There's no reason to be here. As you can see, I haven't updated this blog in quite some time. And yet, the views keep pouring in, though I doubt the visitors have found much to pore over once here. That's fine, though. Hello, everyone.
Today's a day. It's just one of those days. I realize my shortcomings-which are many-and think about how I'm not doing a damn thing to fix it. I'm only hurting the person I care about when I do this.
I have some confessions to make: I'm lacking. Creatively, I'm lacking. In terms of skill, I'm lacking. In terms of mental freedom, I'm lacking. I'm lacking in expression. I'm lacking in common sense and let's not forget that I'm in dire need of a patch that naturally increases charisma.
I have a tendency to ramble.
It shows in my work, directly alongside its sister, my shallow thoughts. How can someone ramble in depth about shallow things? It's easy, once you find a way to focus on the truly unimportant things in a subject.
I feel badly for my characters. I'm so unworthy.
And you know, I really don't want anyone reading this. I'll probably take it down later.
Oh, and by the way: hello, everyone. Let's keep this brief. I haven't even mentioned the most important thing: I love this lady. So much.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Indie Authors: Like a Sir
I wish more Indie authors would treat their novels--heck, their book publishing businesses--like a Sir. I know this is a weird internet meme thing, but see the image just below here:
Make sense? Yes? No? Well, it doesn't really matter, because I'll elaborate.
I think lots of indie authors would agree that indies don't get enough respect. And I know it, because I've been on both ends of the spectrum. If you would have told me five years ago that you published your first novel yourself, I would have scoffed and said, 'pshaw, vanity publishing. What the literary impoverished do.' You could have explained that this was different, you didn't pay for it, that it was getting readers and pretty decent reviews, and I still would have said, 'ha! You still gave into the pressure of your own ego! I bet it is horribly written tripe, and that's why you couldn't get the eyes of a real publisher!' That's what I said about Amanda Hocking and her success. That's what I would have said to you.
Of course, five years ago I knew everything, so there was no hope arguing with me. But, (thank Gd!) it's been five years since then. Five years, with a little over two of them with a great deal of me and my partner's literary attention and pursuits going toward Raventide Books, which is so thoroughly Indie you might be afraid we shouted anarchy against the publishing machine from the highest roofs. (It's not true, I don't care what the tabloids tell you.)
I'll tell you all right now, whenever I hear all the crap above aimed in our general direction, I get kinda angry. Not lava-spewing rage, but sort of a 'haha, you think so but wait until we rule the world!' kind of way. Like a psycho, I guess. But anyway, I get that way because it's not true. Indie authors can write amazing, beautiful, articulate, where-the-hell-has-this-book-been-all-my-life stuff. I know, the stuff Raventide Books puts out is great literature. But the title Indie carries such negative connotations to so many people. Because of that, because we're so raw and open and exposed, many of us have chosen... have to chose... a way to protect ourselves.
There are two ways to go about this. There's the neutral, strike one cheek and then offer another approach and realize the sting is only temporary. Then, there's the defensive approach.
You know these people. The people who check their amazon reviews all the time. The authors who you know are checking your every status update on Goodreads (you can feel them watching you, like an unwelcome stalker... in your bushes, in the tree, following you a few car lengths back as you drive to work...) The indies that jump on any place where reviews for their book might be and thank you if you left a good review, and publicly disagree with you (sometimes even fight you tooth and nail) if you left a negative review. Hell, sometimes they argue you if you left a 3 or 4 star review but didn't slap mindless praise into the text!
Honestly--and I'm going to be honest here because I hate to sugar coat things--there is nothing so damnably 'indie' (as in, the desperate, self-serving connotation) as responding to your reviews. I know, I know. Some people feel like they have a legitimate reason. But I'm going to tell you something now, that you might not like to hear. Something you've probably heard five-hundred times before, and damn it, I'll say it one more time:
It's so unprofessional to respond to reviews.
One more time:
It is so unprofessional to respond to reviews.
The fact is that most traditionally published authors do not connect with their readers through reviews, because you know what? A review... a review by a person who felt inclined to say something about your book because it hit a chord with them, one way or another... is not for the author. It's not, okay? I know they say things like 'the author could have done this,' 'I hope the author knows this,' yadda yadda... they can reference you however many times they please. But it doesn't matter, because what they're actually doing when they write things like that is finding another way to get a point across to other readers who may be interested in picking this book up.
