I missed a week! I will make up for it by posting a day early and doing a combo post – there’s some big things happening, so I’ll start off easy. Wren 6 words for the last 2 weeks Last blog I was talking about how to push through a slow-ish talky beginning to book 6. Now I’ve doubled down on that talky beginning, but I don’t think it’s slow. Wren is broken at the start. He has to be, after the events ending book 5. We need him to get unbroken (heed the call to adventure) before we can …
Writing Wk2 2021 – Wren 3 new cover, Wren 1 rewrites, Wren 6 quagmire
It has not been a big week in writing fresh words!! Wren 6 quagmire I’ve been struggling a little with Wren book 6. I’ve got a talky, kind of slow beginning which I like to a point. It takes stock of where we were at the end of book 5, dealing with fallout, but maybe it is slow, there is little danger, and hmm. I also have a more actiony beginning, which I also like, but it jumps past all the character work that seems pretty essential – Wren has to deal with the chaos at the end of book …
Writing Wk1 2021 – Wren’s world comes true, Pickfu, webclouds
The first week of 2021 proved itself the bully big brother to 2020 with an American coup attempt / insurrection at the Capitol in Washington DC. I’m not American (I’m half-American, but a full British national), but watching that awful event transpire live really knocked me for 6. This kind of thing can happen. Really, the exact kind of thing I’ve spent 2+ years writing about and exploring in the Christopher Wren thrillers. Trump’s followers as blind cult devotees. Trump as a doomsday cult leader. Social media spreading disinformation which leads to real world violence. Wednesday evening I went to …
Wren 2 cover evolution – 2020 Writing Week 52/3
2020 is over!! I’ll write a proper 2020 roundup and 2021 plans post later, but first I need to close out the pressing business of the last 2 weeks. No writing!! It is has been a super slug-like 2 weeks off, and I have loved every minute of it. I actually watched little TV or movies, rather I spent my time playing Civilization 6 – a game I thought for years was empty and unfun. Now I am seeing some greater depth and competitiveness. Going for a culture victory is way more fun than either science or domnation. But I …
Wren 1 cover evolution – 2020 Writing Week 51
Here at the edge of closing out 2020, it’s time for a retrospective on Wren book 1 covers. I just bought a new cover, and am kick-starting the process to get all 4 remaining books re-covered, and I’m extremely pleased. Here’s the new cover, absolutely fitting, expertly made, and pretty eye-catching: It’s gorgeous. It draws the eye. It looks totally pro and I believe can hold it’s own against competitors in the store – something my old covers couldn’t really claim. It’s been a long road. I think Wren’s found a home. Here’s where we’ve been over the past year …
Wren 6, community & 99designs – 2020 Writing Week 50
This week was busy but movement very stop-start – got a handful of words written on Wren 6, expanded the London Indie Authors meetup group, and had second thoughts about my brand new Wren 1 cover. Wren 6 words This time last week I had 2,000 words on Wren 6. Somehow, I have only bumped that up to 4,000 since. That includes the prolog, which may or may not be great, and chapter 2. I got carried away with Internet tinkering instead – as per the next two items: London Indie Authors FB group 2 weeks ago the co-organizer of …
Onto Wren 6! – 2020 Writing Week 49
Lots of movement on writing and marketing, with Wren 5 capped and sent to ARC readers, work on Wren 6 beginning, and some exciting new marketing opportunities in play. Wren 5 – Firestorm I polished up Wren 5 early in the week, ended up adding a new capstone as the final chapter, then sent it off to ARC readers right away. I’ve yet to hear back, but it’s only been 2 days. My goal is to launch on Monday 7th Dec. I’ve already had 97 pre-orders, which is a record for me. It has been available to pre-order for 6 …
Wren 5 final edits – 2020 Writing Week 48
Well well well, last week I said I’d be done with latter edits on Wren 5 Firestorm by Friday, and that is almost exactly what happened. On Friday I finished first draft editing up to the ante-penultimate chapter, leaving only 2 to go which I polished off on Saturday. Today I am beginning the final polish. Thus far I covered 7 chapters out of 50, but the beginning is always the slowest to polish – the most wrinkles need to be ironed out, dead trails removed, a few hints added in. Through the middle should be fast, the end pretty …
Wren 5 middle edits – 2020 Writing Week 47
This time last week I dreamed of finishing up Wren book 5 edits, but anticipated getting halfway, and that is exactly what has happened. I’m currently sitting at chapter 27 in the edits – I probably could have done more but for whatever reason procrastinated instead. I think I’ll be done in a week. It’s good, is my thinking so far. The engine looks tuned, and once that’s rolling in the background Wren gets to have some real fun. Promotion Today I have two decent-sized promotional pushes going on. The boxset of books 1-3, which has never had any kind …
Wren 5 early edits – 2020 Writing Week 46
This last week has been consumed with editing Wren 5 Firestorm. In the first half of the week I worked on the final few chapters which I’d blitzed out in a rush. I had been worried they wouldn’t be so hot, would need a lot of reworking, but they were pretty solid. The latter half of the week I started from the beginning. This is the heavy draft, for the deepest ‘ironing’ out of plot wrinkles. One thing I’m finding with all these books, I hit tangles around chapter 8. It’s the point where the opening fight is over, and …