It’s been 1796 days since I turned my back on Corporate America.

Okay, okay, so it turned its back on me. I got laid off from an IT job back on July 15^th, 2009. Some days later, I woke up with an epiphany: I could either A) go back to the corporate world and be miserable for the rest of my life or B) I could do what I always wanted with this existence and take a shot at a writing career, risking the very real possibility of dying as a starving artist, but a happy one.

This month, the Fictorians are doing a sort of mileage-check on the goals we set back in January. We’ll be doing a wrap-up in December (for which I’ll be the cat-herder), but I wanted to focus on what’s happening this June. It’s a HUGE month for me. In it, I got my first pro contract for a short story and I got back the edits from a publisher who has picked up Chemical Burn (my first novel and a finalist in the Colorado Good Fiction contest back in 2010). But the biggest news is that I had not one but two titles come out on June 11^th.

The big one for me is Out Through the Attic, a short story collection that includes some of the best stories I’ve had published since I set out on this journey almost five years ago. It’s a cross-genre smorgasbord of science fiction, steampunk, paranormal, and fantasy shorts that I hope people come to love. The folks over at 7DS Books were interested in picking it up, so now I have the opportunity to share it with the rest of you. They liked it so much that they asked me to write a novel for them, which should be out by late summer or early fall.

The big news for my imprint, RuneWright LLC, is the fourth volume of Penny Dread Tales, namely Perfidious and Paranormal Punkery of Steam. It’s a journey through the darker byways of steampunk, with a host of demons and necromancers, where heroes and villains get their hands—and even their souls—just a bit sullied. On top of the fourth installment coming out and because the PDT series has gone so well, K.J. Anderson over at WordFire Press wants to do a “Best of PDT,” which I hope to see in print by early fall.

And all of this in June.

So, how did this happen?

Ultimately, the answer isn’t an easy one. In order to get here, a writer has to be willing to sacrifice… at least most of us, anyway. Some get lucky and land a big book deal right out of the gate. But most writers, the ones you love, worked their fingers to the bone for years in order to put your favorite novel on your bookshelf. There’s the long hours, the working a day job (or two of them), with writing and editing and conventions and social media and everything else that goes with running a sole proprietorship as a writer.

That’s the answer, by the way. Every writer you know is running a business—often times all alone or with the support of a short list of people who believe in them (or at least tolerate the madness that is writing). I think that’s what you have to be prepared to do if you’re going to set your feet upon the path of “writer.” And I say the following with a great deal of humility and respect: if you’re not willing to sacrifice for years, you should save yourself the trouble and get out of this business now, because the odds are you have three or five or ten years of grinding away, day after day, in your future.

Either you’re in it for the long haul, or you’re losing time with your loved ones for little or no reason.

I can say this, however. Inertia is one of your best allies. If you keep grinding… keep writing… keep submitting… keep getting one rejection letter after another until things start to pop for you, then the odds are that you are going to make it… in one form or another. There are varying degrees of success, and I’ve set my sights upon snow-birding in a small home in an equatorial region, but the truth is that you just need to keep at it, every day like it’s your job… because it is your job.

Make that choice with both conviction and open eyes, and you almost can’t miss. I pretty much bet my house on it. I have a long way to go, and it’s my hope that more and more people buy the books that I put out there into the world. The more they do, the closer I get to my own dream, and the easier it will be for me to cut out the other two jobs I work and focus on my writing. I want to give you all two books a year, and twenty or thirty short stories on top of that. Each year, every year, for the rest of my life.

That’s what it is to be a writer… of hoping that your writing gets good enough and is well received enough to allow you to give everything you have to the people, the readers, who help you maintain the madness of writing.

Now go write something. Or read something. This is the best business in the world, and each and every one of you has your part to play in it.

7 Ways to Score with Your Goals

June 13, 2014

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Craft & Skills Goals Motivation Self-Awareness Self-Motivation The Writing Life No Comments

We all set writing goals, but being able to achieve them means we need to understand how we work and how to make our goals work. Here are seven things I find helpful:

1) dress properly
You don’t wear a winter parks in +40 weather so why would you wear the editor’s hat when creative juices are running high? Stay immersed in your world and tell the story. Story structure, world building issues, exposition issues, line edits – all these ‘imperfections’ should be dealt with in the revision and final editing stages.