"Well, I don't give a crap what you say, C. Sheehan," you might tell me. "If someone says something unfair about my book, I'm gonna argue it!"
And I'm telling you to stop right now, and consider that authors who respond to reviews of their book look like one of two things: 1. Desperate to conceal or defend a book's flaws or 2. like you're trying desperately to hold onto your ego. Or, if you've been doing this for a while, what's left of it.
As for the first point, just stop. What they considered a flaw may not be one, and that's fine. People have different opinions, and we can't stop them from having them. Likewise, we shouldn't want to. You chose to put your book out there for people to read. You thus invited them to speak their mind about your stuff, and they may have perceived flaws that you didn't anticipate. This is not the end of the world. Fix the flaws that are actual flaws, and just brush of your shoulders over the point that aren't flaws but just a matter of personal taste. The fact is that an indepth, 2 star-rated study of your book is more valuable than a quick worship-y 5 star review. It gives real information that can allow potential readers to consider, will they like this book? Because you know, there's only 10% of a book for view up at Amazon, and for many books that's not much more than a chapter or two. For all we know, you dressed your first 10% up for sales and then let the rest falter and flop. In depth reviews--especially middling reviews--reveal more of the book than you or your blurb ever could.
This is not a bad thing. You may not get the vast readership of mindless purchases, but you'll get a higher percentage of readers who enjoy the book because they don't give a damn about another's complaints. On the other side of the coin, your book avoided another bad review because those who do care about that kind of thing stayed away. That means less bad reviews for you, and a happier readership over all. And this is a good, often forgotten thing, I think. So keep that in mind.
As to the second point, why did you publish? Did you do it for yourself? To fulfill a personal, selfish need? Or did you publish because you wanted to share your work with as many people who want to read (and hopefully enjoy) it? Indie publishing is not for glory. It's for gritty reality, dealing with art as art. It's not a good way to get attention and readers (who you shouldn't write to please but should be allowed to do with your work as they will) can think whatever they want about it. Only want to hear good things? Then send it to Lulu, print off x many books and give it to x many friends and family. But don't bug the rest of us; we're not here to shine your patootie.
And there's the rub with indie publishing. We're not doing it for ourselves (hopefully) but it does hurt when someone criticizes our work. Because it's often not put through the mill of traditional publishing and therefore not the product of many faceless people, it's easy to get hurt. But you can't and shouldn't let it get to you. You may have written your work for yourself (but hopefully your characters,) and you should, but once it passes through Amazon, Smashwords, or Nook's pearly gates, you gotta cut the cord before it gets jammed in the lock.
Indies already lack an automatic sense of dignity. Don't degrade the rest of us with your desperation, please. It would be so much better for all of us if you treated your book like a sir.
Make sense? Yes? No? Well, it doesn't really matter, because I'll elaborate.I think lots of indie authors would agree that indies don't get enough respect. And I know it, because I've been on both ends of the spectrum. If you would have told me five years ago that you published your first novel yourself, I would have scoffed and said, 'pshaw, vanity publishing. What the literary impoverished do.' You could have explained that this was different, you didn't pay for it, that it was getting readers and pretty decent reviews, and I still would have said, 'ha! You still gave into the pressure of your own ego! I bet it is horribly written tripe, and that's why you couldn't get the eyes of a real publisher!' That's what I said about Amanda Hocking and her success. That's what I would have said to you.
Of course, five years ago I knew everything, so there was no hope arguing with me. But, (thank Gd!) it's been five years since then. Five years, with a little over two of them with a great deal of me and my partner's literary attention and pursuits going toward Raventide Books, which is so thoroughly Indie you might be afraid we shouted anarchy against the publishing machine from the highest roofs. (It's not true, I don't care what the tabloids tell you.)
I'll tell you all right now, whenever I hear all the crap above aimed in our general direction, I get kinda angry. Not lava-spewing rage, but sort of a 'haha, you think so but wait until we rule the world!' kind of way. Like a psycho, I guess. But anyway, I get that way because it's not true. Indie authors can write amazing, beautiful, articulate, where-the-hell-has-this-book-been-all-my-life stuff. I know, the stuff Raventide Books puts out is great literature. But the title Indie carries such negative connotations to so many people. Because of that, because we're so raw and open and exposed, many of us have chosen... have to chose... a way to protect ourselves.
