Tim Akers's Blog, page 2
August 1, 2013
Picking at the Bones of Veridon
For a while, I've wanted to compile all of the short stories that led up to Veridon, but I wanted to do it right. For me, that meant combing through the manuscripts to correct canonical errors and tweak the spelling of a few place names that evolved over the years. I also wanted to produce something that looks as good as it reads. I've been working on all this in the background for the last handful of months, and I'm happy to say that the final produce is now available. It's only on Kindle Direct for now, because they really make the process straightforward and simple. The final piece was the cover, and that fell in place thanks to the brilliant @MezBreezeDesign. I couldn't be happier with it.
All that to say this: You can now pick up Bones of Veridon at Amazon for the Kindle. There are seven stories, five of them from Veridon plus two others that aren't related to the Shining City of Cog. In the book I talk a little bit about each story, what was going through my head when I wrote it, that sort of thing. Let me know what you think of the book! Enjoy!
All that to say this: You can now pick up Bones of Veridon at Amazon for the Kindle. There are seven stories, five of them from Veridon plus two others that aren't related to the Shining City of Cog. In the book I talk a little bit about each story, what was going through my head when I wrote it, that sort of thing. Let me know what you think of the book! Enjoy!
May 22, 2013
Meaning to be where you are.
I was talking to my dad the other day. I am sometimes struck at how much who am I is influenced by who he is, not just genetically but how my observations of his life have caused me to make certain decisions. That really should be obvious, but sometimes it's *so* obvious that it leaves me a little shaken.
Dad was forced into retirement last year, his last day at the job he held for three decades by chance the same as my last day at the job I hated and was quitting to write full time. And dad has always wanted to write. My childhood was filled with half-manuscripts and clever opening chapters that he had built. There have always been copies of Writer's Digest in my life. There have always been books.
So I thought, hey, this is a great chance for him to seize that. We're both stepping away from the offices that have consumed our lives, and can both settle in and do this thing for serious. Unfortunately, a year and a half later he's technically still working at his old job, just getting paid less. But that's not the point.
The point was that as we were talking, I was trying to convince him to make the writing jump. He's having trouble letting go of the old place, and no matter how poorly they treat him, he's still putting his retirement on hold to help them out any way he can. It drives me a little nuts, so every time we talk, I spend most of that conversation trying to get him to remember how much he wants to write. The only thing stopping you from publication is you. There will always be excuses to not write, but excuses are nothing but tomorrow's regrets. I was trying to motivate him, mostly with things that I spent years telling myself.
After a while, the conversation stopped and there was just silence. Silence is not common between us. We're both very quiet people, but when he and I talk, there are always things to say. I'm not sure that's true for me with anyone else. But there was this silence, and then after a moment he said "I really can't believe you've become this person. I really can't believe you've become this strong."
Because I never was that person. I was not motivated, I was not driven, not for a single day in my life. I avoided things, all of the things, every day of my life. And I did that until the rumbling stampede of my own failures had driven me to the edge of a cliff, and there was simply nowhere else to go. And what's awful about that is that those failures, that stampede, had driven me so far off course that it's going to take forever to get where I meant to be. Even now, it's easy for me to fall behind my own expectations. But now, at least, I push forward. Because I have a lot of ground to make up.
Dad was forced into retirement last year, his last day at the job he held for three decades by chance the same as my last day at the job I hated and was quitting to write full time. And dad has always wanted to write. My childhood was filled with half-manuscripts and clever opening chapters that he had built. There have always been copies of Writer's Digest in my life. There have always been books.
So I thought, hey, this is a great chance for him to seize that. We're both stepping away from the offices that have consumed our lives, and can both settle in and do this thing for serious. Unfortunately, a year and a half later he's technically still working at his old job, just getting paid less. But that's not the point.
The point was that as we were talking, I was trying to convince him to make the writing jump. He's having trouble letting go of the old place, and no matter how poorly they treat him, he's still putting his retirement on hold to help them out any way he can. It drives me a little nuts, so every time we talk, I spend most of that conversation trying to get him to remember how much he wants to write. The only thing stopping you from publication is you. There will always be excuses to not write, but excuses are nothing but tomorrow's regrets. I was trying to motivate him, mostly with things that I spent years telling myself.
