Writing the Past in the Present

I’m opening up to you on this one, dear reader.

Yes. Lately I’ve posted about archaeological sites, points of history and legend, things ancient and medieval. However, this blog is called ‘Writing the Past’, so occasionally I should talk about the actual writing of my historical fiction.

A lot of you e-mailed me to say how much you liked the blog tour post on ‘My Writing Process’.

Well, today you will be on the other side of the confessional wall.

The post on my writing process highlights all of the different balls that I have in the air, how I write whenever I can, ‘in the cracks of my life’. And all of that is true.

But it isn’t all roses. Oh no. More like a dodgy box of chocolates.

I don’t bound out of bed at 5 a.m. to pound out 700 words before nancing my way to work, happily alert and gathering the details of life for my next novel or blog post. That scenario is about as trustworthy as an Ostian fishmonger.

In the mornings, I’m more like a slow-moving zombie from Shaun of the Dead – bones cracking, scary bed head, and shuffling feat, whilst I moan about it being too bloody early. After all, I did stay up late to edit my own literary demons.

I’ve developed the ability to sleep standing up on the subway, eyes open. I don’t like being one of the cattle in the train car, same old same old. I suspect I’m not the only one. What I dislike more is stepping over pools of vagrant urine and frat boy vomit on the sidewalks downtown as I drag my chain to my 17^th floor cubicle. Oh, and at this point in the day, there has been no writing.

But I’m always mulling things over, formulating. The gears of zombie Adam’s mind are turning in the background, working on a subconscious level… all the time.

I actually like that. I love writing, and I love history. As long as I am connected to them in some way, shape, or form throughout the day, I feel human, alive and imaginative.

Lately, however, I'm overwhelmed. There are not enough hours in the day, and there is so much that I want to write. Actually, there is so much I AM writing and working on that my head is beginning to spin.

I’ve always been rather good at time management, but I think I’ve hit the shield wall. Too long in the front ranks, pushing ahead, and swinging my sword. I’m flailing in battle, wasting energy and leaving my flank open to attack. And you know what happens to the legionary who loses focus in the heat of battle?

He gets a spear through his guts, and is then useless. Or he becomes a zombie.

I suspect that many of my fellow writers might feel like this at times.

I confess that I’ve been trying to do too much at once. Here is the list of my current writing to do’s:

1. Finish final edits Killing the Hydra
2. Finish writing Author’s Note for Killing the Hydra
3. Finalize book cover copy for Killing the Hydra
4. Create e-book files for Killing the Hydra
5. Planning release schedule and events/competitions for Killing the Hydra
6. Finish writing Carpathian Interlude Part II – Lykoi (check!)
7. Edit second edition of Carpathian Interlude Part I – Immortui
8. Cover design and e-book files for Carpathian Interlude Parts I and II
9. Edit new short story
10. Work on second draft of first Alexander the Great novel
11. Continue to write Warriors of Epona (Eagles and Dragons Part III)
12. Remain present on social media
13. Create some fantastic products to accompany the Eagles and Dragons series
14. Keeping up my weekly blogging schedule – and hopefully keeping it interesting

You know what? This list is exhausting. And I could add more. Then there is that little thing called, you know, LIFE – family (the most important thing), exercise, reading, work etc. etc.

I'm not the only one
with a messy desk!

In a way, I love the creative madness. Weird, I know. Ideas and projects are always bubbling inside, but unless I cut a deal with Chronus, there is no way I’m going to change Time itself.

I have to find a way to manage it. It’s imperative.

Alexander the Great was a master of tactics and strategy because he could adapt easily and quickly to any situation in the field.

The Persian arrows are raining down and I definitely need a new strategy if I want to move forward.

Releasing Killing the Hydra is my priority right now. I know I need to focus on that, but I also don’t want to rush it. The deadline for that has been pushed again and again. I was hoping for a Christmas release, but at this point I’m not sure I’ll make it. I prefer to delay a bit longer so that I can give my readers a great product. That’s much better than rushing it and releasing rubbish. It’s a great story and I need to do it justice.

But I have to keep writing, and thankfully I have just finished the first draft of Lykoi. I try to always have a writing project on at the same time as an editing project. If you don’t write constantly, it just becomes harder to do so when you do sit down. 