There are two ways to go about this. There's the neutral, strike one cheek and then offer another approach and realize the sting is only temporary. Then, there's the defensive approach.
You know these people. The people who check their amazon reviews all the time. The authors who you know are checking your every status update on Goodreads (you can feel them watching you, like an unwelcome stalker... in your bushes, in the tree, following you a few car lengths back as you drive to work...) The indies that jump on any place where reviews for their book might be and thank you if you left a good review, and publicly disagree with you (sometimes even fight you tooth and nail) if you left a negative review. Hell, sometimes they argue you if you left a 3 or 4 star review but didn't slap mindless praise into the text!
Honestly--and I'm going to be honest here because I hate to sugar coat things--there is nothing so damnably 'indie' (as in, the desperate, self-serving connotation) as responding to your reviews. I know, I know. Some people feel like they have a legitimate reason. But I'm going to tell you something now, that you might not like to hear. Something you've probably heard five-hundred times before, and damn it, I'll say it one more time:
It's so unprofessional to respond to reviews.
One more time:
It is so unprofessional to respond to reviews.
The fact is that most traditionally published authors do not connect with their readers through reviews, because you know what? A review... a review by a person who felt inclined to say something about your book because it hit a chord with them, one way or another... is not for the author. It's not, okay? I know they say things like 'the author could have done this,' 'I hope the author knows this,' yadda yadda... they can reference you however many times they please. But it doesn't matter, because what they're actually doing when they write things like that is finding another way to get a point across to other readers who may be interested in picking this book up.
"Well, I don't give a crap what you say, C. Sheehan," you might tell me. "If someone says something unfair about my book, I'm gonna argue it!"
And I'm telling you to stop right now, and consider that authors who respond to reviews of their book look like one of two things: 1. Desperate to conceal or defend a book's flaws or 2. like you're trying desperately to hold onto your ego. Or, if you've been doing this for a while, what's left of it.
As for the first point, just stop. What they considered a flaw may not be one, and that's fine. People have different opinions, and we can't stop them from having them. Likewise, we shouldn't want to. You chose to put your book out there for people to read. You thus invited them to speak their mind about your stuff, and they may have perceived flaws that you didn't anticipate. This is not the end of the world. Fix the flaws that are actual flaws, and just brush of your shoulders over the point that aren't flaws but just a matter of personal taste. The fact is that an indepth, 2 star-rated study of your book is more valuable than a quick worship-y 5 star review. It gives real information that can allow potential readers to consider, will they like this book? Because you know, there's only 10% of a book for view up at Amazon, and for many books that's not much more than a chapter or two. For all we know, you dressed your first 10% up for sales and then let the rest falter and flop. In depth reviews--especially middling reviews--reveal more of the book than you or your blurb ever could.
This is not a bad thing. You may not get the vast readership of mindless purchases, but you'll get a higher percentage of readers who enjoy the book because they don't give a damn about another's complaints. On the other side of the coin, your book avoided another bad review because those who do care about that kind of thing stayed away. That means less bad reviews for you, and a happier readership over all. And this is a good, often forgotten thing, I think. So keep that in mind.
As to the second point, why did you publish? Did you do it for yourself? To fulfill a personal, selfish need? Or did you publish because you wanted to share your work with as many people who want to read (and hopefully enjoy) it? Indie publishing is not for glory. It's for gritty reality, dealing with art as art. It's not a good way to get attention and readers (who you shouldn't write to please but should be allowed to do with your work as they will) can think whatever they want about it. Only want to hear good things? Then send it to Lulu, print off x many books and give it to x many friends and family. But don't bug the rest of us; we're not here to shine your patootie.
And there's the rub with indie publishing. We're not doing it for ourselves (hopefully) but it does hurt when someone criticizes our work. Because it's often not put through the mill of traditional publishing and therefore not the product of many faceless people, it's easy to get hurt. But you can't and shouldn't let it get to you. You may have written your work for yourself (but hopefully your characters,) and you should, but once it passes through Amazon, Smashwords, or Nook's pearly gates, you gotta cut the cord before it gets jammed in the lock.
Indies already lack an automatic sense of dignity. Don't degrade the rest of us with your desperation, please. It would be so much better for all of us if you treated your book like a sir.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
We Were Like Raventide Books Machines! Or Were We?
