When the holidays roll around each year, I try to pause for a few minutes and recall the events of the past months. To contemplate the good and the bad, the twists and the turns, and to revel in making it through another three sixty-five.
This year is no different. Though perhaps I’m starting a little earlier, trying a little harder to be mindful of what’s happened, how precious life is, how important it remains—every day—to be grateful for all the positive people and things in my life.
As continues to be the case year after year, 2019 presented more than its share of challenges. Even so, I’d rather focus on the good and carry the positives with me into next year and the one after.
To that end, I decided to keep this post short and share a few of the simple things I’m ridiculously grateful for:
sweet, gorgeous, and goofy smiles from my husband, and the mornings he makes me coffee while putting away the dishes
Cuzzie’s warm-fuzzy socks
watching seagulls fly over Route 1, far from the beach
the scent of woodsmoke from our neighbors’ chimneys and fire pits mingling with the apple-crisp fall air
random texts and goofy friends
family surprises, pitch-ins, celebrations, and remembrances
so many wonderful books
making guláš from scratch that tastes almost as good as my mother-in-law’s—according to the hub!!
writer friends laughing and supporting as much as critiquing and helping make my work better
Harry Honda starting right up on a cold morning after I’d left the overhead light burning the night before (even though I’d reminded myself to turn it off)
racing down a dark street on a friend’s speedy electric scooter, trying not to wobble or fall off while the gang cheered me on
living in a town with its own fort!
random customers dealing with issues who still strive to be polite while working to resolve the problems
the openness of the sky, where so much is visible: sunlight, clouds, rainstorms, birds
dear family and friends, old and new, near and far, who add so much love, laughter, and chaos—I mean excitement 🙂 —to our lives
And you know I’d be remiss if I didn’t add something book-wise. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to write and publish the stories I love with the support of family and friends and readers. Sharing my stories is a dream come true. And I so appreciate having readers who enjoy them and ask for more.
Treasure Bound, Book 2 of The Treasure Quest Series
I hope this post gave you a chance to think about your own year gone by. And perhaps you’ll take a moment now to share a warm thought or kind word or smile with someone just because. Thanks for reading…always. #grateful 🙂
I have exciting news, readers: my second novel, now OFFICIALLY named Treasure Bound, will be published this month! Woo hoo! The road to publishing this book, the sequel to Emerald Obsession, was long and jarring, so I’m all the happier for its coming release.
The preparation these past months has been tedious. As an indie author, tackling the essentials of pre-publication—like editing, conferring with the Library of Congress, obtaining ISBNs, designing the cover—is crucial and a tad nerve-wracking (and ultimately very worth it).
A fun exception to the nervy parts is that while
tackling those tasks, I encountered a number of curious folks who asked why I
decided to self-publish. Well, that question got me to thinking. 😉 Considering
I blog about the writing life, I realized I had a great topic to share with my audience.
EO ebook and print books
If
you’re trying to make the indie-vs-traditional decision for your book, spend some time discovering
what your goal is and who you want to reach. Why do you want to send
your story into the world? Many factors will weigh in on your final decision, as
they did for me. But figuring this out, or at least giving thought to your goal
will offer you a good starting point.
My original decision to self-publish came about eight or so years ago, prior to the release of Emerald Obsession, and I haven’t once regretted that choice or changed my mind. Before I scoop you on why I chose indie publishing, I’d like to share something that not many of you know. When I wrote my first (still-unpublished) novel, Blind Notice, I decided to try the traditional route. Self-publishing, while not in its infancy back then, was still fledgling, full of tricky bits, and daunting.
Let me add a couple of quick points here for consideration: first, for anyone with a connection in the industry, absolutely ask for their input and advice. So many good things can come from a mentor, or someone able to direct you to the right source for help. The experience and wisdom of those who’ve traveled a similar path is invaluable.
Second, totally my gut feeling, but I truly believe any writer looking to put her-
or himself out there should try the traditional path, at least for a short
time, to experience that process regardless of the outcome.
Back to my “traditional” journey: I researched and found
receptive agents in my genre, wrote and rewrote and polished my query letters,
kept an Excel file of my efforts, and then received a number of polite rejections.
