Archive for the ‘Progress Report’ Category

2013 In Review

Posted: January 1, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections, Writing
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Happy New Year!

As always, WordPress sent me an email letting me know how my blog did this past year. This year, my blog was viewed enough times to fill the Sydney Opera House about four times. That’s great…but I wish I was good enough to fill the Sydney Opera House just once! Honestly, where do they get these statistics?

But I digress. The point is, another year has come and gone. And to quote Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That sums up just about every year I know, but it’s pretty accurate. A lot happened this year to me, including two of my books getting published; I moved into an apartment with a friend and learned some more of the tribulations of the adult world; I was accepted into the study abroad trip I’ve been aiming for; I started my third year of college; I began writing and then administrating for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors; and a whole lot more that I won’t put on my blog but were important nonetheless.

All in all, a crazy year. Sometimes all that was going on threatened to bury me, while at other times I felt like I could do anything. I had my highs and my lows, like anyone else. But I managed to get through them and I came out stronger for it.

Reborn City

And now for my new year’s resolutions: I resolve to be a better writer. I resolve to get more people interested in my work and even in reading it. I resolve to finish Video Rage (probably happen in the next week or so), get back to Laura Horn and finish that up (shouldn’t be too hard, considering how quickly I tended to write the chapters), finish the final draft of Snake (hopefully sometime in the next couple of months) and publish it by the end of the year (I hope), write a whole ton of original short stories and publish some of them (fingers crossed on that one), start whatever novel will end up being my senior thesis in the fall and maybe a few other projects. I resolve to improve my craft and to help others improve their craft in my own small way. I resolve to grow this blog and Self-Published Authors Helping Others Authors. I resolve to fulfill my dreams of being a successful novelist.

I resolve to be a better person. I resolve to work on my personal flaws and try to improve. I resolve to be a good student, a good scholar of English and History, a good roommate, and a good worker. I resolve to be good to my friends and family and love them as much as they love me. I resolve to go to Europe for my study abroad trip this summer and learn as much as I can on World War II and the Holocaust. I resolve to keep my grades up. I resolve that my conduct in life is exemplary.

With any luck, you’ll be reading about a guy called the Snake soon.

I resolve to read a lot of books, see a lot of movies, and binge on too much TV. I resolve to keep my bank account in order. I resolve to eat healthy and stay healthy. I resolve to…are you still reading this list? If you are, you have the patience of a monk.

All in all, I plan to make 2014 better than 2013. So this year, my Followers of Fear, I wish you luck and I hope we get to share a ton of great experiences together. Happy New Year!

I Just Got On WattPad

Posted: December 27, 2013 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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As you’ve probably figured out from the title, I just got a WattPad account, which means I’ve got another way to release my written work to the world.

You are probably not wondering why I decided to get a WattPad account. However, you’re reading this post, so I’ll tell you anyway. I’d heard of WattPad before, but only in passing. I wasn’t really sure what it was. And then someone posted on Facebook an article about how this British girl a little younger than me had posted a novel of hers on WattPad, gained 19 million likes, got a publishing contract, and then two books later was put on TIME Magazine’s list of 16 Most Influential Teens. My reaction to that article: “Holy s**t, I’ve got to at least check this WattPad thing out.”

So if you haven’t heard of WattPad before, it’s a website where members can upload stories for free viewing and readers can give comments and feedback. So essentially it’s like a blog for storytellers, in some ways. And apparently some of its most popular stories are uploaded by writers in their teens, so as a writer just barely out of the teens, I think I might have a chance.

Of course, the website has its controversies. Stories uploaded onto WattPad are not copyright protected like a blog post or a story published through a magazine or a publishing company. So anything published on WattPad could potentially be stolen by some nefarious person or persons who might try to make some sort of profit or gather a following using another person’s work.

Still, I want to try and see if I can spread my work to new audiences through WattPad. And I’ve heard some other authors have had some success with the format, including a few friends of mine. If it can potentially help me further my writing career, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t try it out.

If I publish anything through WattPad, I’ll make sure to post about it here and include a link to the story. I think I’ll start with excerpts from my already published books, and then maybe upload a few original short stories when I have them and when I want to upload them. And with that, I ask of you all one favor: wish me luck as I try to get used to this mew platform for spreading stories and writing and try to utilize it in the best way possible.

Good night, Followers of Fear.

 

Autumn 2013 Semester: Wrap-Up Report

Posted: December 16, 2013 in Living and Life, Progress Report
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Another semester passes by, and with it the realization of two things: one is that I have enough credit to be considered a senior now that the semester is over. The other is that I now have a year and a half left of my time at Ohio State University. Boy, way to make my time here feel finite.