That's right, T. A. Miles and I worked like machines this past week. We tackled obstacles we didn't know we had (mostly her) and obstacles we've been avoiding (mostly me).
But actually, saying we worked like machines is totally inaccurate. People often say something like that thinking it's a good thing, but I would disagree: working like a machine to me means productivity under structure; repetative, uninspired, and mechanical. In actuality it is the exact kind of thing I have come to despise despite my early writerly attempts to become a well-oiled mechanism in the world of fiction. In retrospect now, with all of the exposure to four dimensional characters that I've had for the past few years, I look at mechanical, methodologically-derived works and I can feel the lack of true emotional depth many characters possess.
I don't really blame the author or the characters, though. I can, like T. A. Miles, understand that not every author wants to deeply affect their readers. It's just not the kind of book they want to write. Others would like to, but have been told by author 'gurus' that the only well developed character comes from a sheet of details made up and planned for them.
I wish I could magically convince them all that that isn't the case. You can read our arguments for that here, but I'd rather focus on the idea of freedom.
See, I believe that freedom is the key to emotional and spiritual expression. I believe that's how many of our inventions came to be and I believe that's why we continue to talk about 'the greats' of society and history: because they exercised mental freedom. Few people do anything truly unique thinking the way everybody else thinks. If there's anything that confines the human brain it inevitably puts a dam in their creative flow.
I've experienced this first hand, and I know the subtle ways control can sneak its way into my life. Schedules, planning... calorie tracking on websites... they're all forms of confinement, and I find them aggravatingly distracting.
It's sometimes like an addiction. Time to write? Let's see the next time I work. Time to really settle down with characters and synch with them? I wonder how many calories I have left for the day. Oh look, it's dinner time. Oh, may as well get my shower done since it's so late at night. Looks, it's bed time. How much writing got done today? Nada.
We can substitute character sheets or plotting tools for any of the above, things to agonize about, or just get in your way of free thought. Writers get distracted by potential plot holes and making it clear just how a character's childhood went (after all, we spent so much time detailing it all out). Those things may seem like useful tools, but they distract and complicate. And that's all that happened in the above example, that ended up with no progress done on the writing. Things got in the way.
One thing I've learned over the past few years is that humanity likes two things: to complicate and control. They seem like they should make life easier, but they're two of humanities biggest lies to itself. Humanity says, 'take these, perform the actions on this list, and you will gather the world in your arms,' when in reality you just fall down into the mediocre masses.
T. A. Miles and I got so much done the past two days because we just decided to do them, not because we planned them. She joined the A to Z Blog Challenge in the same exact manner she's done everything in life: she just did it. Likewise, I got long-needed website and marketing stuff done because I realized I just couldn't waste time. And despite these things, guess what? We wrote with no stress and no concern over whether or not we'd get anything done 'on time' or with enough words.
Life needs a little spontaneity, you know? If you find yourself stuck, blocked, haggard, stressed, or otherwise unproductive, try dropping all of the controls. There IS NO CORRECT WAY TO WRITE.... or for that matter, to do anything. Give yourself some freedom and I think you'll be surprised how quickly and effortlessly you accomplish more things in less time.
But actually, saying we worked like machines is totally inaccurate. People often say something like that thinking it's a good thing, but I would disagree: working like a machine to me means productivity under structure; repetative, uninspired, and mechanical. In actuality it is the exact kind of thing I have come to despise despite my early writerly attempts to become a well-oiled mechanism in the world of fiction. In retrospect now, with all of the exposure to four dimensional characters that I've had for the past few years, I look at mechanical, methodologically-derived works and I can feel the lack of true emotional depth many characters possess.
I don't really blame the author or the characters, though. I can, like T. A. Miles, understand that not every author wants to deeply affect their readers. It's just not the kind of book they want to write. Others would like to, but have been told by author 'gurus' that the only well developed character comes from a sheet of details made up and planned for them.
I wish I could magically convince them all that that isn't the case. You can read our arguments for that here, but I'd rather focus on the idea of freedom.
See, I believe that freedom is the key to emotional and spiritual expression. I believe that's how many of our inventions came to be and I believe that's why we continue to talk about 'the greats' of society and history: because they exercised mental freedom. Few people do anything truly unique thinking the way everybody else thinks. If there's anything that confines the human brain it inevitably puts a dam in their creative flow.