After a while, the conversation stopped and there was just silence. Silence is not common between us. We're both very quiet people, but when he and I talk, there are always things to say. I'm not sure that's true for me with anyone else. But there was this silence, and then after a moment he said "I really can't believe you've become this person. I really can't believe you've become this strong."
Because I never was that person. I was not motivated, I was not driven, not for a single day in my life. I avoided things, all of the things, every day of my life. And I did that until the rumbling stampede of my own failures had driven me to the edge of a cliff, and there was simply nowhere else to go. And what's awful about that is that those failures, that stampede, had driven me so far off course that it's going to take forever to get where I meant to be. Even now, it's easy for me to fall behind my own expectations. But now, at least, I push forward. Because I have a lot of ground to make up.
January 25, 2013
Not today. Never today.
I'm up early, and have been awake for a good deal longer than this, working on the next round of revisions for my book. If there's any part of you that wants to be a writer, that fantasizes about a life of ease and joy and the casual spontaneity of the creative life, let me be clear. I've been stone cold awake since 4 a.m. staring at the ceiling and trying to pick apart the pieces of this book. It's no fun. There is no joy in it, at least not for me, not at this point in the process.
I want to talk for a moment about fear. I am sometimes too honest on this blog. There's a theory that the public presence of an author should point toward that author's book, that I should be spending this space on promotion. For whatever reason, I can't do that. It's important to me to live the troubles of my writing life as publicly as possible. When things are going well, I hope to tell you about it. Right now, this is how things are going.
I've mentioned before that it took me a long time to get started as a writer. I spent years and years telling everyone I was a writer, telling myself that I was a writer, maybe even sometimes actually writing things that I never did anything with and feeling pretty good about it. And the primary impetus to my trajectory was simple fear. Fear that I wouldn't be as good as I thought I could be, fear of rejection, fear of trying and failing and having to fold that dream up and put it away once and for all. At the time I thought I was unique in that, that this was a problem particular to me and to the way I was raised. I've discovered that it's a fairly common trouble for new writers, but when I finally threw it aside and started actually working toward that dream, I thought I was casting aside a weight that was singularly and intimately my own. Worse, I thought I was casting it aside, finally, for the last time. That it was a problem that had to be overcome once, and then was defeated.
That was when I turned thirty. Something about that age pushed me to a point of honesty with myself, that allowed me to finally take that step. Thirty. Ten years.
So it's completely appropriate that I'm facing that fear again. Facing it in a way that feels just as final, just as paralyzing, as the fear that took me through my twenties. I know more about the industry now, and about my own ability to persevere in the face of adversity. I've hit some pretty deep lows in the last ten years, while also managing absolute exultation. I know how easy it is to slip away in this business, to do something that looks a great deal like success, and by certain standards is the ultimate achievement, and still be absolutely, utterly failing. Whatever romantic ideals I brought to the table have been washed aside. I understand the blood of being an author. I understand the bones.
This is the fear that I understand, right now. It's possible to push really hard for ten years, to have a great deal of potential, to be a naturally talented writer with the determination to work hard, to risk everything, to get lucky enough to line things up and make a run at the big stage... it's possible to do all of those things and still fail. You can get right up to the edge and never make it over. People do it all the time.
That's the fear. That's what wakes me up at four in the morning. That's what I have to face.
But here's the next step. I am going to face it. I'm going to push through it. Fear woke me up, but god damn determination is what got me out of bed and put me in front of this computer. Fear reminded me that nothing is certain, nothing lasts, nothing is guaranteed to turn out well. But hope, and skill, and a history of falling down and getting back up and doing better each time, every time, that's what will carry me through. Whatever fear can do to me, I can overcome. I have. And I always will.
You get up, you throw aside that weight, and you carry the dream with you. You keep it for another day. Every day. Until it's real.
I want to talk for a moment about fear. I am sometimes too honest on this blog. There's a theory that the public presence of an author should point toward that author's book, that I should be spending this space on promotion. For whatever reason, I can't do that. It's important to me to live the troubles of my writing life as publicly as possible. When things are going well, I hope to tell you about it. Right now, this is how things are going.