Every semester is different and not just because of a set of new classes. For example, this semester I moved into an apartment with a friend about two blocks from campus, meaning we both had to take on a whole lot of different responsibilities. I also started taking five classes in a single semester, more than I’ve ever had in a single semester. At times the homework load was almost unbearable. I hope that next semester will be a bit easier, though judging by the amount of reading I’ll be doing that doesn’t look like the case.

This semester was also significant because two major events happened to me: I published my first novel Reborn City and I got accepted into a study-abroad trip to Europe for three weeks in May. The latter so far has taken up more of my attention, because I’m going to be spending all of next semester preparing for it. And I mean all of next semester: four out of five of the classes I’m taking are in preparation for what I’m going to study in Europe (by the way, the trip is about studying World War II). Still, RC has taken up a bit of attention too. I’ve had to advertise everywhere I can. I’m actually looking into putting an ad into the student newspaper if it doesn’t cost too much.

And as for my classes this semester, I took Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Biology, Writing for English Majors, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, and History of the Holocaust. The latter two were my favorite classes (despite the dark subject material in the Holocaust course) and they were also the classes I did the best in, getting As on most papers and tests. All told, my grades added to a total 3.263 GPA. I’m happy with my grades (they’re all passing grades) but I’m going to aim for higher next semester. Especially since going on the trip and keeping my scholarships will require me to keep my grades up!

Well, I hope to have more good news later. Watch out for my Spring Semester 2014 Pre-Semester Report. It’ll probably be showing up in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I’m going to make dinner and finish Ch. 28 of Video Rage. Wish me luck.

Video Rage: Two-Thirds Of The Way Through

Posted: December 8, 2013 in Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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It’s watching you!

Oh, blessed relief. Today I sat down, once again, to work on Chapter 24 of Video Rage, the sequel to my novel Reborn City. I’d been working on and off on the chapter for the past eight days or so, delayed by homework, exams, and the need to sit down and do something other than writing in order to relax. But today I sat down, and I finally finished it, meaning I only have a third of the novel left to write! Woo-hoo!

I’ve been enjoying my return to the world of the West Reborn Hydras. Not only has it been kind of therapeutic and relaxing to work on my novel after having to take a very long hiatus in order to focus on school, but it seems that the world of the story has expanded on its own,  become more complex and astounding than when I first created it. When I was working on Chapter 22, the characters kind of took the reins away from me and played out a scene before me similar to a cop drama, where one character was poking holes in the story of the other two and showing just how flawed their seemingly-flawless version of events really was. I didn’t even think I could write a scene like that! And when I worked on Chapter 23, new characters and new situations kept intruding into the scene I’d originally envisioned. I guess it’s true what they say, that the characters really write the story and not the authors.

Well, it makes my job easier if they write it for me. And better yet, my characters don’t ask for royalties.

But I digress. Let me update you on page and word counts (and when I say page, I mean your standard 8″ x 11.5″ MS Word paper). In total, the number of pages has risen to 197 pages, while the word count has risen to 54,703 words. That’s about the length of a very short novel, and since I have thirteen chapters left to write, it’s probably going to rise another ten to twenty-thousand words (no, don’t be intimidated. Most of the Harry Potter novels are much longer than that).

For now though, I think I’ll take a very short break from writing VR. I’ll probably write an article for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors, I’ll apply for several scholarships offered through my university, I’ll spend a lot of time at work so I can afford to keep a roof over my head, and if my friend Angela sends any more chapters of Snake, I’ll work on edits. And after all that, I’ll start on Chapter 25 of VR. Trust me, it’s going to be awesome. Things will really come to a head in the final seven or so chapters.

For now though, I think I’ll make dinner and settle in with some TV, a nice reward for myself after some really hard work. Until next time, my Followers of Fear.

Reborn City: Out One Month

Posted: December 1, 2013 in Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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Reborn City

It’s been a while since I actually sat down to write a blog post, so I guess it’s a good thing I’ve got two posts to write today. The first is, as you’ve probably already guessed, the announcement that Reborn City, my first published novel, has been out for an entire month (I would’ve advertised it being out for one week and for being out two weeks when we hit those milestones, but I was afraid I’d get on everyone’s nerves. Now I actually think it might’ve been good to advertise it a little more).

So far ten copies of RC, five paperback and five e-book copies, have been sold, and I’m hoping to sell a lot more with the holidays upon us. I’ve received one review so far, from Canadian science-fiction author and friend Matt Williams, who gave it four stars on Amazon. And soon I might get more reviews: my sister read the book and said she liked it, and would give a review as soon as she could, so I’m looking out for her review.