I've experienced this first hand, and I know the subtle ways control can sneak its way into my life. Schedules, planning... calorie tracking on websites... they're all forms of confinement, and I find them aggravatingly distracting.
It's sometimes like an addiction. Time to write? Let's see the next time I work. Time to really settle down with characters and synch with them? I wonder how many calories I have left for the day. Oh look, it's dinner time. Oh, may as well get my shower done since it's so late at night. Looks, it's bed time. How much writing got done today? Nada.
We can substitute character sheets or plotting tools for any of the above, things to agonize about, or just get in your way of free thought. Writers get distracted by potential plot holes and making it clear just how a character's childhood went (after all, we spent so much time detailing it all out). Those things may seem like useful tools, but they distract and complicate. And that's all that happened in the above example, that ended up with no progress done on the writing. Things got in the way.
One thing I've learned over the past few years is that humanity likes two things: to complicate and control. They seem like they should make life easier, but they're two of humanities biggest lies to itself. Humanity says, 'take these, perform the actions on this list, and you will gather the world in your arms,' when in reality you just fall down into the mediocre masses.
T. A. Miles and I got so much done the past two days because we just decided to do them, not because we planned them. She joined the A to Z Blog Challenge in the same exact manner she's done everything in life: she just did it. Likewise, I got long-needed website and marketing stuff done because I realized I just couldn't waste time. And despite these things, guess what? We wrote with no stress and no concern over whether or not we'd get anything done 'on time' or with enough words.
Life needs a little spontaneity, you know? If you find yourself stuck, blocked, haggard, stressed, or otherwise unproductive, try dropping all of the controls. There IS NO CORRECT WAY TO WRITE.... or for that matter, to do anything. Give yourself some freedom and I think you'll be surprised how quickly and effortlessly you accomplish more things in less time.
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Immarcescible Story... Let's Get Going!
Well, we have something big happening.
I mean, something big is always happening. This is Raventide Books, after all, but this is huge.
Ready?
Last Monday we officially launched and posted the prologue to The Immarcescible Story, a blovel (blog novel) that is the central focus of our writing efforts. It's actually more of a bleries. One hell of a bleries (can I say that? I am saying that) and it will all be free because we want EVERYONE to be able to read and experience it, no download required and no money spent. This is all about sharing.
That's right. No cost to you, or us. Well, maybe us. A domain name is still under consideration.
Anyway, we plan on updating this thing on Monday's, though as we get going on a roll we may or may not do every Monday. Trains take a while to really get moving and this one has about thousands of years worth of cars, but when it gets moving it's an unstoppable force.
That's what the Immarc story will be. An unstoppable force of our souls and the people who speak to them.
I anticipate this level of elation happening every time a chapter is posted. And there will be so many chapters. This is the start to a beautiful thing.
I'll post another link here, in case you missed the one earlier. Everyone is welcome.
I mean, something big is always happening. This is Raventide Books, after all, but this is huge.
Ready?
Last Monday we officially launched and posted the prologue to The Immarcescible Story, a blovel (blog novel) that is the central focus of our writing efforts. It's actually more of a bleries. One hell of a bleries (can I say that? I am saying that) and it will all be free because we want EVERYONE to be able to read and experience it, no download required and no money spent. This is all about sharing.
That's right. No cost to you, or us. Well, maybe us. A domain name is still under consideration.
Anyway, we plan on updating this thing on Monday's, though as we get going on a roll we may or may not do every Monday. Trains take a while to really get moving and this one has about thousands of years worth of cars, but when it gets moving it's an unstoppable force.
That's what the Immarc story will be. An unstoppable force of our souls and the people who speak to them.
I anticipate this level of elation happening every time a chapter is posted. And there will be so many chapters. This is the start to a beautiful thing.
I'll post another link here, in case you missed the one earlier. Everyone is welcome.
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Year? 2013. The Goal? Freedom. Part I
Two weeks ago today I decided that this year was going to be the year of mindfulness.
When I decided this I had just one thing in mind: getting more writing done, and having it be really true, organic stuff. The kind where the words just keep flowing because the people in my head are experiencing it so clearly. That was the point, anyway. It seemed like a lofty goal at first, but thinking about it now.... I realize that it's not. That's the easy part because even though it takes focus and drive, it doesn't have anything to do with the real world around me. The real world, like the fact that I currently have to hold down a regular job so we can do pretty necessary things in life, like have the money to buy food and pay the rent.