That taught me a ton about persistence and belief in myself. But the whole
process felt like it took an eternity to receive constructive feedback.
You know by now I’m someone who likes to learn and
experience things. So you understand why I wanted to pursue traditional
publishing, even knowing I was competing with scores of other mystery writers,
vying for the attention of a small group of agents, and then publishers. And,
ultimately, I failed.
But through all of that, I continued to work on my
craft. During this time, I began writing EO.
I was dealing with the death of my cousin, who had been my biggest champion
(and not dealing well, I have to add), and I felt the driving need not to waste
precious time waiting on other people. I grew frustrated with the length of
time it would take to make any publishing progress, and I became determined to
keep the fate of my work in my hands.
And that’s when I began to seriously research self-publishing options.
So, what made me commit? The short answer was (and
still is, despite how long TB has
taken) the speed and the control of the process. For me, those two items are
intertwined, so I don’t rush either one. And now, for authors looking to earn a
living writing (eventually, please, God and fingers and toes crossed!), there
are broader opportunities available with self-publishing.
Even so, a ton of work and time goes into producing a quality book—and considering my desirousness of becoming a world’s best-selling author 😉 —I really, really do my best to make sure the work is done, and is done with the highest quality possible. Of course, by that I mean I pay the pros to edit my manuscripts and to design my book covers.
To
be treated as a professional author, my book must meet or exceed the
professional standards of any other. The writing must be the best I can make
it, the book must have an experienced editor review it, and the cover must be
the most compelling sales tool my designer and I can create.
There are a lot of “musts” in that paragraph. But those
are the requirements of the professional world, so they’re my requirements.
With constant change in the industry, traditional
publishers are mandating their newbie authors handle the bulk of their own
marketing. This is the other reason I chose the indie route. I’m not a huge fan
of plugging the books myself, but I believe in my stories, and so I will. But with
having to manage the marketing in both cases, I’d rather retain the creative control and ownership of my timeline
that comes with self-publishing.
So the best thing for me is to continue to write at my
own pace, produce the books I want to read, publish them myself as expertly as
I can, and keep on writing.
And that’s the trick, my friends. For those who want to
write, keep on doing so. Writing more will make you a better writer. So will
reading more. Sharing your words with critique partners will also make you better.
And becoming better will make you want to share your gift. I say, go for it!
One last thought: whichever path you choose, and for
whatever reasons, don’t forget you may need to reassess at some point. Or
consider new options. Try to stay true
to the path that makes sense for you and your goals. If an agent or
traditional publisher knocked on my door, would I answer? Sure, I’d let them in
and see what we could work out; after all, there’s that whole “world’s
best-selling author” thang for me to consider. Haha. 😉
Old-school printing pressNew-school printing
Which choice will you make? Tell me in the comment section below, or directly at carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Would love to hear from you. 😉 Happy writing and reading, all.
PS—Stay
tuned for Treasure Bound release
details and cover reveal! Coming soon!
Wow, it’s been an incredibly long time since I last
blogged. Do you guys even remember who I am? I hope so. I haven’t (really) gone
anywhere. And I certainly didn’t mean to go MIA without explanation. That,
however, is exactly what happened.
I’ve worked in a number of different types of jobs and environments in my life. Regardless of the setting, though, one big thing is required of all:
You have to show up and do the work.
But I can honestly say that as much as I love to write, showing up every day, doing the work, is so much harder because it’s a creative endeavor.
Not hard as in “sit down and let my fingers do the
talking,” but hard as in composing, producing, saying something meaningful. I’m
a writer, yeah? But I’m only as good as
the words I use to communicate and the things I wish to say. Readers are
overloaded with choice, so the struggle to say something relevant—say it creatively,
purposefully—is real. And daunting to
tackle on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.
So, yeah, sometimes instead of penning nonsense, I don’t write at all. Or more specifically,
I don’t share my words with the public. There are tons of authors who can argue
the benefit of writing daily; that routine just isn’t me, isn’t what I can or
want to make the time to do. I’ll say this, though, which I’ve potentially said
before and likely will again: writing well
takes practice, and I know I become better the more I discipline myself. My
skills don’t necessarily regress when I’m not corralling words, but in
neglecting the words, I know my craft is idling instead of improving.