2) flip flops or hiking boots?
Do you get a better work out strolling on a beach or hiking up a steep mountain? Or a little of both like setting a large goal of one novel a year with smaller goals of 2,000 words a week? Know what motivates you and know that there is much flexibility in how you reach your goals. For example, you may only be able to write a few hundred words a day but if you set aside a weekend every month or two as a writing weekend, you can more easily reach your goals.

3) befriend change
Life happens. Rethinking a concept happens. Writer’s block happens. We get thrown off our goals and every doubt we ever had about being a writer sets in. So never cower before change. Understand why the change has happened. If it’s writer’s block, perhaps there’s something you haven’t thought through well enough. Sometimes our characters take the story in a different direction and we must rethink it. Illness strikes, work changes, any number of things can happen to throw us off our goal. And as with point #2, you may need to decide if it’s time to wear flip flops or hiking boots for a while. But remember, befriending change isn’t permission to procrastinate because goals, like business plans, are moving targets.

4) become a guru
When you are at your paying job, you aren’t in a position to write your story. Conversely, teach yourself and others that your writing time is a job not to be interrupted. Eliminate distractions like phones, emails and social media. You need to focus and to be in your groove, so become your own guru and facilitate channeling your own creativity. Our brains like routine so find something that works for you: meditate, choose background music that inspires creativity, have a special cup of tea and set a specific time for writing.

5) even a sloth is accomplishes something
We write about life, not directly perhaps, but all we experience and observe is translated into our stories. The themes in our stories are our ruminations about how we see and understand things. When telling a story, we sometimes need to pause and to consciously or subconsciously think through those themes and their implications. Down time can be problem solving time and sometimes, it’s just a need to recharge your batteries for the next burst of creative energy.

6) let your fingers do the talking
Fingers on key board – need we say more? Yes for what happens when the fingers and brain aren’t quite connecting? Try it the old fashioned way for a bit and use a pen and paper. There is something to be said for the older, slower method of writing. The hand and brain connect at a different speed (generally slower) and there something more methodical, more organic about the process. Sometimes when I do this, I write about things unrelated to the story but which, on some level, I needed to say or think about. Free style writing, whether by hand or keyboard, can loosen writing blocks and free up creative energy. But truly, write your story one paragraph at a time, one chapter at a time and soon, you’ll have reached your goal. If you’re not trying, it isn’t happening.

7) go play!
Life happens and we need it to happen. We are complex creatures needing inspiration, family and friends. So make time to play with others – and to do the dishes! Never feel guilty about having to do so unless you let it shamelessly distract you from your goal. Writing time for many of us is a form of play time so embrace it as such. For many of us, writing is play time for our creative spirit. Embrace it. Love it. In doing so, you’ll make those around you understand how important it is for you, the creative artist, to have this time. Your writing goals will be more easily met if your family and your creative spirit in you aren’t neglected.

Permission to play! Now, that sounds like fun!

6 Ways to Sabotage Your Goals

June 12, 2014

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Craft & Skills Failures First Drafts Goals Motivation Self-Awareness Self-Motivation The Writing Life 1 Comment

There are things which keep us from achieving our goals, and sometimes we’re not aware when we’re being our own worst enemy.

1) be a good friend
Be a good friend to everyone but yourself. Always check email regularly, answer the phone and respond to your social media pings – as important as these are, they’re all distractions from writing. Set a time for them and that should be when you’re in your least creative head space, you can’t write another word or you need a break. There are days when I don’t check in with anyone or even look at emails because they’re an easy distraction and shift my thoughts on other directions. There are no short phone calls with close family or friends. The danger of the distraction is the changing head space. When I’m writing a world, I need to stay in it – the travel fatigue between realities is strenuous and counterproductive.

2) pretend you’re back in elementary or high school
At some point, we learned not to believe in ourselves. We can be our own worst enemy and critic. Somewhere deep inside a kernel of doubt niggles, of not being good enough (whatever that means), that we won’t succeed, that the stories will never measure up. Remember those elementary and high school teachers who red inked your assignments? In an effort to teach us the basics, they unwittingly hammered fragile creative egos. Make them the ghosts of your past, not your present. So, drop the hammer and the red ink and use the keyboard instead.

3) sweat the details
The devil is truly in the details. It’ll bring your world alive or it’ll totally swamp you. Researching a world thoroughly is fun and it stimulates creativity. Done to excess, however, it can be a distraction from both writing the story and the protagonist’s journey. The details must contribute to the plot and not be superfluous. Sometimes you don’t know what details you need until the story is being written. Use the premise and a rough outline to guide your research. If you really like research and world building, know that it isn’t over until the story is published – there will be times when you need to deepen the world with a little more research.

