book---just ask HBO)
Sometimes in writing it comes easier. On a good day the words flow and little sayings actually make it onto the page. But I think to give the picture words the right delivery you have to be specially trained or something.
Do you speak like this? Write?

What the F***

I was just browsing Yahoo news (while I should have been writing) and came across a man ejected for using the F word. When sitting on the airplane, the flight was delayed without explanation so he said, "What the F-word is taking so long?"
A flight attendant sitting behind him, had him removed from the plane. To that I say, "What the fuck?"
It's just a word. A very popular word at that, so what's the problem? Did this flight attendant never hear the word before? Were his virgin ears so offended he couldn't just ask the guy not to use that word? Or was his ego so big he had to bully this guy off the plane?
And who decided that the word fuck would be the bad word but intercourse could fly under the radar? And what about shit? How come we can say "Oh, poopie" and not get the same glare as to when we say shit?
It's a word, for crying out loud! Its just a word and it's not going to hurt anyone. If everyone just pretended it was just another word, no one would even notice it's existence.
So when is it okay to use the word fuck in writing? Does a tough character use the word? An angry teen? A woman? In what instance would it be okay for a woman to just say fuck it?
And if you know who decided the word fuck was to be the bad word, please let me know. I want to know why his word is law.

Ebooks Rock!

I always thought I'd never come to love the Kindle as much as I love paper books but owning one has made me realize I love the words more than the format. I have books all over my house. To pare down my husband has to wretch them from my death grip before I'll give one up. Even then I have to reason with him as to why I should keep each one. He's an ex-Marine. They are trained to live out of a duffel bag and not to form attachments to material things. Even a so called "ex" Marine is still a Marine. The training and brainwashing they go through stays with them forever. Once a Marine always a Marine. It's what I love about him, its the exact opposite of me and that's a good thing. I'm an artist and happiest when covered in paint creating something or spinning stories on my laptop. I need the Marine's discipline. Otherwise every room in the house would have sunflowers and puppies painted on the walls and there would be books stacked everywhere. My Marine keeps me in balance.
Back to the subject...
Books are my magic. It like having thousands of little brains retaining information for me. I keep the fiction I absolutely love or whose writing I find amazing. I keep non-fiction where the information is something I want to come back to for reference.
And now I Kindle. I have this little device that brings stories to my fingertips with just a click. It's amazing. And addictive. When you can get a book zipped into your hands so quickly it's easy to load up. So now I have all these books on my Kindle and I should really stop until I read them all. Really.
I should.
But Amazon calls me.
What about you? Do you Kindle?

To Be or Not To Be

There is a woman at work and I'm kind of coaching her on some freelancing basics. Demand Studios, Constant Content and writing for the Trues. Today we got into a discussion about admitting we are writers.
Long ago I thought I couldn't say I was a writer until I was published. It wasn't until I joined critique groups and Romance Writers of America that I discovered it wasn't a bad thing to admit I was a writer even if I hadn't been paid for it yet.
Being a writer is something you are because of what you do. Finances had nothing to do with it. Of course it would be better if we had money coming in from writing but that doesn't make us any less a writer.
The leap to answer questions about your career choices by saying, "I'm a writer." can be a big one. Big and scary.
Today I told my friend that she is a writer. She sold! I could see the realization dawning in her eyes. Like, Oh yeah-I am a writer!
In becoming a writer I think there are many hurdles. Stating you're a writer is one of the biggest steps. It puts you out there, face to the world, declaring what you are.
Scary at first. Then oh so satisfying.