Back to that “not writing for public consumption”
thing. That’s been the case these past few months of no blog posts. No apology, simply flat-out truth: I
haven’t blogged lately because I’ve been working hard to finish the self-edits
for my second novel. And in my non-author-y life, I’ve dealt with a number
of bad things, a few tough-but-good things, and one very wonderful thing in the
past half year. As ever, lots to juggle.
How about we gloss over those other bits for now
(heh-heh-heh, writer’s prerogative) and focus on the first part: my fifteen zillion rounds of personal edits
for Book 2, Treasure Bound, are DONE!
Can I get a woo hooo?
More notes
Yes, it’s true: after all those additional years of writing, rewriting, and editing, and then hitting up a few trusted beta readers, I finally packed up my manuscript and shipped it to my editor (you know, via email). Now, I’m chomping my fingernails, researching new cover designers (can’t afford the increased price for the guys who did such a great job on my first book), and re-familiarizing myself with the necessaries for publication, things like formatting styles, ISBNs, LCCNs, BISACs, and the rest of those fun requirements. (For some fab info on the topic of self-publishing, check out Jane Friedman’s detailed blog by clicking here.) Good thing memory serves, as do the notes I took copiously the first time out. Whee.
While I await the feedback from my editor, I’m doing my best to get back to writing my blog and brainstorming BOOK 3!!! Because, yes, Virginia, there is a Book 3 lurking somewhere in my brain’s nether regions. Though I added another six thousand words to Treasure Bound since my August post (yippie!), I still have more story to tell. And I hope people enjoy Book 2 enough to stick around for the rest of the ride.
And now, readers and friends, what’ve you got to say for yourselves? Are you still out there? 😉 That’d be great, for sure. I hope you’ll let me know what you’ve been up to these past months, either in the comments section below or by email. You know it: carolyn@carolyngreeley.com. Hope to hear from you soon.
PS—The plan is to publish Treasure Bound later this year, so stay tuned. Woo hoo!
Around the holidays, my writing muse seems to crowd too often into the far corner of my living room, the one where auctioned-off nails and tubs of dusty sporting equipment rub handles with dented cardboard boxes of old papers and—you guessed it—Christmas decorations. The muse hovers behind the tottering stacks, scrunched between the windows I haven’t washed the insides of in three years (they’re inaccessible, that’s my excuse) and the not-rickety pinewood shelving my hub built those same years ago. I think she enjoys that corner because she knows I’m unable to easily reach way in the back, and that pulling her out would require more time and effort to dismantle the obstacles than I have on any given of-the-season day.
So, as I hoarded minutes here and there between work, housecleaning, meetings, and the usual day-to-day dribbles of life, I let my brain free-float for ideas on how to quell some of the madness that coexists with this time of year. The madness that drives my muse into that corner. Handily enough, letting my brain wander often teases the muse out of her hiding spot. Lucky for me, this time she helped me come up with five goodies, suggestions I was happy to jot down and share with you to help restore your seasonal sanity somewhat, I hope.
1—Always a favorite of mine: create a master holiday to-do list. My readers and friends know I’m a huge fan of lists. I have been as long as I can remember, and now that I juggle different jobs, a husband, and a household, among other things, I find lists indispensable. During this season, a list helps me focus on the things most important, as well as helps me anticipate the fun as our big holiday celebration, Christmas, draws near.
2—Window shop before your gift-giving holiday gets too close. Since Hanukkah is already nearing completion, this tip might not work for this year,but keep it in mind for next. I don’t like feeling rushed to buy presents—actually, we don’t even buy that many anymore—but I do enjoy browsing and getting ideas before purchasing anything. This is a big change from my old habit of doing all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve! But I find browsing—even for a few minutes here and there—helps bring the holiday and Christmas spirit a bit nearer. I don’t have to buy something to feel the joy of giving grow.
3—Have a think on your favorite and not-so-favorite holiday traditions and try to cut back on those which no longer excite you or bring joy to your family and friends and whoever you share your time with. I long ago gave up writing buckets of Christmas cards (sorry, everyone!) because time would run far away from me. Now, though, I try to focus on sending fewer, longer holiday catch-up emails with friends and family I no longer see frequently. This helps me feel connected, despite usually not being able to celebrate with our family and friends stretched around the globe. Skype also works great, especially with our families in New York and The Czech Republic.