I've mentioned before that it took me a long time to get started as a writer. I spent years and years telling everyone I was a writer, telling myself that I was a writer, maybe even sometimes actually writing things that I never did anything with and feeling pretty good about it. And the primary impetus to my trajectory was simple fear. Fear that I wouldn't be as good as I thought I could be, fear of rejection, fear of trying and failing and having to fold that dream up and put it away once and for all. At the time I thought I was unique in that, that this was a problem particular to me and to the way I was raised. I've discovered that it's a fairly common trouble for new writers, but when I finally threw it aside and started actually working toward that dream, I thought I was casting aside a weight that was singularly and intimately my own. Worse, I thought I was casting it aside, finally, for the last time. That it was a problem that had to be overcome once, and then was defeated.
That was when I turned thirty. Something about that age pushed me to a point of honesty with myself, that allowed me to finally take that step. Thirty. Ten years.
So it's completely appropriate that I'm facing that fear again. Facing it in a way that feels just as final, just as paralyzing, as the fear that took me through my twenties. I know more about the industry now, and about my own ability to persevere in the face of adversity. I've hit some pretty deep lows in the last ten years, while also managing absolute exultation. I know how easy it is to slip away in this business, to do something that looks a great deal like success, and by certain standards is the ultimate achievement, and still be absolutely, utterly failing. Whatever romantic ideals I brought to the table have been washed aside. I understand the blood of being an author. I understand the bones.
This is the fear that I understand, right now. It's possible to push really hard for ten years, to have a great deal of potential, to be a naturally talented writer with the determination to work hard, to risk everything, to get lucky enough to line things up and make a run at the big stage... it's possible to do all of those things and still fail. You can get right up to the edge and never make it over. People do it all the time.
That's the fear. That's what wakes me up at four in the morning. That's what I have to face.
But here's the next step. I am going to face it. I'm going to push through it. Fear woke me up, but god damn determination is what got me out of bed and put me in front of this computer. Fear reminded me that nothing is certain, nothing lasts, nothing is guaranteed to turn out well. But hope, and skill, and a history of falling down and getting back up and doing better each time, every time, that's what will carry me through. Whatever fear can do to me, I can overcome. I have. And I always will.
You get up, you throw aside that weight, and you carry the dream with you. You keep it for another day. Every day. Until it's real.
January 21, 2013
Be there when the Heresy begins!
Well, it's high winter in Chicago, the flu is in full swing, and I can't think of any better way to spend my time than going to a convention. Here's my schedule for Capricon, which runs from February 7-10 in the suburbs of grand, glorious Chicago:
AIs Impact on Religion and Religion's Impact on AI - Friday, 02-08-2013 - 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - Botanic Garden A (Special Events - Programming)
At what point does religion take a part in this. The impact on religion and the religious impact on AI.
Tim Akers (M)
Peter de Jong
Deirdre Murphy
Gene Wolfe
Divine Feminine in SF/F - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am - Birch B
In the real world, religions are generally defined with a male deity. What are the SF/F stories where the deity is female and what effect does that have on the society?
Tim Akers
Mary Anne Mohanraj
Deirdre Murphy
Isabel Schechter (M)
Reading: Tim Akers - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 11:30 am to 12:00 pm - Elm
Tim Akers
Will E-Books Change the Way We Write - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - Birch A
As authors become aware of the ways that e-books are changing the way we read, will they also begin to affect the way authors write? Are we looking at books written for shorter attention spans?
Tim Akers
Richard Chwedyk
Eric Flint (M)
Tom Trumpinski
Heroine Abuse - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am - River AB (Programming - Media)
Why do so many heroines in genre literature wind up being damsels in distress? Even many female authors seem to delight in torturing their female heroines. Have we not moved beyond the stereotype or does it hearken to some primordial need?
Tim Akers
Mary Anne Mohanraj
Patricia Sayre McCoy (M)
Kathryn Sullivan
Autographing: Tim Akers, Jody Lynn Nye - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Autograph Table
Tim Akers
Jody Lynn Nye
Writing Nonfiction - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm - Birch B
When people think of writing, they often think of fiction. And yet, most of the published works in the world are nonfiction. These panelists will discuss the research and techniques necessary to create nonfictional works.
Tim Akers
Jody Lynn Nye
Steven H Silver (M)
Daniel H. Wilson
That looks like a sufficiently hectic schedule, yes? I wonder what kooky things I'm going to say? You'll have to attend to find out!
