The Future Superhero

"Kapow!" he yells. "Jab! Jab! Jab!"
He pummels his enemies
from atop his Darkwing Duck-sheeted bed.
"Take THAT! And THAT!"
he cries; he is vanquisher, savior of cities,
destroyer of evil, protector of justice;
his fists make the world turn
and make girls sigh in admiration.
He is the greatest-no, wait!
Call Webster’s; greatness
must be redefined. He is super incredible
awesome man! He is--
"Billy! Breakfast!" yells his mother
from downstairs.
"Yes, Mom," he mumbles,
still in his pajamas.
Eggs and toast? Prepare to be punched.

Going forward

First, go read about my thoughts on e-book pricing over at the LW blog. I'll be here when you get back.

Next, people have been asking me a lot of questions about my next book, mainly what it's going to be about. I'm not used to talking about the series to anyone but my betas (who are probably really tired of it now), so let me give it a go. There will be six books in the series. All of their outlines are done, and all the books are titled. I know what's going to happen in the last scene of the last book. I've got some rough outlines of short stories kicking around, too. I just need to finish writing everything.

The next book is going to be called Saturnine. Thomas Huxley is a secret agent again, and goes looking for the man who nearly killed him--which backfires when he kidnaps Thomas's partner in the squad. And very quickly, that becomes the least of Thomas's problems. Meanwhile, Ariel has to fend off an old enemy.

But that book is on the back burner while I focus on licensing exams and finding a nice white dress for my pinning ceremony. I originally wanted a December release, but my life is always pretty hectic and I never know what I'm going to get done tomorrow, let alone in the next half-year (especially with a project as massive as a book).

And oddly enough, for all the trouble the second book has given me, the third is pretty much done. I finished it last summer. All it really needs is some breezethrough edits and it'll be print-ready. So when you see the second book come out, the third is probably just a few weeks, some formatting and a cover image away. I'll keep everyone posted with my progress.

(There's) No Place Like Home by Anthony Matos

Anthony Matos, who I worked on the student newspaper with in college, just released his first novel, (There's) No Place Like Home. It's currently on Smashwords, and here's the description:

There is an organization that recruits and inserts agents into American jails and prisons with one mission: extermination. The saying goes that everyone deserves a second chance; but in this new age of Depression with over-crowded prisons and backed up courts, a drastic and violent change must happen. Agents are given targets and implanted into prisons with their identities only revealed to selected individuals of power. They establish connections with inmates until they isolate targets and execute.

The largest amount of wealth within the once respected America is now being funneled into the sewer. Murderers, gang members, rapists, pedophiles, inside traders: they’re all enjoying the most modern conveniences our money has to buy. Fully equipped gyms, televisions, 3 meals a day and a roof over their heads while their victims may struggle just to make ends meet; or may have met their end already.

How much money does it take to keep a killer alive compared to how much it costs to bury their victim? Before you answer, just save your breath. You’re living your life the best you can, and your bandwagon ride on the next big social charity isn't important anymore. It’s not going to change what we’re doing here. But what we’re doing here is going to change your world forever.

There's some rough language and it's not meant for the younger crowd, but it has some nice description, such as "The morning sun splashes off red brick buildings and gives them a shine they don't deserve." If you're a fan of dramatic thrillers, check it out.

(There's) No Place Like Home

Making the jump to YA

Part of a writer's dilemma is, when you write a book that doesn't really resemble anything else you've found, how do you classify it by genre?

Awhile back, I mentioned to some of my writer friends that I wished I were writing YA (young adult) fiction. And I'm not just chasing trends here: I really like YA books. Before high school, I read YA and not much else. I'm still around teenagers all the time, so I sometimes read what they're reading. In the past few years I loved books like Tithe and Stargirl. I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid and laughed all through it. I am, in short, a YA addict.

But Flyday, for a long time, struck me as a really non-YA book. The main character, after all, is in his twenties, engaged, and well into a career. But as some of my readers pointed out, that's not the whole story. Much the book is dedicated to 18-year-old Ariel, who essentially runs away from home when her brother is sent to fight in Iraq. She's also a time traveler; tell me that's not cool. There's another major character, Emily, who is a teenage princess. I think this fits quite well in the YA genre.

Plus, I've been reading a lot of adult fiction lately, and I realized that Flyday is a lot more tame than the other books I was seeing. That's not by accident. When I was writing it, all of my betas were teenagers or young adults. Heck, I was a young adult when I finished the first draft (spring of 2008, which would put me at around 19 or 20) before putting it aside to go to nursing school.

I worried that the rock star, Jamie, would be a bad influence on teens, but lots of readers commented that teens would really identify with his struggles. There's some violence, but it's over quickly, and The Hunger Games trilogy qualifies as YA despite the violence it portrays.

So, with lots of encouragement, I'm going to say that this is definitely a YA novel. And I'm really relieved, because now, as I'm writing the draft of the second book, I can expand Ariel's role and not try to force myself to write an adult thriller (which I don't think is a good fit for the story, in any case). I'll let her deal with typical teenage things like romance, but she'll still manage to travel through time and get lots of people angry at her. It's win-win. I'll change the genre categories for Flyday soon.