4—Remind yourself to keep things simple. Do you find yourself attending a number of celebrations during this season? Or hosting one? We often do, and to keep things simple, we bring or make one or two usual dishes we know are crowd pleasers, like my hub’s famous spread/appetizer, chlebicky(pronounced kla-beech-key), and my giant pot o’chili. Rather than drive ourselves bonkers with time-consuming or costly preparations, this helps keep us and our friends stuffed and happy. A decent bottle of red wine helps, too. 😉
5—And finally, don’t forget to sneak off for a few minutes to enjoy your favorite pre-holiday ritual. Maybe you like to drive the neighborhood with your other half to take in the lighting spectaculars. Or zone out in the bath with a pine-scented candle, a glass of that red wine, and some Christmas music tinkling over the pop of bubbles. Or, my fave, curl into your reading nook with a Baileys and your latest mystery, wrapped head to toe in a fluffy, toasty blanket. Yes, I live in Florida, but it still hits the 30s here. Hee hee hee.
So, readers, fans, friends, and family, I love this time of year, but with all the secular busyness, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and that—for me, at least—is a reminder to focus on giving, loving, and trying to be a better human.
There you have it. A few perhaps-not-so-secret tips for bringing a bit of calm to you this season. I hope they work for you. And bring you peace and happiness in some form. As for me, I’m going to grab my current book shortly, The Rope, by Nevada Barr, and have a quiet read. 🙂 “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night….”
Sometimes, I need to hit the refresh button. Both in life and in writing. How about you? These past few months, I’ve been pinballing fast once again. (Not that I’ve ever really stopped, I suppose.) 😉 But, rolling with that “work in progress” thing I’ve got going, I do my best to keep up.
But then you realize, it’s time to pause and flick that switch.
Pause
Refresh
On the happy side of the zigzagging, I have some good news: I haven’t been idle writing-wise on my book. If you guys recall, it was a year ago June that I had my first cow, (click here in case you missed that blog), when I realized about half of my sequel novel to Emerald Obsession remained written only in my notebooks and my brain and not on the computer as it should’ve been. Oy, I tell ya! Then in February, I described my mini cow, which you can find by clicking here.
But on the plus side is that for these past few months, I’ve been writing away—yes, writing on the computer and adding to—the sequel, still lovingly referred to as Treasure Bound. And guess what?
I’ve added 19,000 words to the story! Woooo hooo! Which means I’ve finally gotten much of the secondary plot line from my head into the Word doc. YAY!! I’m so pleased!
But, okay, this isn’t the time for me to rest on my laurels, per se. This is simply my reset period. I still have tons of work to do. But………….I’m happy to feel I made the kind of progress I needed to at this stage.
My next step, and part of the refresh and reset—which I’m currently in the midst of, hence having time to focus on this blog—has me putting aside the edits for a couple of weeks to clear out my brain. (Not of everything, I hope, but of just enough to give me a breather from focusing all my writerly attention on TB.)
Creative Brain
After these weeks are up, I’ll print out the current TB, and then I’ll reread EO and TB as quickly as I can in succession, looking for any holes and inconsistencies, checking flow, and overall reviewing everything. After that, if things go smoothly (please, please, please, and fingers crossed!), then it’s on to the next stage of professional editing. Whee!!!
But once again………let’s not put the cart before the donkey. (BTW, I love donkeys, check out this Instagram feed if you do, too.) I still have a few points rattling around my brain that might need to become minor scenes or added info bits. I’m definitely prepared for the possibility of more tweakage. That’s one reason I need this reset; to detach my brain from the project so I’m able to sharpen my focus when I return to reviewing the story.
Also, since this is Book 2, with Book 3 still to come, I have to look forward to the next story and build into TB any relevant details and teasers. Whee again, but not in the good way; this is more like: “Whee, what the hell was I thinking when I decided to write a series??!!”
All I can say, though, is I’m committed now. Or wait, is that supposed to read: “I should be committed now”? Probably. The men in the white jackets are waiting behind me to carry me away. Here we go again.