AIs Impact on Religion and Religion's Impact on AI - Friday, 02-08-2013 - 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm - Botanic Garden A (Special Events - Programming)
At what point does religion take a part in this. The impact on religion and the religious impact on AI.
Tim Akers (M)
Peter de Jong
Deirdre Murphy
Gene Wolfe
Divine Feminine in SF/F - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am - Birch B
In the real world, religions are generally defined with a male deity. What are the SF/F stories where the deity is female and what effect does that have on the society?
Tim Akers
Mary Anne Mohanraj
Deirdre Murphy
Isabel Schechter (M)
Reading: Tim Akers - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 11:30 am to 12:00 pm - Elm
Tim Akers
Will E-Books Change the Way We Write - Saturday, 02-09-2013 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - Birch A
As authors become aware of the ways that e-books are changing the way we read, will they also begin to affect the way authors write? Are we looking at books written for shorter attention spans?
Tim Akers
Richard Chwedyk
Eric Flint (M)
Tom Trumpinski
Heroine Abuse - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am - River AB (Programming - Media)
Why do so many heroines in genre literature wind up being damsels in distress? Even many female authors seem to delight in torturing their female heroines. Have we not moved beyond the stereotype or does it hearken to some primordial need?
Tim Akers
Mary Anne Mohanraj
Patricia Sayre McCoy (M)
Kathryn Sullivan
Autographing: Tim Akers, Jody Lynn Nye - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Autograph Table
Tim Akers
Jody Lynn Nye
Writing Nonfiction - Sunday, 02-10-2013 - 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm - Birch B
When people think of writing, they often think of fiction. And yet, most of the published works in the world are nonfiction. These panelists will discuss the research and techniques necessary to create nonfictional works.
Tim Akers
Jody Lynn Nye
Steven H Silver (M)
Daniel H. Wilson
That looks like a sufficiently hectic schedule, yes? I wonder what kooky things I'm going to say? You'll have to attend to find out!
December 14, 2012
Ten years on, and ten more years, and ten...
In some ways this has been a portentous week, and in other ways this week has been a reminder that my life is just made of days, with the yesterdays passed and unalterable, and the tomorrows something I can't do much about. That life is a long series of today, and doing what I can with today.
I turned forty this week. On Wednesday, actually. So, yes, turned forty on 12/12/12. If that doesn't leave you feeling like the period on the end of a prophecy, I don't know what will. Maybe if I turned twelve that day. And while I'm not someone who pays a lot of attention to my own age, beyond what it means for my insurance and overall sense of mortality, the ten year anniversaries mean a little.
It was on my thirtieth birthday that I decided to get serious about this writing thing. Since it's so close to the end of the year, I spent the rest of December doing research, and started scribing in earnest with the new year. So it's ten years since I started writing. Ten years. I guess it's worth looking back.
Am I where I wanted to be at this point? No, not at all, but that's partly because I really had no idea what I was talking about back then. The realities of the writing industry had not been impressed on my joyful optimism. And I really hadn't done the background work I needed to do to succeed.
But it's been ten years, and I'm writing full time. I'm not living off of my writing yet, but I have to believe that I'll get there. I need to get there. And all I can do about that is what I do today. Tomorrow isn't here yet.
What's strangest about this particular anniversary is that I don't really have a lot to say about it. I'm happy, but discontent. I'm determined, but occasionally overwhelmed at how little control I have in my own well being. I believe enough to know that I'd be a fool to not doubt.
Anyway. Ten years. They're passed, and all I have is today, and tomorrow's today, and every today that follows.
I turned forty this week. On Wednesday, actually. So, yes, turned forty on 12/12/12. If that doesn't leave you feeling like the period on the end of a prophecy, I don't know what will. Maybe if I turned twelve that day. And while I'm not someone who pays a lot of attention to my own age, beyond what it means for my insurance and overall sense of mortality, the ten year anniversaries mean a little.
It was on my thirtieth birthday that I decided to get serious about this writing thing. Since it's so close to the end of the year, I spent the rest of December doing research, and started scribing in earnest with the new year. So it's ten years since I started writing. Ten years. I guess it's worth looking back.
Am I where I wanted to be at this point? No, not at all, but that's partly because I really had no idea what I was talking about back then. The realities of the writing industry had not been impressed on my joyful optimism. And I really hadn't done the background work I needed to do to succeed.