4) fear heights
Fear climbing the ladder of success. Fear writing ‘the end’. Fear sending your work to beta readers and editors. Two things happen when we get closer to our goal – the dreaming stops and we are forced to leave our now comfortable, creative world for the business one. The business side demands skill sets we’re not always comfortable with such as revision, editing, submission and marketing. Rejection or criticism, at any level, feels like falling off the ladder for the higher we go, the harder the fall. But it doesn’t have to be. Learning the business side, climbing that ladder – it’s a skill set that once embraced creates possibilities and enthusiasm for new goals, new stories and opportunities to realize your highest goal which is that of professional writer.

5) believe it’s a just hobby
If you don’t take it seriously, neither can anyone else and the support you need (time to write, encouragement, feedback) won’t be there. Worse still, you’ve created an environment designed to sabotage your goals. Most of us need to work to pay the bills so we can’t write full time. But treating it like a profession isn’t justy about having endless time – it’s about taking it seriously, setting regular times to write, learning the craft and business. So set your goals and take them seriously. Most importantly, decide what it is you want from your writing – is it a hobby or do you want something more? Then, set your goals accordingly.

6) read 15 how-to books and conscientiously apply them to your first draft
That stopped me cold. I didn’t need to read 15 books, just one how-to at the wrong time gave me a very painful writer’s block that took a week to work through. Of course we need to know craft and basic story structure and a few things which will make revision less painful. But sometimes we must trust we know that intuitively and let the story be told. Whether you outline or not the story must be written with all its flaws and gems all mashed into the manuscript. Revision, not the first draft, is the perfect time to analyze the manuscript and apply all the how-to advice. The danger, however, is that there are books 16, 17, 18 and more, and that the goal of finishing the novel isn’t realized. Revision, like this blog, must come to an end and the best way to do that is to write …

The End

Meeting Goals with Health Challenges

June 11, 2014

mary

The Writing Life 1 Comment

“I haven’t done anything because I haven’t been feeling well.” For some people, this is a convenient excuse for lack of productivity. For others, particularly those with ongoing health challenges, it’s a fact of life that must be factored in to any schedule.

Writers are not one-size-fits-all. For example, at Superstars Writing Seminars, I learned that some successful authors are plotters who outline meticulously, and others are “pantsers,” masters of “winging it” and discovering where the story takes them through the act of writing it. Some authors accumulate word count slowly, day by day; others binge, setting aside blocks of time for intensive, exhaustive writing. And similarly, writers come with different physical capabilities.

Some authors have health challenges that need to be dealt with. These can be physical (ie repetitive strain injuries, neurological issues) or mental (ie depression, ADHD). Having a health challenge does not mean you cannot be a writer. It means you need to create a “game plan” that takes your specific needs into account.

It may mean you don’t produce as fast as someone else might. I’m not going to lie – I’d be more productive without the sprained tendon that’s put a splint on my index finger for the past week. I type more slowly as of late, and I type less–but by taking proper care of myself, I hope to be back writing normally again soon, rather than laid up with permanent damage. I’d definitely be more productive without migraine-induced aphasia, and I’ve spent some time feeling sorry for myself.

In the end, though, given that “a writer without aphasia” isn’t an option for me: what would I rather be? A writer with fewer short stories written in a year’s time, or not a writer at all?

It’s an easy answer.

Ultimately, only you can be the judge of when you’re using your health as an excuse to avoid work, and when you’re legitimately too sick to work. I’ve included below a list of points to think about that have proven helpful for me.

1. Be proactive with your health.

For me, this means not forgetting to take my pills. It means investing in an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and wearing protective armwear to minimize the risk of strain injuries. It means resting my eyes regularly. It means being aware of my posture. It means not eating the foods that trigger my migraines. I can’t make my health challenges go away, but I can do what is in my power to manage them, and I can take measures to prevent any more health challenges from developing.

2. Know your limitations (aka “If I’m too sick to watch TV or read, I’m too sick to write”).

If I don’t have the ability to passively follow a story and understand what’s happening, I don’t have the ability to actively create one. Know what you are physically able to do, and don’t play martyred hero by trying to go above and beyond. You’ll hurt yourself long term. Or, in the words of Jimmy Buffett, “the well-seasoned pro knows how far he can go.” If you’re not physically able right now, don’t beat yourself up – rest, so later, you will be.