Doc Stormtroopers
Just kidding already. What I really mean is I’m committed to telling you good stories, ones I hope entertain, excite, and engage you. If that takes more time and research than I’d originally planned so be it, as long as the outcome satisfies me and you. Thanks for your patience on that score.
Well, dear readers and friends, that’s about all she wrote for the time being. I’m not heading back to edits just now—whew, what a relief to say that’s done for the moment!—but it is time for a little walk to free the brain for some Book 3 brainstorming. Hmm … I’m finally excited to get started again. Yippee!
Before I go, tell me in the comments section below how you reset. Writing-wise, this was something I couldn’t do until the timing jived with completing a certain portion of my writing, but personally speaking, we all need periodic resets, too. Last week, I took my first, solo Me Day in years. It was fabulous and so necessary. Perhaps I’ll blog on that soon, too. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you do to reset, so please fire away. Thanks again for reading and joining the convo.
No, I don’t mean Flash Fiction. I mean, February—as per usual—has passed in a flash. And I’m not too keen on it happening, I can tell you. Once again, I find myself behind the eight ball of editing and blogging. I long ago jumped onto that adult bandwagon of repeatedly commenting on the swift passage of time. So, what the hell, I’ll do it again.
Where does the time go???
Feb 18 calendar
Partly, the days zip by so readily because of my semi-unique work life. It’s a bit odd, working multiple part-time positions. Changing brain functions between them is a nonstop juggle, as they all seem to draw on a different element of my psyche: creative, practical, professional. Two of my jobs mean working from my home office (which, by the way, we’re finally setting up, yay!), so that adds a near-constant battle to get “everything household” done that needs doing. After all, I’m “home,” right? Oy! The distractions are numerous and the pull great. I can only imagine how people with kids cope. The drive to handle it all must be that must stronger.
Anyhoo, enough blathering. The struggle is real, for pretty much all of us, and so it continues. At the moment, I have a few contiguous hours to myself, and I’m writing and will return to editing TB after I finish this post. Which is also to say, I’ll keep this short. ; )
Now, onto the “… and Sequel Writing” portion of the program. Here’s the latest on Treasure Bound: I finally finished round two edits on my laptop, added a few scenes, tweaked others, and printed out everything. And it’s still short! As in, too short for my taste. But, as I’d mentioned in December, I suspected that’d be the case as I completed that round.
I’ve begun round three, which in this instance is reading through the hardcopy in as few sittings as possible. On this round, I’m looking to add more backstory in key places, flesh out the new characters, add some tension and bad-guy scenes, and hopefully fill in a few holes. I write this longhand on the printouts, which I usually enjoy.
Well guess what? Last week I had another cow, although it was a smaller cow than last summer. A calf, I suppose. With horns?
Mini Cow
But, seriously, I was like “For real?” What I’ve learned is that writing a sequel, though fun and easy in some ways, is incredibly challenging for keeping facts consistent throughout both novels. No surprise, but I thought I’d already passed this hiccup. I found out last week that I’d written something about one of the main characters in Emerald Obsession that is counter to a large portion of what happens to that character in TB. DOH!!!
Crazy part, I wrote the detail practically as an aside in EO, which is how I almost forgot about it. But the words are in print, and unless I want to revise EO and create a second edition, then I have to work with what I’ve got.
But…….okay, mini cow had, and possible workaround already figured. Not completely, but with fingers crossed and striving to access those creative brain cells, hopefully all is not lost.
You guys, dear friends and readers who know me by now, know I (usually) enjoy a challenge. Well, writing this sequel certainly is one. I began it so long ago, and I’ve had some surprising good feedback and a few bad experiences.
I guess my point is this: I tried something new in how I approached writing this story, and I’m not sure it worked. Especially because TB is a sequel, the more time that passes from the original story, the more I have to refresh my brain to maintain accuracy and the longer my readers have to wait to read the next chapter. So bummed about that. Hopefully, I’ll have lived and learned my lesson and will attempt a different approach with Book 3. Yes, as of now, there’s still a Book 3 plodding through my brain. Lord help me. ; )
So that’s it for now, folks. Time for me to work on the back-end of this post, send it out into the nether regions of the web, and then get back to editing. Damn, despite all this BS, I still really love writing. And I really appreciate you visiting, hanging with me, checking in. You guys rock. Oh, and comments, please share them below and tell your friends. : )
PS–Here’s a little peek at the new office furniture. : )
I’ve struggled a lot these past few months to blog consistently. So often, that’s the writing I push to the back burner when life pops up with tedious little requirements like grocery shopping and feeding the family. 😉 It’s a bummer, putting it off, because while blogging isn’t my favorite form of writing, overall I enjoy it when I’ve had time to think over what I want to say. And like most things, I’m better at blogging when I practice more.