If you’re only hearing about Reborn City for the first time and are wondering what it’s about, here’s the blurb I wrote for the paperback:

Zahara Bakur is a Muslim teenager recently moved into the gambling town of Reborn City. After her parents are killed by gang violence, Zahara is forced to join the Hydras, an interracial gang whose leaders have supernatural abilities. As the violence in Reborn City escalates and Zahara becomes closer to the Hydras, including the quiet but stern Rip, she finds herself drawn into a dark conspiracy involving the origins of the leaders and the shadowy corporation that rules over Reborn City.

If that’s piqued your interest, then by all means please go check it out. It’s available from Amazon and Smashwords, and I believe both books offer short previews of what’s inside the book, available in both e-book and paperback format. And while I have your attention, I’m going to also put a shout-out for my collection of short stories, The Quiet Game: Five Tales To Chill Your Bones, also available from Amazon and Smashwords.

Alright, enough advertising for now. I’ve got a review to write and then I’m going to work on Ch. 24 of RC‘s sequel, Video Rage. Wish me luck!

I’m Writing Again!!!

Posted: November 21, 2013 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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Good evening, Followers of Fear. How are you this evening? I don’t know about you, but I’m doing great! I just finished Chapter 20 of Video Rage, after working on it on-and-off for the past six or so days. This officially puts an end to my hiatus that kept me from doing any major writing, and puts me back on track to possibly finishing this novel by the end of this year or the end of January (one or the other, most likely).

It’s been over a month since I had to stop writing because of how busy I was with school and work. I just had way too much on my plate to devote any time to actually writing, but now that my schedule’s eased up a little, thanks to the semester ending soon and Thanksgiving coming even sooner, I can actually afford to sit down for hours at a time and just churn out stories. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Actually, the truth is not being able to write might’ve actually contributed to my stress levels getting worse rather than better. But being able to write these past couple of days has been just wonderful. I feel freer than I have since I began my hiatus, and now that I’ve gotten another chapter under my belt, I’m on a little bit of a writing high. In fact, the writing high made me write a longer chapter than I normally would’ve. Not that I mind though. I think the chapter the way it is right now is pretty awesome. It was a huge fight sequence, which I’m not normally good at writing. But I managed to extend it from what might’ve been a six-page chapter to a ten-page chapter, and it looks better than what I had originally planned, so it’s kind of a win-win situation.

I’ve also decided that working on two novels at once is not the best idea for me. One moment I’m yearning to work on one project but I have to work on the other, next moment I’m working on project number two but I want to work on the first project. It’s a little bit annoying. So for now I think I’ll stick to finished Video Rage, which has only seventeen chapters left in the first draft, and then I’ll get back to working on my other work-in-progress, Laura Horn. After that’s all done…well, who knows? Maybe some short stories, a new novel, some editing work. All depends on what’s on my schedule and what I feel like doing at the moment.

But to sum it all up, I’m really happy at the moment, and I look forward to finishing the first draft of Video Rage.

And while I have your attention, I also want to extend a hearty congratulations to fellow author, colleague, and good friend Angela Misri, whose Portia Adams novel Jewel of the Thames has just been accepted for publication by Fierce Ink Press. Mazel tov Angela, I’m so excited for you and I cannot wait to read all of Portia’s amazing adventures this coming spring. Keep me posted on the news, okay? Also, if your books get made into movies, who do you want to play Portia? Because from what I know of the character, I think Natalie Portman or Eve Myles would be a great early call.

All for now, everybody. Good night!

The End of My Writing Hiatus Is Nigh

Posted: November 15, 2013 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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Today there’s more good news to celebrate. Since October 22 I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from writing because of how busy I was with school and work. However, things have eased up a bit since then. For the first time in a while, my homework load this weekend is a bit lighter than it’s been, and I don’t have that many books-for-pleasure piled up waiting for me to read them like I did when my hiatus started.

So guess what? That means pretty soon I’ll be able to actually sit down and do some writing! And thank God, because I’ve been itching to do some fiction writing, rather than the writing of numerous essays and papers tht have been my the bulk of my fare lately. And writing Weekly Exercises once a week–a thousand words at most every week–is definitely not enough to scratch that itch.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to start writing–might be today after classes, might be Sunday after homework and before dinner, might even be after I turn in my second-to-last essay next week–but it should be soon. And when I start writing, you can expect some very odd weather around central Ohio, because I’ll be writing up a storm! I plan to finish the first draft of Video Rage and get several more chapters of Laura Horn under my belt. Plus an article or two for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors, and my usual Weekly Exercises, and I’ll feel as close to normal as I can get again.