Signed copies

I'm setting up a PayPal system to process requests for signed copies of Flyday if you live outside the Western Mass area. E-mail me (kilexia at gmail.com) and tell me your instructions if you want a specific message. Cost is $12, including shipping. (If you want it shipped outside the U.S., e-mail me and we can figure something out.)

If you've already bought the book or you live outside the U.S. and it would cost an arm and a leg to ship it, I can e-mail you a free autographed sticker to put on the book's front page. Just e-mail me with your address and instructions.

Can't get started with your writing? Read this

A lot of people have asked me over the years, "How do I become a writer? Where do I start?" 

My answer used to be, "I don't know. Pick up a pen and write something down?" I was facing the same question myself. But now that I've actually finished a book, I can sit back and think about what was useful for me and what wasn't.

Things you need to be able to write:

1. A quiet place. I wrote most of my novel in the library when I was studying for my writing degree at my first college, and I thought about the plot while walking around the campus. I soaked up a lot of the inspiration around me, and some of the architecture there (including above-ground tunnels) made it into the book.

2. Resources. If you're one for writing guides or just need inspiration, Bird by Bird and On Writing are the books I always recommend to new authors. Bird by Bird is especially good, because it's a heartfelt book that at the same time takes a "down in the trenches" approach to coaching new writers: the author lays everything out and tells it like it is.

The Elements of Style is also a must for any writer. It's short; go grab a copy and read it. I also found Eats, Shoots & Leaves to be a hilarious grammar resource (but other people have said it's boring, so I might just be a grammar geek).

If you're looking to write an ebook, Zoe Winters' Becoming an Indie Author is a great resource as well. For news in e-publishing, J. A. Konrath's blog is a must-read.

If you're a poet, In the Palm of Your Hand is an excellent book to learn some skills and read examples of fascinating poetry.

3. Time. I did most of my writing late at night or between classes. If I had a day off, I wrote. During nursing school I could go months at a time without writing, but during the summer I jumped right back into it and worked on the draft of a new book. Nowadays I dash off notes and entire poems on my phone while waiting for the bus.

It takes some effort to find spare time, but most people have more of it than they realize. I've seen people write dozens of tweets in a single day, then type, "I never have enough time to write!" Don't be that person.

4. Good software. I once used RoughDraft, because it was a lightweight program that did a lot, especially due to its "Notepad" function (each file has a little sidebar you can use to write notes).

I had to start using Word for school, however, so now I often type in that and outline in OneNote, which I find indispensable for organizing a new book (one tab for plot outlines, one tab for character lists, etc), so I have everything in one place. If I forget what eye color a character has, or where they're supposed to be in the next scene, I can flip back and find out quickly.

5. Writing buddies. If no one you know is an aspiring writer, try finding a writing forum online; AbsoluteWrite is a really comprehensive one.

One thing that really sped up my writing was finding "betas"--essentially, people to read, and give thoughts on, my writing. My first betas were friends and siblings, and I would deliver paper copies of my chapters to them. Eventually this led to me e-mailing them, and finally using Google Docs to create files that everyone could read together and pile notes on. It's a lot of fun, and it's a good motivator to keep writing when you have instant feedback.

6. An idea. Whether you're writing poetry, a short story, a novel or anything else, you really need to find something you believe in to write about. This is the most important and yet elusive part of writing. My ideas usually come in the form of a thought that grabs me and won't let me go.

The original thoughts for my book Flyday went something like this: What if a girl had a time machine that could take her anywhere she wanted to go? And what if she encountered a man accused of murder, and found that her future actions might have caused it? I wondered where the story went, and I wrote it.

Someone once told me, "I write because the books I'd want to read aren't written yet." This is a good way to think about writing. What would you want to read if you saw it on the shelf? Write it.

What's new, and thoughts on ebook pricing

I joined a collaborative writing blog, and although it's just starting up, there are several other bloggers who are fascinating to read, so check it out. I also have a few writing projects I don't want to divulge just yet--I'll wait until I have more time to give them the proper attention.

People have been asking about Flyday's sequel, and yes, I am actively writing a new draft of it, but no, I don't have any idea when it'll be done. I'll have more updates as things get more solid.

I'm also considering raising Flyday's ebook price, especially since I see people charging that for novellas and Flyday is nearly 300 pages. Mainly I was inspired by the recent interview with Zoe Winters in which she explains her pricing strategy. For a reader, 99 cents may be an appealing price, but only 35 cents of that will go to the author. 35 cents, for a book they probably spent years writing. That doesn't seem fair.

I think if people are interested enough in the book, they'll buy it at any reasonable price. I've seen people pay $4.50 for a coffee that will be gone in twenty minutes. An ebook would provide hours of reading, and you can enjoy it for years. Is Flyday worth $3.95 or even $4.95 for that? Definitely.