Writing requires mental freedom, of the highest, most spiritual sort. Unfortunately high spirituality doesn't pay the bills (and is usually accompanied with, you know, excessive poverty in the attempt to reach the highest personal paradise you can find. Would like the latter, not the first). I've realized that simply writing isn't enough. There are other factors in life that are affecting my mindset, one being some strain with certain people close to me, but another, more important one is the exact place I stood as I wrote this: my real job.
My Real World Job
Yuck. The title and concept alone makes me cringe. You see, I sell face care and makeup, 20 hours out of every single week. There are two issues with this: One, I'm not a people person. It's not that I don't like people- I do, I believe in compassion, tolerance, and acceptance of all individuals. I believe in kindness. However, all of that doesn't matter when one is as socially awkward as I am.
I feel like I should explain what I mean by 'socially awkward.' I don't mean that I'm the kind of awkward that tries to overcompensate for it by being overly--and sometimes obsessively-- interested in strangers to the point of discomfort. Nor do I randomly do overly... (*ahem*) private things in public. I'm just... awkward. People say things and I don't know how to respond, or I respond incorrectly for the situation or the other person's personality. Usually their personality gets me, (because I'm just not like them) and from that point forward I sit there realizing how stupid that was, and it ruins the entire interaction.
Or maybe it's just me... maybe they don't notice it. But I'm pretty sure they do.
This happens quite a bit. What's worse, is that I've always been this way and I don't have much of a reason to change it, because I'm perfectly comfortable with myself. It's the other people I'm uncomfortable around, and I'm sure you can all imagine why this doesn't work in a retail setting. It just makes the entire situation unnecessarily difficult.
So, that's issue number one. Issue number two is a newer development, spawned partially by the slow-built clarity that 2012 had to offer. It's more ideological than reason number one, and because of that it's becoming more and more difficult to ignore. The fact is... that not only do I not give a damn about what I'm selling, but I'm no longer comfortable selling it to people for regular use.
This sounds bad, and I know it. Actually, it's really bad because I constantly feel like I'm suggesting people put something not-great on their face and acting like it'll do amazing things for them. I also use the product... but my partner and I have begun to move on. We've found that natural often feels and cleans better, and we're expanding our horizons. In fact, I feel that this is a period of expansion for us. Maybe that's why I feel so dissatisfied with my work life, because I'm (we're) growing beyond it. We've been together six years now, and obligations (real and perceived) to others are fading or past. It's time to do something for ourselves and build on top of the foundation we've laid. That foundation is strong and beautifully detailed, but it we're ready to rise up instead of out.
The Resolution
In 2013, I'm committing myself to us. I want every single minute of life to be about us and our art, our souls, and the people who speak to them. This year will be the year to seriously move away from doing the unproductive, confining, meaningless things I've done years past. It's time to embrace a more fulfilling, enjoyable existence .. and it's time for T. A. Miles and I to do it together, with characters leading the way.
 |
| First Picture of the New Year. It's dark, I know. Sorry. |
Writing requires mental freedom, of the highest, most spiritual sort. Unfortunately high spirituality doesn't pay the bills (and is usually accompanied with, you know, excessive poverty in the attempt to reach the highest personal paradise you can find. Would like the latter, not the first). I've realized that simply writing isn't enough. There are other factors in life that are affecting my mindset, one being some strain with certain people close to me, but another, more important one is the exact place I stood as I wrote this: my real job.
My Real World Job
Yuck. The title and concept alone makes me cringe. You see, I sell face care and makeup, 20 hours out of every single week. There are two issues with this: One, I'm not a people person. It's not that I don't like people- I do, I believe in compassion, tolerance, and acceptance of all individuals. I believe in kindness. However, all of that doesn't matter when one is as socially awkward as I am.
I feel like I should explain what I mean by 'socially awkward.' I don't mean that I'm the kind of awkward that tries to overcompensate for it by being overly--and sometimes obsessively-- interested in strangers to the point of discomfort. Nor do I randomly do overly... (*ahem*) private things in public. I'm just... awkward. People say things and I don't know how to respond, or I respond incorrectly for the situation or the other person's personality. Usually their personality gets me, (because I'm just not like them) and from that point forward I sit there realizing how stupid that was, and it ruins the entire interaction.
