A new look at Cosmic and another Bookshelf
Well, according to my little statistics bar I’m over 60% for my planned length for my next m/m contemporary work. Of course this is just the rough draft. For me, the real work begins when I do my own personal edit rounds before submission because that usually requires me to set the work aside between rounds. I know I take much longer than many of the romance writers out there but I like to polish my work as much as possible. Usually as work overlaps this works out okay, but life has got in the way lately. I am hoping that within a very few short weeks things will ease up — it should do, unless something untoward happens so that’s the plan anyway. The good news is that I’ve a feeling that the rough draft of the book will be finished very shortly. I’ve time today to knuckle down to it as soon as I’ve popped around and made a few announcements.
One of those announcements is that I finally joined and completed my pages at the GBLT Bookshelf. Do drop by. It’s a community for…well everyone who writes, publishes, reads any GBLT titles. It’s for artists too. For anyone who has flicked through my website, my page will look very similar but that’s because I took most of the info from here. It’s a good project though and a good place for me to be.
I also found a little time (don’t ask me how — well, by watching the TV with one eye, actually) to make a little promo video for Cosmic. I’m never sure if these are a good idea or not but some readers like them and they can be a rather fun to make. I also wanted to try out iMovie on the Macbook. Not sure it was easier than the last system I used to make a small ‘vid’ but it worked, which is the main thing. I’m seriously considering just paying someone else if I can manage to make myself let go of some artistic control. LOL. I love the music on this one. I think it sets the whole tone.
Until I made this I also failed to notice that the cover artist had actually bothered to make Snake’s eyes slitted. How’s that for detail!
6 Comments
I should look at your side bar more often, since I didn’t know you were working on a m/m contemp. Good news for me, and it’s great to know that you would rather polish up your stories to the highest standards of your ability, as opposed to just publishing something just to get it “out there”.
This story has been driving me crazy. Sometimes I ‘know’ my characters right off as with ‘Dean’. Jay needed a little developing but Dean I just understood him right off, knew what made him tick etc. This book…I’ve come to know my two guys as the story has developed. That means I will need to go back and give some parts a serious edit before I submit but it’s necessary or I won’t be doing my best. If a reader doesn’t like a book I write, I’m happy as long as I can feel I wrote the story I wanted to the best of my ability ‘at the time’. I think being a writer you are always learning and improving and you can easily look back and think “I wish I’d written such and such this way” but you’d never release anything if you never let go of it, so that’s why I say if I did the best I could at the time, I’m okay with that. I hope you like these new two the way I do. I’m hoping the publisher will like it because, yes, there is sex (and a fair amount of it) but it doesn’t happen on the second page. Gosh, you actually have to read some story. *g*
Exactly, when readers want a new chapter of my story I’m always like: It’s not there yet, and I’m not about to release something I’m not happy with. If you choose to dislike what I did, then that’s fine because at least I know I’ve done the best I could.
I totally agree; I always do that, and I just say two years ago I was much younger ~ so it is obvious my writing style has matured as I get older.
I see a lot of people saying contemp stories are not their thing. You can suspend your disbelief, you can’t get away with anything, and all in all it’s about people, everyday life with a dash of drama/angst thrown in. That’s why this is my favourite genre, because I’m not one to suspend myself into fantasy. Right now in this genre K.A. Mitchell is my favourite. The best story I have read in this genre is hers called: Regularly Scheduled Life. I wish more authors wrote stories like that. I live on genuine angst, not false plot’s like: child abuse, abuse of any kind or my parents kicked me out because I’m gay. Those work if the author actually does his or her research, and doesn’t use it as a way for the main characters to boink each other.
I am looking forward to it, and I do hope a publisher picks it up.
Gosh, you actually have to read some story.
NO WAI?! We have to read a story, now why would you do such a thing? LOL.
I happen to love fantasy although Robert Jordan’s ‘Wheel of Time’ is taking the epic fantasy to extremes. I’m on book 10 so I’ve got to reach the conclusion now. Some fantasy is another way to take a story, give it a twist, and look at real life in a new way. You can’t always do that with a contemp story. Most people really do blink at the variety of books I own though. I started by loving horror (no I’m not kidding — I was reading Stephen King and James Herbert when my school friends were reading Mills and Boon) then migrated to fantasy. I think for a long time there hasn’t been many great contemp stories, which is why I thought I wasn’t capable of writing one. I really like writing all kinds of things and cross-genre, which this market allows me to do.
I have noticed a difference in readership around the world, having talked with other writers etc. There’s even a difference between the US and UK market and of course publishers want what sells well. I’ve been reasonably lucky so far but I’ve had the ‘heighten the sex’ remark more so now than when I started. I don’t mind the sex (I still won’t put out a scene I’m not happy with) — it’s just if I can’t care about the characters, I just don’t care at all. I certainly couldn’t care less who they are having sex with.
Don’t mention books. You’ll get me buying more books. LOL.
I think fantasy and sci-fi is a huge market in print, and urban fantasy (whatever that is?) and bdsm and erotic romance is huge in e-markets. I find it rather difficult to find good contemporary stories, and the closest I get to that is chick-lit but ever that is littered with paranormal elements. Hell I was reading a contemporary e-book that suddenly turned paranormal about a third way through. Not good.
My brother is a huge fantasy reader, I just can’t get over the eye-rolling names at times. However, I am a huge lord of the rings fan. I’ve never actually read a horror book mainly because I never found the genre to be smart like mysteries are (well written by the right person). I always figured it was blood and gore, and little intelligence is put on the suspense and true horror factor. I’ve never read Stephen King, his blurbs have never appealed to me. Maybe I should give him a go?
Amen to that, if you hate the characters I don’t care how well the sex is written.
Sharon, that book is not to be missed. I’m buying it in paperback too for my keeper’s shelf. Hell I’m re-reading it right now as well (for the millionth time, lol)
I don’t truly believe Stephen King is what I would class as horror. Graham Masterton is horror. One of his books was the only one to make me go physically cold, although King’s ‘Misery’ made me put a hand over my mouth in shock. King’s work does vary and I believe it’s his style and the way he presents characters that make him a success. His style is slightly omnipresent as well, which I have mixed feelings over but it’s never interfered with my enjoyment. Only recently have they started to make half decent films of his books. I’d have to think hard to recommend a particular book though I can say don’t read his ‘Rose Madder’. It’s neither one thing or the other. Great writing but you think WTF at the end of it. Hmm…I’ll have to talk a little more about writers I read and books I like on here.
And damn, I’ve gone and ordered that book now. You talked me into it. LOL.