Alexander riding into battle

I’ll just have to decide how to deal with the other items on the list. Just as there are stages in a battle, there are stages from the initial spark of an idea to publication.

I know a lot of people who have very specific agendas for their writing schedule and stick to them. Every hour of the day is spoken for, though a degree of flexibility is required. I’ll give that a go. Why not?

Some of you may have some ideas for time management that you would like to share, especially if you are a writer, parent, day-jobber, generalissimo, or president of a large country. If you are one of these, and you have some ideas, do share!

Basically, I know I need to reign in my war horse and take in the lay of the land. The barbarians are at the gates and I can’t afford to let them take me.

Whatever the outcome, forward motion and a series of small victories is my goal. If I can make that happen while keeping my calm, the laurel wreath will be within my grasp.

Thanks for being my confessor today and, as ever, thanks for reading!

I refuse to end up like this guy!

Indie Publishing and Historical Fiction

This post was sparked by an article I read on IndieReader.com by Dr. Alison Baverstock who praises indie authors for their ability to see things through to their end, to take responsibility, to be resourceful, to identify new markets and opportunities and to be supportive of each other.

This is a great little article for those who don’t quite get indie publishing, or folks who are thinking about looking into it. You can read the full article HERE.

It’s true that the indie publishing community is producing work that is equal in quality and artistic value to anything put out by the big publishing houses. In countries like the US, indie author/publishers have gained wide acceptance. At the London Book Fair this Spring, indie authors had some of the spotlight too! These are very exciting times.

I have to admit that, in the past, I saw indie, or rather ‘self-publishing’ as something of a cop-out, the realm of the failed. It is obvious now that that is an out-dated point of view. For several years I was going the recommended route of querying literary agents whom I was told I needed because they were the only way I could get published.

I sent loads of queries out to agents who said that they represented historical fiction, including agents who represented authors I read and respected.

Many agents got back to me with great feedback. I was told by numerous folks that they “loved the story and the characters”, that my “research and historical detail were fantastic”. I was told that they loved “my voice and writing style”. It was all great stuff but at the end of the day, the same answers always came back.

“Times are tough,” and “no publisher is going to take a chance on a debut historical novelist in this economy.” I was told that they liked the book but didn’t “know how to place it.”

My personal favourite was “The story sounds fantastic but you don’t have a marquee character. People would rather read the thousandth novel about Julius Caesar than the first book about an emperor they know nothing about.”

I was left scratching my head. I may not have had a so-called ‘marquee character’ but I certainly have a marquee period.

The Roman Empire and so many other periods in history all make for exciting settings for fiction. And oftentimes, stories about average people in any age are among the most poignant.

This is where indie publishing becomes the historical novelist’s best strategy.

Never mind all the stuff about maintaining artistic control and keeping up to 85% of your profits, releasing whenever you like and as often as you like. That stuff is great.

What I love about indie publishing is that you can write the story you want in the period you want and if you know what you are doing, you will find readers.

The indie author of historical fiction has the power to bring to light people and places that are often overlooked by the mainstream, and if their research is careful and accurate, they can add to our knowledge.

You can explore religious practices that big publishers would not want their names associated with, or you could write alternate history to explore various theories. How about a book in which Carthage won the Punic war and salted the earth about the Seven Hills of Rome? Or how about further exploring the idea of empire by imagining that Alexander the Great did not die in Babylon but moved west all the way to the Pillars of Hercules?

If you are indie, you can do it.

Yes, you have to know your market and be smart about it. You need to write for you, but also for your readership.

The point is that you can if you have a will to. I find it hard to believe that people interested in historical fiction only want to read about Julius Caesar or Henry Tudor. Sure, they are magnificent characters of history but so are many other people and places.

This is indeed an exciting time for indie authors and publishers, but it is also an exciting time for readers.

In these days of freedom of artistic expression, there is more choice than ever.

So, thanks for reading and whichever book you pick up next, may it be full of adventure, inspiration and all the other things that make historical fiction a wonderful journey. 

Indie Writer Overload...and what to do about it.

As an independent writer, the last couple of years have been extremely exciting. If you do a Google search or visit any one of the multitude of blogs out there you will find a plethora of enthusiastic articles about how great it is for indie writers these days, the many options, avenues and tools that are at their disposal.

