The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

Filigree · Aug 11, 2017

I built my blog platform 5 years ago. It needs revamping, but it's there.

I reactivated my FB account recently, but I don't do much there. I'm on Twitter for political fun & games, and Pinterest & Tumblr for imagery. I'm here on AW for writing tips and writerly friendships

I have a demanding day job, an even more demanding art career, and people I love more than either...so my social media comes fourth.

JJ Litke · Aug 11, 2017

Tweetdeck is the best! I was an early adopter like Richard, and Twitter was just getting big at the time in Austin tech. I met a lot of industry contacts and even got freelance work from people I met there. I'll be sad if it ever does go away.

My best tip for a good social media account: animal pictures. No one gives a crap about your political opinions, but everyone loves cute animals.

Richard White said:
#kcchiefs

*hugs Richard*

MrJJ is a big Chiefs fan, too. I'm really a Texans fan, but it's hard to get very excited about them the past few years. I hope Watson works out for them, he seemed all right in the bit of preseason game that I saw the other day.

Richard White · Aug 11, 2017

I'm actually looking foward to moving from my laptop to a larger monitor - only real drawback to Tweetdeck is only so many columns show up on screen at a time depending on your monitor size.

JJ Litke said:
Tweetdeck is the best! I was an early adopter like Richard, and Twitter was just getting big at the time in Austin tech. I met a lot of industry contacts and even got freelance work from people I met there. I'll be sad if it ever does go away.

My best tip for a good social media account: animal pictures. No one gives a crap about your political opinions, but everyone loves cute animals.

Growing up in Missouri, I picked the Chiefs over the Cardinals in 1966 and haven't looked back since. People have been ragging on me for not supporting the local team, but after supporting the same team for 51 years, it's a bit late to change alliegance now. About the only way I'd ever quit rooting for the Chiefs would be if they moved out of KC and I don't see that happening anytime soon.

MrJJ is a big Chiefs fan, too. I'm really a Texans fan, but it's hard to get very excited about them the past few years. I hope Watson works out for them, he seemed all right in the bit of preseason game that I saw the other day.

Aggy B. · Aug 11, 2017

Hey. I'm doing a giveaway on Twitter this weekend for the Touch trilogy. 3 copies of the eBook (Kindle or .epub) are up for grabs. Entering is simple.

Also, cranking away on the new project. About 8k words so far. Hoping to be about halfway done by the end of the month. Should be a little easier to get the words down now that school is back in session.

Aggy, gets up at 6:30 and writes for an hour

Caitlin Black · Aug 12, 2017

<-- That's been me these last few days.

Ambrosia · Aug 12, 2017

Filigree said:
I built my blog platform 5 years ago. It needs revamping, but it's there.

I tried blogging for a few years and found I am no good at actually keeping it going. So I made the decision not to do it. At least for now.

Filigree said:
I reactivated my FB account recently, but I don't do much there. I'm on Twitter for political fun & games, and Pinterest & Tumblr for imagery. I'm here on AW for writing tips and writerly friendships

I have FB and daily go and check posts and share pictures of dragons and other fantasy art. I follow a couple of authors and have some AW friends mixed in with other friends and family. But I just don't see how that helps an author. I am watching these published authors and trying to figure out what they are doing. One is running giveaways, and has joined together with a group of other authors to offer free and 99 cent books each Friday. I have purchased many of her books because she is an excellent author. I'm guessing this is working for her but it seems like she spends a lot of time on FB, to me.

As far as AW, I spend most of my time online here. I have made quite a few friends here while I'm learning a lot. But I don't count being here part of a marketing campaign.

Filigree said:
I have a demanding day job, an even more demanding art career, and people I love more than either...so my social media comes fourth.

I have energy problems due to health problems and often don't have the ability to do as much as is needed in a normal day of living, let alone adding more elements to a day with differing aspects of writing. So it's all a challenge.

JJ Litke said:
Tweetdeck is the best! I was an early adopter like Richard, and Twitter was just getting big at the time in Austin tech. I met a lot of industry contacts and even got freelance work from people I met there. I'll be sad if it ever does go away.

I may sign up for twitter just so I can follow a few people who aren't on FB. I just don't want to be overwhelmed and use too much energy on it.

JJ Litke said:
My best tip for a good social media account: animal pictures. No one gives a crap about your political opinions, but everyone loves cute animals.

I have noticed the animal pics--most often cats. I love all animals, but I have to admit that I am overwhelmed by the amount of cat pics being shared.

JJ Litke said:
MrJJ is a big Chiefs fan, too. I'm really a Texans fan, but it's hard to get very excited about them the past few years. I hope Watson works out for them, he seemed all right in the bit of preseason game that I saw the other day.

Having been born and raised in KC, I'm a huge Royals and Chiefs fan. As long as I don't have to watch any of the games, because I'm not a huge sports fan. :greenie

Jade Rothwell · Aug 12, 2017

decided last night during a low to do a major WIP rewrite. way my brain works, I have to just do it or I'll never stop thinking about it. trying not to hyperfocus and actually do other stuff. like eat.

Cliff Face said:
<-- That's been me these last few days.

awesome

doing more song writing?