One decent side effect is that though blogging took a back seat, the editing on Treasure Bound continues on a semi-regular basis. I feel slow as a sloth at that, but I can honestly say I’ve kept up with the edits for the last few weeks. I wish I could work faster, but at least I feel the changes are substantial and accurate. I know someone will find fault with something in the book—maybe a detail about the Puente Map, or a liberty I took with the Castillo—but I’m trying hard to make my story as correct and entertaining as possible.
With all this said, then, I decided my December blog would be sort of a year-end recap of me and my writing life, along with a little progress report on Treasure Bound. So here goes.
Some of you may recall I started out on a good writing note this year. I had my blog up and running and produced two pieces a month (my 2017 New Year’s Writing Resolution) for a couple early months. I’m sad my resolution was shorter-lived than I’d hoped for. I’d tried something new this year, a formal editorial calendar and a social-media-post suggestion list. They both worked very well … to the extent I used them. Agh. After a short time, the printed lists became buried on my desk, only to be seen when I remembered to shuffle through the piles of paper.
Still, I have to say the quantity and quality of much of my writing (and marketing) has improved over last year. For that, I’m truly happy and glad. And along the way, I’ve had some fantastic experiences, too. This was a year of fun writing firsts: I guest spoke at a local book club where I discussed Emerald Obsession, answered questions, and read an excerpt from Treasure Bound; I hosted my first EO author signing in downtown Saint Augustine. I’m honored to say my signing was the best they’d hosted, despite being set up on short notice. Thanks again, AnaRosa Burke, for your incredible support! Also, this year saw me make new writer friends when asked to participate in my first Flash Fiction Blast hosted by my friend, fellow author Rita Henuber. Positive reviews and comments on my short, “Bitter,” gave me a lift, especially during the ongoing TB edit process.
And in between that, our Irma-extended trip to the Czech Republic, an extreme poison ivy allergic reaction, Thanksgiving week in a Georgia mountains cabin, still sticking with the crazy-but-interesting part-time job, freelancing here and there for NY, trying to finish the detail work and décor on our house, and taking care of the household and my hub, I’ve squeezed in time for editing Treasure Bound.
CZ Dad Garden
Blood Mountain, GA
If you remember, I had that big ol’ cow in June when I realized I’d only half-written the story on my computer and had the other half scribbled longhand in my notebook. In mish-mash pieces, no less. Boy, was that a kick in the butt. But I’m happy to report progress!
Not that I have an updated word count to give you…yet. I’m still working through the whole story, adding scenes and transitions to the original “half” I’d keyed into my laptop. Right now, I’m only three-quarters of the way through. But, I’m fleshing out the secondary characters and subplots, and my critique group’s feedback is very positive. Yay.
Those of you familiar with the “exciting” ways of editing know that once I finish this second editing round, I’ll go through everything again. And again, and likely again. During each round of edits you read for something different. Though this stage can be draining, I sort of enjoy it, because that’s where I polish the story to a hopefully brilliant shine.
I’ll be excited to finish this round, though, because then I’ll reprint the entire manuscript and will read through all the additions in as few sittings as possible to check for flow and consistency. I’m prepared for the likelihood I’ll still need to write more, too. Not crazy about the possibility, but that’ll be an update for next year…hopefully early next year!
So that’s about it from my end. Crazy life, crazy book status, but s’all good. And all manageable.
Before I sign off for this year, I’d like to thank you all once more for traveling this sometimes-bumpy path with me. The company sure helps keep me sane. 🙂
And I wish you and your families, friends, loved ones a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a joyous, festive, peaceful, and loving New Year. May the best spirit of the holiday season stay with you year-round!