And it’s true! This is indeed an exciting time for writers whose work is out of the ordinary or transcends genres. With the global economic crisis, many mainstream publishers have shored up the defences, preferring to exercise restraint rather than risk. Unless you were the next Dan Brown, chances are you would have a long wait ahead of you.

I myself have not been at this for a very long time, indie publishing that is. I’ve been writing for many years, creating, improving. I’m still at the beginning of my indie campaign to recruit legions of readers. With this post, I just wanted to share some of the thoughts I have to this point, some little insights. You will find articles like this all over the place, virtual pages where writers have outlined their thoughts. Well, these are mine. I’m still learning of course, but it is always a good idea to take stock with my mental quartermaster.

When I set about doing this, I thought Well, what do I have to lose? The publishing is free (depending on who you go with). No sense being armed with a novel or two and not marching out!

Little did I know how much work it would turn into. More options and avenues means more choices which means more work. And that’s fine since anything having to do with my writing doesn’t really feel like work in the usual sense. But there are times when my mind is spinning and no amount of list making or spreadsheet creation will help me get things in order. A bottle of Chianti is more likely to help.

There is no end to the tools at an indie writer’s disposal. You’ve got a host of self-publishing sites, blogs and do-it-yourself websites, reader-writer interactive websites like Goodreads and of course, the social media fortresses of Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and many more. Storming each of these can spread you pretty thinly. But that is not all.

Just because the book is written doesn’t mean you are finished. Some say that is the hardest part but I’m not sure I agree anymore. Being an ‘indie’ writer means that you are just that, ‘independent’; which means that unless you have some extra cash flow or a small money tree in your backyard, you will be going it alone.

So, on to formatting and cover creation, ISBN assignments and book trailer creation, book launches, guest blogs (here is mine), deadlines and endless revisions of critical paths. And then there is the marketing which involves all of the above avenues, online, offline, in person, on walls and well, in your sleep, because you rarely stop thinking about all of it. I never really knew about marketing before my indie campaign and I am still learning but it is a whole new world that every indie author needs to become familiar with. One site I have found particularly helpful is www.thecreativepenn.com . Check it out.

Most writers are solitary people, inward, but if you want to achieve success you must have a Caesar-like PRESENCE! and maintain that presence or else be forgotten.

Add to all this the ever-important family life, day job (which I have), exercise and general activity of living then, well, you are surrounded. The indie writer life is like trying to plan Rome’s invasion of Germania: it’s big, there are many variables, it is an uphill battle and if you leave your flank exposed, you’re dead.

There will be times when you think you have signed on to the Project Management School of “I’m insane and like to torture myself!”

Hold it! I forgot one detail, one activity on which the success of the campaign all hangs – THE WRITING! Is that not why we are doing this in the first place, because that’s what we are, writers who love to write? When does that happen?

For me the writing happens at every opportunity, every day, whenever I can get at it with my notepad or laptop. I love to get into the past, to write about it, to bring my own characters to life in a world long gone but certainly not forgotten.

These stolen moments of creativity are what keep me going.

But when the indie writer life does get to be too much, as it inevitably does, here are some random tips that might help.

•         Stop. Take some deep breaths.
•         Make a list – Prioritize
•         Pick 1-3 social media and focus on those. This is an important one as there are so many out there. All you need are a couple to be effective. Social media and marketing can easily suck up your time.
•         Create a weekly agenda for activities and stick to it. I’ve noticed that far fewer people are on social media from Tuesday to Thursday. Why not use those days for writing, editing or formatting?
•         Meet with other writers to exchange ideas, enthusiasm and understanding. Therapy for the independently-minded!
•         Build up your cava. (I threw that one in for fun!)
•         Be patient! It all takes time and very few see overnight success. Stick to it, keep marching and you will see success eventually.
•         Have fun! There is so much to learn, so many people to meet. The indie community is helpful and friendly.
•         Keep Writing! This last because, of course, that’s the best art of it all. As long as the creativity and ideas are flowing, get the stories down on paper and Word.doc.

Be sure to give into your creative flow as often as possible. The more material you have, the better armed you will be.

That’s it for me. I’m tapped and there are other things to do. In the last two years I’ve learned so much and at the same time I have grown as a writer. My legions are marching forward and I’m taking on new recruits along the way. I’m battered and exhausted but, at the end of the day, I do so love it!