So watch your weather bulletins, people. Until then, I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Good luck to the Ohio State Buckeyes as they take on Illinois tomorrow, and I hope we all get the chance to sleep in and rest a little.

Blog on you later!

Snake: Halfway Through The Final Edits

Posted: November 14, 2013 in Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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Well, Angela Misri and I have reached another milestone as she continues to help me with the final draft of Snake. This evening, I finished edited Chapters 45-48, and sent her Chapters 49-52. And since Snake is a hundred chapters long*, this puts us officially halfway through the final edits of the novel.

*If the fact that there are a hundred chapters in the novel scare you, there’s no need to be worried. Each chapter is less than 10 pages of 8.5″ x 11″ paper, the standard MS Word sized-paper. Not sure how that’ll translate over to paperback, but the point is, each chapter is very short.

I’m very glad for all that Angela’s been able to do for me, and I look forward to every single one of her suggestions. I hope we can do more collaborations together in the future. And I’m also happy to say that at the rate we’re going, that at the outside we’ll be done by the end of January 2014, barring anything unexpected happening.

If you wish to read an excerpt from Snake, you can see one from the final draft here. Also, check out Angela’s blog, A Portia Adams Adventure. Believe me, it’s well worth checking out.

All for now. Goodnight everybody!

A Self-Publishing Milestone

Posted: November 10, 2013 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, short story, Writing
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I’ve been meaning to write this post all weekend, but I’ve been crazy busy with homework (ah, the life of the busy college student with less than four weeks till finals). Anyway, this past Friday several people bought or downloaded copies of Reborn City. Before Reborn City came out, I’d sold nearly fifty copies of The Quiet Game: Five Tales To Chill Your Bones. With the additional copies of RC, I realized something: I’d sold fifty copies of all of my books, total.

Now, I know that’s not as prestigious as selling fifty or a hundred or a thousand copies of each book. But for me, it’s a big deal, especially as a self-published author. I remember very well when no one was reading this blog, let alone showing any interest in my writing. The fact that I’ve come this far, that people want to read my blog and that at least enough people for a mid-size class at my school want to read my book means a lot to me.

Still, I want to sell more copies of my books. Which is why I’m making an announcement. I wrote an article for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors a few days ago about how the publishing platform CreateSpace is offering new, free distribution options for its authors. I was hesitant to put either of my books through these channels though, because it would mean a higher price to buy my books. Not only did I not want to put a strain on my readers, but I was afraid new readers wouldn’t want to read my work because it cost more.

I’ve since changed my mind. My books will be available in bookstores and libraries if I were to take those distribution channels. Heck, I could reserve my own book from my local library! That would be amazing! And there’s always a chance someone will want to read the book even if it’s a bit pricier than most supermarket paperbacks. So look forward to possibly seeing RC and The Quiet Game in your local Barnes & Noble or library in the future, okay?

In the meantime, I’ve got some work to take care of. I’m hoping to get my homework done tomorrow, and to write a Weekly Exercise as well. Wish me luck, okay? Good night everybody!

Reborn City: Available Now

Posted: November 1, 2013 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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Reborn City

Four years ago, I sat down in front of my computer and began outlining a novel about a girl named Zahara Bakur and her experiences with the Hydras. Over two years, taking many breaks for homework and an after school job and reading and a five week trip to Israel in summer 2010, I finished the novel that I named Reborn City. Then, over the next two years, I refined, edited, and polished up the novel, and finally I had my good friend Matt Williams at Stories by Williams take a look at RC before going ahead with the publishing process.

Now, after nearly four years, Reborn City is available for everyone to read. Sure, the print version is a bit more expensive than promised because Amazon said the price had to be so-and-so dollars, which I think is a little dickish, but whatever, it’s still out.

I can’t believe after so long it’s finally out, but I’m very happy and I am so glad I can finally share this novel with the world. If you are interested in reading Reborn City, you can check it out on Amazon and Smashwords. And if you want to read a preview before you commit to buying or downloading a copy, you can read an excerpt here.

Once again, thank you so very much for all your support and I hope you have an enjoyable read. If you feel like it, after you finish reading it please write a review on Amazon or Smashwords. Good or bad, I really don’t care. I’m always happy for feedback. Oh, and if you can’t find the print version on the Amazon page, most likely that’s because it’s still being processed by Amazon. Come back later today and it should be there.

Have a nice weekend everybody! Here’s the book trailer for RC, if you haven’t seen it yet.

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