Or maybe it's just me... maybe they don't notice it. But I'm pretty sure they do.
This happens quite a bit. What's worse, is that I've always been this way and I don't have much of a reason to change it, because I'm perfectly comfortable with myself. It's the other people I'm uncomfortable around, and I'm sure you can all imagine why this doesn't work in a retail setting. It just makes the entire situation unnecessarily difficult.
So, that's issue number one. Issue number two is a newer development, spawned partially by the slow-built clarity that 2012 had to offer. It's more ideological than reason number one, and because of that it's becoming more and more difficult to ignore. The fact is... that not only do I not give a damn about what I'm selling, but I'm no longer comfortable selling it to people for regular use.
This sounds bad, and I know it. Actually, it's really bad because I constantly feel like I'm suggesting people put something not-great on their face and acting like it'll do amazing things for them. I also use the product... but my partner and I have begun to move on. We've found that natural often feels and cleans better, and we're expanding our horizons. In fact, I feel that this is a period of expansion for us. Maybe that's why I feel so dissatisfied with my work life, because I'm (we're) growing beyond it. We've been together six years now, and obligations (real and perceived) to others are fading or past. It's time to do something for ourselves and build on top of the foundation we've laid. That foundation is strong and beautifully detailed, but it we're ready to rise up instead of out.
The Resolution
In 2013, I'm committing myself to us. I want every single minute of life to be about us and our art, our souls, and the people who speak to them. This year will be the year to seriously move away from doing the unproductive, confining, meaningless things I've done years past. It's time to embrace a more fulfilling, enjoyable existence .. and it's time for T. A. Miles and I to do it together, with characters leading the way.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I Name Thee- Worlds in Word! *Smashes Bottle Against Blog*
*Flicks bits of wet glass shards from computer screen*
There we have it. This blog is officially open! Actually, to be more accurate, three blogs are officially open: mine here, T. A. Miles' new blog The Immarcescible Word, and Raventide Books' News. Three different places, three different functions. The first two are all by me and T. A. Miles about our writing, the writing of others, or whatever the hell else we want to talk about; a.k.a., they're our personal blogs. Raventide Books' News is all just official stuff: releases, promo announcements, things like that. So, choose what you want to read and save a link.
Or just, you know. Completely disregard them all. However, I do highly recommend keeping track of T. A. Miles' stuff. She's very intelligent and crazy-creative, so I can't, with good conscious, suggest that you overlook it. It just wouldn't be right. And actually, she just wrote a great post yesterday titled The Inaugural Word, where she explains how she and I write together, and what it looks like on her end and mine. It's a process that I wouldn't call typical among all authors who do writing collaborations, so I think it's worth taking a look at if you were ever curious.
There's no point that I feel particularly compelled to write about today. The fact is that I'm mildly ill and don't have the mental energy to think much past getting this blog done and then writing. So instead of reading a blog post today, maybe you should go read The Inaugural Word. Or look into a lengthy preview of one of our already published works at Amazon. I, on the other hand, am going to take some cold medicine and drink as much ice water as possible while I sit here wrapped in a couple of blankets and immerse myself in a world not quite unlike our own.
Have a great Wednesday and weekend that follows. I'll come back later with something more interesting, I promise.
There we have it. This blog is officially open! Actually, to be more accurate, three blogs are officially open: mine here, T. A. Miles' new blog The Immarcescible Word, and Raventide Books' News. Three different places, three different functions. The first two are all by me and T. A. Miles about our writing, the writing of others, or whatever the hell else we want to talk about; a.k.a., they're our personal blogs. Raventide Books' News is all just official stuff: releases, promo announcements, things like that. So, choose what you want to read and save a link.
 |
| The Raventide Books novel Blood Lilies, by T. A. Miles. Chilling and beautiful, on many points |
There's no point that I feel particularly compelled to write about today. The fact is that I'm mildly ill and don't have the mental energy to think much past getting this blog done and then writing. So instead of reading a blog post today, maybe you should go read The Inaugural Word. Or look into a lengthy preview of one of our already published works at Amazon. I, on the other hand, am going to take some cold medicine and drink as much ice water as possible while I sit here wrapped in a couple of blankets and immerse myself in a world not quite unlike our own.
Have a great Wednesday and weekend that follows. I'll come back later with something more interesting, I promise.
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