But it's been ten years, and I'm writing full time. I'm not living off of my writing yet, but I have to believe that I'll get there. I need to get there. And all I can do about that is what I do today. Tomorrow isn't here yet.
What's strangest about this particular anniversary is that I don't really have a lot to say about it. I'm happy, but discontent. I'm determined, but occasionally overwhelmed at how little control I have in my own well being. I believe enough to know that I'd be a fool to not doubt.
Anyway. Ten years. They're passed, and all I have is today, and tomorrow's today, and every today that follows.
November 8, 2012
Things I know little about, spoken publicly
Here's my schedule for Windycon. I only have one panel, and frankly I don't know much about the subject.
That has never stopped me before, and gods declare, it's not going to stop me now.
Friday, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., Lilac B:Â Living Forever
Individual human cells can long outlive their original body. Dried seeds can sprout after several thousand years. Can humans live forever? Can we develop an anti-aging drug or is freezing our heads the only way to immortality?
J. Nikitow, S. Jackson, T. Akers
Saturday, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.:Â Reading, Walnut Room
That has never stopped me before, and gods declare, it's not going to stop me now.
Friday, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., Lilac B:Â Living Forever
Individual human cells can long outlive their original body. Dried seeds can sprout after several thousand years. Can humans live forever? Can we develop an anti-aging drug or is freezing our heads the only way to immortality?
J. Nikitow, S. Jackson, T. Akers
Saturday, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.:Â Reading, Walnut Room
November 7, 2012
The future of America
Some thoughts on the election last night. Specifically the aftermath.
Once it was called for the president, a lot of the pundits were talking about how the Republican Party needs to rethink its messaging and direction if it wants to continue to be a nationally viable party. Now, I think that's a little premature, but I also think it's inevitable. A lot of the things that resonate with younger voters (and by younger, I mean the 25-45 crowd. People with jobs) are simply more progressive than what the GOP is currently offering. You can disagree with me on that, but the numbers are the numbers.
In response to this discussion, Ari Fleischer said something along the lines of "No, that isn't going to happen. The GOP isn't going to become the party of gay rights and pro-choice. We have a party for that, it's the Democratic party, and that isn't going to change."
Here's what bothers me about that. It's possible to be a conservative, a small government, pro-business, individualism driven conservative without giving an ass about gay marriage and abortion. Trust me on this. I know that the GOP has linked itself to the social conservative movement, and that that has paid dividends in the past, but I think that era is ending.
There was a lot of talk about hope last night, and the future. So let me tell you about my hope for the future. I hope that we can uncouple these outdated social positions from the government. The government shouldn't be trying to impose my religious ideas, or yours, or anyone's, on a population as diverse as we have in the United States.
I want this country to have a conversation about choice and the value of life that isn't chained to misogyny, about immigration without the taint of racism, and about marriage without the stink of homophobia. And I want the government out of that conversation, now and forever.
That's my hope. That's my belief. That's what needs to happen, for America to move forward, and to become the country we have the potential to be.
Once it was called for the president, a lot of the pundits were talking about how the Republican Party needs to rethink its messaging and direction if it wants to continue to be a nationally viable party. Now, I think that's a little premature, but I also think it's inevitable. A lot of the things that resonate with younger voters (and by younger, I mean the 25-45 crowd. People with jobs) are simply more progressive than what the GOP is currently offering. You can disagree with me on that, but the numbers are the numbers.
In response to this discussion, Ari Fleischer said something along the lines of "No, that isn't going to happen. The GOP isn't going to become the party of gay rights and pro-choice. We have a party for that, it's the Democratic party, and that isn't going to change."
Here's what bothers me about that. It's possible to be a conservative, a small government, pro-business, individualism driven conservative without giving an ass about gay marriage and abortion. Trust me on this. I know that the GOP has linked itself to the social conservative movement, and that that has paid dividends in the past, but I think that era is ending.
There was a lot of talk about hope last night, and the future. So let me tell you about my hope for the future. I hope that we can uncouple these outdated social positions from the government. The government shouldn't be trying to impose my religious ideas, or yours, or anyone's, on a population as diverse as we have in the United States.
I want this country to have a conversation about choice and the value of life that isn't chained to misogyny, about immigration without the taint of racism, and about marriage without the stink of homophobia. And I want the government out of that conversation, now and forever.