E.F.B. · Aug 12, 2017

So far today I have written a review (I enjoy writing them, but really wish they wouldn't take me so long. #perfectionism)for the book I just finished reading. Now it's off to do story wordage. Hopefully. Teh impending lady issues have given me some brain fog the past several days and it's taken effort and intense, intentional focus to squeeze out anything over 200 words. Anything under 500 words a day frustrates me because I know I'm capable of more, but I keep trying to remind myself that progress is progress and it's okay if sometimes physical stuff slows me down. Beating myself up over it certainly isn't going to make it any better.

Filigree · Aug 12, 2017

Yay, Etsy's test deposit went through, so my account is active. I think I'll go through my 35-year-stash of beading supplies and add some packages of beads, buttons, and rhinestones to my store. Cuz gawdamighty I have a lot of stuff.

Caitlin Black · Aug 12, 2017

Jade A said:
awesome doing more song writing?

Technically, no, not writing songs. However, I've adopted the attitude that I'm simply going to do improv, rather than playing the same songs over and over again. Less marketable, sure, but improv on guitar is where my heart is. And with that in mind, my 6 or so hours of playing over the past week have been steadily getting closer and closer to actual music (as far as I'm concerned, anyway). So, like, I feel as if I'm now improvising things that could be viewed as songs - while expanding my repertoire considerably.

So no, technically not writing songs, but it's close enough if you ask me.

Aggy B. · Aug 13, 2017

Morning, Cantina.

Yesterday was rough. I did get some bits on the new project written, but most of my attention wound up focused elsewhere.

Today I am planning for pancakes and more words because I want to make a dent in this MS. (Closing in on the first 10k finished. Would like to get further than that by tomorrow morning.)

Happy weekend, folks.

Aggy, desperately in need of comfort food

Ambrosia · Aug 13, 2017

Good morning, Cantina.

Aggy, good luck with your writing goals today. (I need some comfort food, too, after watching the news.)

I finished my revision on the battle scene yesterday. Instead of cutting word count as I thought would happen, I increased it by a third. Is it better? Worse? Who knows. I just hope I don't have to rewrite it again. :tongue

Today I need to go through the manuscript and fix the places where the changes in the scene causes continuity problems. Fun.

Jade Rothwell · Aug 13, 2017

sending hugs to anyone feeling scared right now. and just anyone who needs them

Cliff Face said:
Technically, no, not writing songs. However, I've adopted the attitude that I'm simply going to do improv, rather than playing the same songs over and over again. Less marketable, sure, but improv on guitar is where my heart is. And with that in mind, my 6 or so hours of playing over the past week have been steadily getting closer and closer to actual music (as far as I'm concerned, anyway). So, like, I feel as if I'm now improvising things that could be viewed as songs - while expanding my repertoire considerably.

So no, technically not writing songs, but it's close enough if you ask me.

that's great! musical improv sounds interesting. sort of the mentality behind jazz, right?

Richard White · Aug 13, 2017

Always knew there was something I liked about you. *grin*

Raised on the Lake of the Ozarks and then just north of Columbia as a kid. Went to college at Central Missouri State (long before they became University of Central Missouri). Haven't been back much after joining the Army and then my current job, but I do try to get back once and a while for either Chiefs games (LOVE going to Arrowhead - great fans and boy, do they like to share their BBQ in the parking lot - I think I gained five pounds just walking from my car to the stadium the last time I was there) and I do Archon in St. Louis. Would love to do a KC convention someday. Need to get that on the schedule soon.

Ambrosia said:
Having been born and raised in KC, I'm a huge Royals and Chiefs fan. As long as I don't have to watch any of the games, because I'm not a huge sports fan.

E.F.B. · Aug 13, 2017

I could use a smibble pile to hide under until I recover from Sunday school. My mom and I were by ourselves in the 1st grade room today. Our two other teachers were both out of town and the head lady we usually run to when we're having issues was on vacation. There were only 12 kids which isn't a bad number for 2 teachers to handle. Theoretically. Unfortunately, we literally had every child with massive behavioral problems show up today and the two worst ones (one with problems at home bad enough to impact his development and one with a physical disorder that has impacted his development) feed off each other really badly. We survived, didn't strangle any of the kids but I am currently experiencing the monthly lady issues and nearly burst into tears at one point but managed to keep it together. Barely.

So. I just gonna be under here for a while. *crawls under smibble pile*

Richard White · Aug 13, 2017

Did a three-hour writer walkabout yesterday (aka - got out of my house and did some writing where the distractions did NOT require my attention). Finished the edits to my new project and spent time visiting with my wife who was working on her own story.

Today, got the contract for said project, so I can now officially announce it - I'm doing a short story for Green Ronin's fiction line titled "One Night in Freeport" for their Freeport: The City of Adventure rpg line. Hopefully this will be the first of several as this is definitely a fertile field for stories.

Now, back to working with the publisher and designer for my October novel release of Harbinger of Darkness and trying to find reviewers/review sites I can send ARCs out to. *sigh* The joys of small presses.

