Is it worth it?

Sometimes, when I see dwindling sales and a solid lack of reviews, I think, "Is it worth it?" So much time and energy goes into writing anything - even this blog. First, there's the rough draft that inevitably turns into compost for the second draft, which feeds the third so it can morph into the fourth. The fourth is carefully cultivated to bring out subtle nuances, highlight important events, and is recycled into a fifth, but far from final version of the masterpiece I hope to produce. Each draft takes time, patience, creativity, and a more of my writer's soul than I'd like to admit.

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Honest writing comes with a price. I'm not Olive, but her thoughts and emotions haunt me. The more I write about her, the more I see swirls of who I might have been in an alternate reality. She isn't sweet, or kind, or even terribly likable. But, at the end of it all, she's honest. She doesn't sugar-coat her feelings, she doesn't hide behind societal expectations, and mostly, she doesn't care what other people think about her. I wish I could say the same about my writing. 

Four novels and two short stories into my writing career, I decided to complete the project I started five years ago. As far as serialized novels go, Sunny with a Twist of Olive is slow-going, with only one episode released each month. The pace isn't nearly fast enough for readers, but there are only so many polished and usable words I can produce within 30 days. With so few readers willing to wait for a new episode once a month... I wonder if the effort is worth it. 

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The answer is simple. 

Whether each new installment is read as it's released, or the episodes are gobbled up when the series is complete, the end result will be the same. For years, Olive has demanded to have her story told without guile or artificial sweeteners. Mostly, she's completely average, but has an extraordinary life of her own making.

So, yes, it's completely worth it. Whether I'm writing for three people, or three thousand, it doesn't matter. Olive won't be silent until her story is complete, and my writer's soul won't be complete until her story is written. No matter what, it's a win-win situation.    

Episode 3 of "Sunny with a Twist of Olive"

Episode three of "Sunny with a Twist of Olive" is ready for your reading pleasure! 

To celebrate, I've made Episode #1 free for May 1st only. Of course, if you're subscribed to Kindle Unlimited, the entire series is always free, along with numerous other books by independent authors.

 

Episode #3, "Shut Up and Let Me Go": Memory morphs into reality when Olive runs into the office Jokester. 

Writing is Hard & Other Truths About the Craft

As I was torturing myself with Episode 3 of "Sunny with a Twist of Olive" this month, I kept thinking this should be easier. Each aspect of the serialized novel belongs to me: the character, her struggles, her emotions, her pain, her joy, her sarcasm... even her fashion sense materialized out of my imagination. This project started about five years ago with a loose outline, a dream, and not enough writing experience to make it work. Four published novels, two short stories, and several blog posts later... this should be easy. 

But it isn't. 

Writing is hard work. 

I don't sit around in my pajamas, eating candy, drinking coffee, and watching television while dashing off a few thousand words each day. Nor do I drink copious amounts of alcohol and write into the wee hours of the morning. In fact, those pieces usually end up in the virtual recycling bin as what felt like brilliance in the moment is actually craptastic by the light of day. 

Writing doesn't get easier with time. 

I wish it did, but the more I write, the more critical I become. Each word takes a little piece of my soul with it when it's released to the page. I struggle with grammar, spelling, flow, word choice, and vocabulary. I'm struggling to write this blog, because while words come easily to me, parting with them is such sweet sorrow (a little Shakespeare tribute since he just celebrated his 451st birthday, and even though he was prolific, I bet writing wasn't easy for him, either). 

Writing is not a good way to make money. 

The sad truth of the matter is, most writers are undervalued. We're very good at giving our work away for free. All we ask in exchange is a review, some sharing on social media, and recognition for our blood, sweat, and tears. Unfortunately, these rewards don't put food on the table, pay the electricity bill, keep us warm in the winter, or put clothes on our bodies. They do, however make us feel like we should keep chasing our dreams. 

Writing is exhausting. 

It's emotionally draining, and at the end of the day, if I've done my job well, I feel as though I've experienced every emotion, event, and activity my characters have. This is the best part of writing. Wordsmithery is a fantastic way of embracing a completely different persona without making real-life compromises. Even though the activities are fictitious, the experiences are real in the mind of a writer, and hopefully, the reader. 

Writing is an addiction. 

Sometimes, when I feel like I'm swimming against the current, and my books aren't selling, and the words aren't flowing, I just want to quit. I can't. The moment I consider abandoning my passion, a small part of me rises up, takes hold of my creativity, and forces me to continue this tortuous journey. I am compelled to write, create, and direct the lives of my imaginary friends. If I don't, I start to lose control of my real life. 

Writing is hard. 

But I wouldn't want it any other way (except for the income, because, let's face it, who wouldn't want to sit around in pajamas all day, drinking coffee with Baileys, snacking on candy, while writing the next great Canadian novel?) 

Spring Cleaning

I'm supposed to be diligently working on the next installment of "Sunny with a Twist of Olive", but my focus is off, so I decided to change direction and update all my social media sites. Surprisingly, it took longer than I expected, but every now and then, we all need to do a little spring cleaning.

I probably won't keep the new colour schemes, since I'm not a pink kind of girl, but it reminded me of sunshine and warmth and flowers, so I took a leap. It's only colour, after all, and can easily be adjusted later.

Happy Spring!

Where's my writing mojo?

One of the reasons I decided to release "Sunny With a Twist of Olive" as a serialized novel was because I wasn't writing consistently. Days, weeks, and sometimes even months would slide by, and even though I felt the need to write, the words never made their way to the page. I have no excuse for my behaviour. I can blame procrastination, needing to be in the write (right) mood, and writer's block, but I think it comes down to being lazy. I need solid deadlines, otherwise, the act of living takes over, and the writing doesn't happen. It wants to, but it doesn't.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of representing Morning Rain Publishing at the Ad Astra Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror convention with Jaclyn Aurore and Jo Clendening. Most of our time was spent in the dealer room at the MRP table, selling books, meeting readers, and generally socializing. The rest of the time, we refilled our cups of writing mojo, bouncing ideas off each other, and gorging on writerly-silliness.

We needed this event, because sometimes we forget that writing doesn't have to be a lonely, solitary activity. Sure, there are all kinds of online writing forums and groups, but spending time with real, live people, away from the virtual world is refreshing and energizing. Real-world laughter is much more fulfilling than online banter. It's also much more inspiring.

So, I didn't sell a million copies of Liminal Lights, but that's okay. Instead, I received something much more valuable - the gift of shared passion. With so many creative persons in the same space, it's no wonder my writing mojo is spilling out of its cup and onto the page. So, thanks, Ad Astra, for hosting such an incredible event.

I'm very much looking forward to the next event, whatever it might be.

Episode 2: Inside Out

Today's the day! Episode two of "Sunny with a Twist of Olive" is ready for download. In this installment, Olive finds herself twisted "Inside Out" as she confronts issues from her past.

I'm having so much fun with this serial, that I often forget it's supposed to be work. Olive is so full of spirit and mischief, with just enough snark and realism that I have a hard time putting it away to focus on other projects. 

Stay tuned for more Olive updates.

A slice of pi(e)

My kids are math-magicians and never fail to remind me when there's something to celebrate. Like  most teens, they are also dessert connoisseurs, and pastry is one of their favourite sweets. Today was the perfect day to make pie.

Plus, baking helps me work through plot arcs and plan potential dialogue between characters. There's something about creating from scratch. Starting with flour and sugar and ending with a completed, consumable product - the entire process is soothing and satisfying.

I hope you all got to enjoy your slice of pi(e) today!