That's my hope. That's my belief. That's what needs to happen, for America to move forward, and to become the country we have the potential to be.
September 4, 2012
Progress Report
The end of August marked six months since I left my day job for the last time, and came home to start my life as a full time writer. It's appropriate that I spent the first couple days of September at Worldcon. Conventions have this way of changing my life.
I wanted to do a meditation on how things have been for me in the last six months, but I have to admit, I don't have a firm handle on it. Things were weird at first. I was still working part time at home for the first month, and then the vendor who took over my work offered me a job, and I spent some time stressing about that. I really had trouble acclimating to how full time writing should work. I'm still adjusting my daily expectations, my schedule, my goals and ambitions.
But the raw numbers are good. I wasn't terribly productive for the first two months. And once I turned in the first draft to my agent, there were six weeks where I was fapping about on different, unrelated projects, just to clear my head. All told, I only had about two and a half to three months of solid, honest writing work.
In that time, I wrote around 140k words. So I feel pretty good about that. Mind you, they were essentially flawed words. I made some mistakes in my plotting, and I still struggle with character development. I tried to shove too much back story into the first book, and the characters are stuck on the page doing things for reasons of plot, rather than reasons of character.
What that means is that the book I wrote, The Heretic Blade, is going to end up as the third book in the series, rather than the first. With my agency's help I've developed a pretty solid outline for the first two books, something I didn't really have for Heretic, and I'm plowing through the new book one.
But here's what's interesting to me. This feels normal to me, now. When I first started writing I was grappling with how a writer's life is supposed to go. How I structure my time, how much I need to expect of myself. When it's okay to put the pen away for a day and do something else, and when you have to push through and be productive, even when you're not in the mood. And those are things I'm still working on. But I'm getting better at it.
So there's progress. I tell myself that I can have the first book (The Pagan Night) done and revised by the end of the year. There are potential obstacles to this, not the least of which is the upcoming release of Mist of Pandaria, but I think it can be done.
Better. It will be done. I'm going to do it.
I wanted to do a meditation on how things have been for me in the last six months, but I have to admit, I don't have a firm handle on it. Things were weird at first. I was still working part time at home for the first month, and then the vendor who took over my work offered me a job, and I spent some time stressing about that. I really had trouble acclimating to how full time writing should work. I'm still adjusting my daily expectations, my schedule, my goals and ambitions.
But the raw numbers are good. I wasn't terribly productive for the first two months. And once I turned in the first draft to my agent, there were six weeks where I was fapping about on different, unrelated projects, just to clear my head. All told, I only had about two and a half to three months of solid, honest writing work.
In that time, I wrote around 140k words. So I feel pretty good about that. Mind you, they were essentially flawed words. I made some mistakes in my plotting, and I still struggle with character development. I tried to shove too much back story into the first book, and the characters are stuck on the page doing things for reasons of plot, rather than reasons of character.
What that means is that the book I wrote, The Heretic Blade, is going to end up as the third book in the series, rather than the first. With my agency's help I've developed a pretty solid outline for the first two books, something I didn't really have for Heretic, and I'm plowing through the new book one.
But here's what's interesting to me. This feels normal to me, now. When I first started writing I was grappling with how a writer's life is supposed to go. How I structure my time, how much I need to expect of myself. When it's okay to put the pen away for a day and do something else, and when you have to push through and be productive, even when you're not in the mood. And those are things I'm still working on. But I'm getting better at it.
So there's progress. I tell myself that I can have the first book (The Pagan Night) done and revised by the end of the year. There are potential obstacles to this, not the least of which is the upcoming release of Mist of Pandaria, but I think it can be done.
Better. It will be done. I'm going to do it.
August 15, 2012
Thoughts on a bad day of writing
I had kind of a bad day, writing. I was up a lot in the middle of the night, and then when I did get back to sleep I had trouble getting up. So it was a slow start. And then, for whatever reason, I just couldn't get my word count flowing. By lunch I had around 180 words. So I ate some quinoa chili, watched a little television, and came back to it in about half an hour.
Then I wrote 2500 words. I only stopped because my scene was over and my battery was low. I might go back after dinner and finish the chapter, or I might save it for tomorrow. No worries, either way.