3. If I’m not writing because I’m sick, I will willfully not be writing. If I am writing, I will willfully be writing. Either way, these are conscious and deliberate choices.

This is the difference between “I don’t feel able to write coherently, so I will spend the next hour looking at Tumblr / Facebook / Candy Crush / insert preferred entertainment here” and “oh hell where did the last hour go?? I was supposed to be writing!!” The first is a conscious choice that you will not write; you will consume entertainment instead. The second is a lack of discipline, focus, and/or time management.

There is nothing wrong with purposefully choosing to enjoy entertainments, particularly if you are unable to work and redirect the time for relaxation and recovery. There is a problem if you can’t separate entertainment time from work time, or if your online goof-off time isn’t relaxing you. Whether you choose to write on a given day or not, let it be a conscious choice.

I think I’ve had just as many times I’ve said “you know what, I’m feeling stronger. I’m going to go write now” as times I’ve said “You know what, I’ve been here an hour, struggling, feeling more weak and more tired than ever. I’m going to go rest instead.” Either way, I’ve been aware of my body and my needs and made deliberate choices accordingly.

4. Pushing myself for an arbitrary goal to the extent that it damages my health is counterproductive in the long term.

I know a lot of writers who do great by setting a minimum number of words to write each day. I’m not one of them. I tried it, and ended up sick within a month. Why? I pushed myself beyond my sustainable physical limits to meet those word count numbers, became overly fatigued, and ended up spending the better part of the next month too ill to write at all–or do much else, either.

I’ll burn the midnight oil to meet a story deadline or return a series of edits on time, but I won’t do so to meet an arbitrary number. There are some days I cannot write, and I accept that.

So, how do I get anything done?

5. I do my best work by prioritizing writing over entertainment on days I’m feeling well.

If I get up in the morning on a Saturday and I feel good, I don’t immediately turn on the Xbox or open up a comic book. I get on the computer and write. Once I’m mentally tired, I can enjoy video games or comics if I still have energy to do so. If not, I go to bed knowing I’ve been productive. This means I play a lot less Halo since becoming a published writer, but on the flip side, I’m a published writer.

I block off whole weekend days solely for writing. If I’m feeling well, I can get a lot done in 12 focused, dedicated hours. This system works well for me, so I use it. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t use it. Adapt to your needs.

6. I will not write on days when editing what I’ve written will take more time and effort than just waiting to write on a day when I feel better. I will rest and do necessary chores within my ability so when I do feel better, I can focus on my writing.

I have migraine-induced aphasia. That means, when I’m experiencing a certain type of migraine, it damages my ability to use language. I can think just fine, and I feel okay, but I can’t communicate properly.

Here’s a fantasy story about a horseman. If I’m trying to write when I’m aphasic, I will produce sentences that look like this:

Jeogi did the one that uys the up to the house and made yt for to do go.

When I go back to edit, first I have to clean up the spelling:

Georgi did the one that was the up to the house and made it for to do go.

and then I have to figure out what the hell I meant by that sentence. First, by replacing the words that aren’t the words I meant to use:

Georgi did the one that was the up to the horse and made it for to do go.

And then by replacing the phrases used to describe words my brain wouldn’t provide at the time:

Georgi climbed to the horse and spurred it…[idea of movement].

But there’s still incorrect and incomplete phrasing:

Georgi climbed onto the horse and spurred it forward into a trot.

There! That’s a presentable sentence.

That’s also a lot of editing work.

Frankly, I get further ahead by waiting for a day when I’m capable of writing the sentence in under ten seconds, then working hard all day while aphasic and then putting in double time later deciphering and cleaning up what I wrote. I’ll spend my aphasia day getting my laundry done, my house swept and a big pot of soup cooked. This lets me spend my next good day writing, not doing housework.

The moral of this story? Only you can judge your own limitations. There are some people who tell writers to write every day, no matter what, but I bet those people have never seen what 5000 words of my aphasic English looks like. Or maybe you can edit more quickly than I can, and writing those 5000 words of aphasic English are worth it for you. Or maybe you outline on your off days, and write on your strong days.

You can’t lie to yourself. With a little self-awareness, you’ll know whether “I couldn’t work because I didn’t feel well” is true or not. If it’s not true, then you’re only cheating yourself. But if it is true, you have nothing to be ashamed of – you’re doing your best within the scope of your abilities, which is all anyone can ask.