Where do I get my characters? Under the couch? In the back yard? When asked this, I usually look confused… because, don’t they just come with the story? Sometimes.
For the most part, before I sit down to write a story, I have a basic working knowledge of my characters. Some of the things they like or don’t like… ways they’ll react to certain things… sometimes, I’ll even have a slight idea of what they look like. For the most part, though, I don’t want to know much more than these basic things.
I was wondering what I would tell my younger self the other day. My brain instantly came up with an amazingly long list of all the advice I’d love to pass on to all young people… but the topic was directed at myself, so… some things I’d like to tell my younger self (if I could):
Expect to get hurt (both physically and emotionally). No matter how much you try to avoid it, you’re gonna get hurt. Expect it. Learn the lesson you were meant to learn and move on. Don’t dwell on the hurt.
Where do I get my ideas? A question that seems to be asked of authors everywhere. I’ve tried to think of an answer that I might be able to rattle off quickly if I ever become famous enough to be asked that question (lookin’ to the future), but it’s not something that I can answer so easily.
I began writing earnestly just over two years ago. I’m a newb, technically. My first short story, Bridge to Limbo, was an idea I got from reading a story by Hugh Howey (The Plagiarist). The next short, Galileo Among the Stars, was my way of solving the problem of time travel using the theory of quantum entanglement (sometimes my mind wanders when I hear about new technology). The third one, The Strange Life of Walter Moody, was kind of a love letter to the woman who is now my girlfriend. I imagined how it might be possible to change reality by writing it (a la Death Note, but in a good way).
Today just so happens to be my birthday. That means everyone else will be getting a gift. Starting tomorrow, August 3, until Sunday, August 7, all three of my short stories will be free on Amazon. Easiest way to get ’em? My author page on Amazon. So, pass the word and enjoy some free stuff.
Today isn’t anything special. It’s the first day of many Augusts I’ve lived through. It’s the day before I turn 44 years old. It’s a hot summer day like many we’ve had before. But what if I made it special?
What if I decide to mark this day in my life as a marker. A beginning of something new? Set it down for all (well, those that visit this site) to see… a statement of intent and purpose. Instead of a new year’s resolution, I think I’ll do it on my own terms. August is kinda special for me, so I’ll use that as my flag in the ground.
Camp Nano is in two days.
That’s enough to cause some palpitations right there. Even though it’s spring, and I’ve never actually been to camp in spring, it reminds me of summer camp. I participated in a few YMCA summer camps as a kid (as I was a latchkey kid growing up). While all the other kids were excited and frantic with wild energy, I didn’t really want to go. It meant you had to be social… and do… outdoorsy stuff. That was punishment for a kid that just loved to sit inside and read all day.
Since I seem to be on the Amazon kick, I thought I’d touch on one of the possibilities we have after (or even before or at the same time) we publish our book. Audiobooks. Amazon has the Audiobook Creation Exchange.
If you head over there, you’ll notice right off the bat that there’s a search bar… just to look for your book (or yourself, if you’re so inclined). If you’ve already published on Amazon, it should find your book with ease. Claim the book as yours, then you have the rights to create the audiobook version (and add some more income to your bank account).
We’re nearing the end of our quest… to publish our very own book. Just a few more questions to answer, and then it’s a short (approx. 12 hours or less) wait, before the money starts pouring in.
You’ll notice that the very first thing you see on the final page is: Verify your publishing territories. This is just asking you if you own the rights to publish your book worldwide… or only in specific areas (because you sold the rights already). Chances are, you’re gonna pick worldwide… and that means that Amazon is going to sell your book around the world for you.
Been following along? If not, go back a few posts. By now, we should have the following:
A book, or story, saved in the proper format… edited and sitting pretty with all of its extra bits added in.
A cover for said book/story… of sufficient quality and eye-catching.
An Amazon account that we’ve logged into at https://kdp.amazon.com/
So we have our book written, edited, saved in the format that Amazon likes, and a cover for it. What else could we need? How about the front and back matter? What’s that, you say? Yup, we have just a little further to go before publishing, but we actually get to make some choices now.
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