But here's the point. I do this all the time. And because I have bad mornings, and bad afternoons, and entire bad days, I've stopped letting it get to me. Every time I've had one of those days, the next day is fine. Or the day after that. Or that afternoon. Or an hour later. I always come back. I just have to keep at it, keep pushing, and finally the words come. My output is not the result of any particular talent. It is the end result of failing a thousand times, and pushing through every time. When I have trouble I know it will pass. When the words don't work, I know that the next one might.
Anyway. This works for me.
Then I wrote 2500 words. I only stopped because my scene was over and my battery was low. I might go back after dinner and finish the chapter, or I might save it for tomorrow. No worries, either way.
But here's the point. I do this all the time. And because I have bad mornings, and bad afternoons, and entire bad days, I've stopped letting it get to me. Every time I've had one of those days, the next day is fine. Or the day after that. Or that afternoon. Or an hour later. I always come back. I just have to keep at it, keep pushing, and finally the words come. My output is not the result of any particular talent. It is the end result of failing a thousand times, and pushing through every time. When I have trouble I know it will pass. When the words don't work, I know that the next one might.
Anyway. This works for me.
August 8, 2012
A Worldly time in Chicago
Right after I promised to post more (Hi, Griff) I got my revision notes on Heretic Blade back from my agent. They are... extensive. So I've been head down trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to tackle them and in what order. It looks like a lot of what I've written for this book will end up in a second book, and I'll essentially be re-writing this book from scratch. So there's that.
But in other news, I have my pretty much final schedule for Worldcon this year. It's in Chicago this year, and this will be my first Worldcon with panels. It's kind of intimidating. But, anyway, here's my schedule. If you want to see me and hear me talk about things I know about, rather than my usual practice of just blathering until someone changes the subject, find me here:
Thu Aug 30 4:30:pmThu Aug 30 6:00:pmFaith in FictionCrystal AFaith -- or even the considered rejection of faith -- is an area often overlooked in world-building for speculative fiction in spite of the impact it's had on our world (for good and bad). How does faith affect the world view and formation of a fictional world? Isabel Schechter Laurel Anne Hill Paul Genesse Shanna Swendson Tim Akers
Fri Aug 31 3:00:pmFri Aug 31 4:30:pmTurning Ideas Into StoriesColumbus IJMany people ask authors where they get their ideas. This panel asks: "How do you develop your ideas into stories?"Alec Nevala-Lee Jamie Todd Rubin Louise Marley Roland Green Tim Akers
Sat Sep 1 3:00:pmSat Sep 1 4:30:pmAutograph Session 10Autograph Tables
Daniel Abraham Deirdre Murphy Elizabeth Moon James S. Dorr Karin Rita Gastreich Sheila Williams Stina Leicht Tim Akers Ty Franck
Sun Sep 2 9:30:amSun Sep 2 10:00:amReading: Tim AkersDusable
But in other news, I have my pretty much final schedule for Worldcon this year. It's in Chicago this year, and this will be my first Worldcon with panels. It's kind of intimidating. But, anyway, here's my schedule. If you want to see me and hear me talk about things I know about, rather than my usual practice of just blathering until someone changes the subject, find me here:
Thu Aug 30 4:30:pmThu Aug 30 6:00:pmFaith in FictionCrystal AFaith -- or even the considered rejection of faith -- is an area often overlooked in world-building for speculative fiction in spite of the impact it's had on our world (for good and bad). How does faith affect the world view and formation of a fictional world? Isabel Schechter Laurel Anne Hill Paul Genesse Shanna Swendson Tim Akers
Fri Aug 31 3:00:pmFri Aug 31 4:30:pmTurning Ideas Into StoriesColumbus IJMany people ask authors where they get their ideas. This panel asks: "How do you develop your ideas into stories?"Alec Nevala-Lee Jamie Todd Rubin Louise Marley Roland Green Tim Akers
Sat Sep 1 3:00:pmSat Sep 1 4:30:pmAutograph Session 10Autograph Tables
Daniel Abraham Deirdre Murphy Elizabeth Moon James S. Dorr Karin Rita Gastreich Sheila Williams Stina Leicht Tim Akers Ty Franck
Sun Sep 2 9:30:amSun Sep 2 10:00:amReading: Tim AkersDusable