*cue Super Chicken voice over* "But, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred" */voice over*

greendragon · Aug 13, 2017

Yesterday, we cleaned the kitchen (including reorganizing the big shelves with pots/pans, etc.), cleaned one of my tent side walls, went grocery shopping, got new wiper blades, got meats from Sams, repacked my art show trailer, went through my new decor items and organized/packed them (new jewelry busts, curtains for decor), charged my new lighting system for my tent, made a shield bracelet and cut off the tail of a stuffed cat toy for a costume, tailored a costume, packed most of my costumes for Dragoncon (3 out of 4), and then I worked on finishing some commission beadwork, and the other unfinished pieces from last week while on vacation (only unfinished due to not enough beads or not enough clasps)
Whew.

I have two more minor unfinished items to finish. Today I re-covered all my hanging foam boards for my jewelry display with neutral gray fabric (some had been white, some gray, some black). I still have to cover the new ones my husband cut for me, for Dragoncon in a couple of weeks.

I also started a new short story, about a kitten in ancient Egypt starting his job training... from the kitten's POV.

JJ Litke · Aug 13, 2017

Last night, I hung out socially with other writers, two of them very well published, outside of the context of a big event like a con. A new kind of first that I hadn't even thought to anticipate before it happened.

Richard White said:
Did a three-hour writer walkabout yesterday (aka - got out of my house and did some writing where the distractions did NOT require my attention). Finished the edits to my new project and spent time visiting with my wife who was working on her own story.

Today, got the contract for said project, so I can now officially announce it - I'm doing a short story for Green Ronin's fiction line titled "One Night in Freeport" for their Freeport: The City of Adventure rpg line. Hopefully this will be the first of several as this is definitely a fertile field for stories.

Now, back to working with the publisher and designer for my October novel release of Harbinger of Darkness and trying to find reviewers/review sites I can send ARCs out to. *sigh* The joys of small presses.

*cue Super Chicken voice over* "But, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred" */voice over*

Nice!

greendragon · Aug 13, 2017

Regarding social media: I've been active on Facebook for several years, and have separate accounts for my author page and my artist page. I have been actively blogging for two years. I have a Twitter account, mostly for promotion purposes. I try to interact with my people as much as possible, but it is indeed a timesuck.

Richard White · Aug 13, 2017

greendragon said:
Regarding social media: I've been active on Facebook for several years, and have separate accounts for my author page and my artist page. I have been actively blogging for two years. I have a Twitter account, mostly for promotion purposes. I try to interact with my people as much as possible, but it is indeed a timesuck.

Almost as much a one as Absolute Write is. *grin*

Filigree · Aug 13, 2017

Sometimes AW is a timesuck for me, sometimes (more often) a lifesaving research tool.

Decision time soon on a big fantasy mms.

I'm quietly haunting 18 agents on social media and AW right now, as I run out an 8-week clock on querying a SFF mms. It has multiple partials and a full still out to agents I admire...and now an offer from a small press I trust. Some of these agents were 12-week, 6-month, or complete no-response last time I queried them. So I'll ping them at the end of August.

It breaks me a little to admit it, but I'm giving up on solo querying this thing to Tor, DAW, or the other big genre presses still open to unagented authors.

tiddlywinks · Aug 13, 2017

Four more days at work as of tomorrow. Four more days. Then three glorious weeks off, during which I will probably hide in a hole somewhere that will involve hiking, writing, and generally staying away from people. I need a hermitude. That means not much of Winks online either, though I've already had to withdraw somewhat because of work and 'life' throwing me curveballs just before vacation. Which explains why I shall be avoiding people on vacation. Surely life can't find me for three weeks. :tongue

Ah, well. One can hope. At least words were finally had today on the novella revisions. Most of a new scene fleshed out. I still have to muddle my way through the end of it, then change the opening of the next scene accordingly. If I can hash this out in short order, I might even be able to tiptoe into SYW to dangle for some betas. Maybe.

And no, the pirates are still being jerks. Hopefully this will change on vacation. Or I'm going with the werewolves! (The threat seems to be making them nervous, so we shall see if this works.)

~Winks, off to do laundry and dishes. Yay...

tjwriter · Aug 13, 2017

I'm in desperate need of some hermit time myself. The rest and relaxation would do me a world of good.

tiddlywinks · Aug 13, 2017

Aaaaaaaand my dishwasher decided to flood the kitchen floor while I went to get groceries.

:Soapbox:

Four. More. Days.

Ambrosia · Aug 13, 2017

tiddlywinks said:
Aaaaaaaand my dishwasher decided to flood the kitchen floor while I went to get groceries.

Four. More. Days.

The Cantina Staring Back At You From The Abyss

Mildly Disturbing

People are not wearing enough hats

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

Not as sweet as you think

Wild one

Grand Duchess

rolling dice

Stories, stories everywhere

Mildly Disturbing

Wild one

Not as sweet as you think

Grand Duchess

rolling dice

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

Stories, stories everywhere

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

People are not wearing enough hats

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

Mildly Disturbing

Chaser of Shineyyyy Plot Bunnies

Emerging Anew

Chaser of Shineyyyy Plot Bunnies

Grand Duchess