Just…No News

April 20, 20221 Comment

Here we are—4/20

Sadly (and very disappointingly) this post does NOT have to do with the magical wonders of this most celebrated holiday. Like last week and possibly the week before (or is that when we visited the castle-fort?) nothing major has happened. Other than Gilbert Gottfried passing (RIP Iago) life has carried on like life should carry on, pretty much the same. No big news, no small news. Just…no news…which tends to be good news, apparently.

I’m still working on edits for APIP and am chugging right along with it. Why do I write such long books? Why? If this was a bit more normal, I could see the finish line. But, I’m about ten to fifteen thousand words over what the “ideal” word count is, so I’ve still got a ways to go. It’s probably what I’m doing now—going through the manuscript and cutting out unnecessary words. Taking the old axe to the baby. Slicing and dicing her up. Got to love the editing stage.

And I do, but I love the writing stage more. Now that I’ve allowed myself to write AROG only on the weekends, I’m more excited for them. (As if you can be more excited for weekends…) But I am! I love fine-tuning ARPIP, but with AROG, I’m seeing everything for the first time. And even new scenes pop up that weren’t on the outline. It’s exciting!

Non-writing related, everything is good. Batman’s good. Dogs are good. House is good. I’m afraid to knock on wood but I’d feel a bit anxious if I didn’t. So, there. Wood has officially been knocked on. Gonna keep this positive vibe going as long as possible.

Hope all is well with you, and that you’re able to knock on wood too.

Alright, off to edit ARPIP. Until Friday, that is.

Since Friday evening is *technically* part of the weekend, I can work on AROG to my heart’s content. Just following the rules.

~ Lady Caitlin

This Good Peaceful Feeling

April 13, 20221 Comment

I’ve got nothing exciting for you this week. We didn’t see a magical fort or travel to a cool city or celebrate anything for Batman (or me). I cleaned all weekend and worked all week. It’s been very adult and very boring and unfortunately, that’s how it goes sometimes.

But things are good. Even with the extended hours at work, I’m still able to come home and have enough mental energy to work on edits. I don’t get more than a few pages done, but it all adds up. And if I do it every day during the week, I’ll knock out these edits in no time. A huge part of me wants to work on AROG, but I’m saving that for the weekend. Working on the ARPIP edits during the week earns me a couple free writing hours on Saturday and Sunday for AROG. Plus, it lets me work on both simultaneously, so win-win there.

Batman is good. Dogs are good. Laundry is done and both bathrooms are cleaned. Actually, I feel pretty ahead for the moment, so I’m going to soak it in. Also, I have heaps of advertising to do and a mountain of anxiety behind it, so I’m going to pretend that doesn’t exist for a bit. Just going to enjoy this good, peaceful feeling for a little bit longer.

But soon…

I have a newsletter coming out on Friday, edits to do on book 1 and writing to do on book 2, so I’m off to work on the next project—whatever it is. But it’s got to be one of them, huh? Man, I really need to work on getting a clone. We’d get so much done together.

Maybe next week will be more exciting. Or the same. I’m honestly fine with either.

~ Lady Caitlin

Pretty Fricking Dope

April 6, 20222 Comments

Batman turned thirty-six. High-five to the best husband for keeping himself alive over three decades and still being able to keep up with the housework. Well, sometimes.

To celebrate, we took a weekend trip to Amelia Island. It’s only a little over an hour away, but we stayed Friday and Saturday night to give ourselves plenty of time to explore all the nifty thrifty places, the main downtown scene, and my personal favorite, Fort Clinch.

Have you ever been to a fort? It’s like going back in time without having to give up deodorant. We have one in St. Augustine which is around forty-five minutes away, and that one is pretty impressive too, but Fort Clinch was straight up magical. Not only does it overlook the Atlantic Ocean, but the outer ring (?) had so many little stone archways and twists and turns, I was for sure Lancelot was about to pop out of one of them. And then, the most magical thing happened. I found this:

I’m a sucker for stone stairways. I don’t know if it’s because I was obsessed with Prince of Thieves as a kid (remember when Kevin Costner was trying to race up those stone steps?) and I’ve even incorporated the environment into different stories like Rozmarie & Josiah. I LOVE twisty stone stairways. So, naturally, I ran right up, completely expecting to find a Go-No-Further sign, but there was none. None! I kept ascending until I reached the very top:

Magic. How else to describe finding a twisty-turny stone stairwell? It might not be a big deal, but it was like walking into one of my stories, like watching it come to life around me. Pretty fricking dope.

Batman had a good time, and after a long-awaited couples massage, we explored the city until the weather had other plans for us. All in all, it was a great weekend.

Writing-wise, I feel severely behind schedule and even contemplated about pushing back the release date. I should be advertising like, now, and I’m still working on the edits. At least I’ve revealed my cover, but it doesn’t do me much if I have no idea how to market the thing. Yes, I should’ve been figuring it out this whole time, but I’m also writing book two, have a full time job that’s recently demanded longer shifts, and, to be honest, the whole thing is terrifyingly overwhelming. I was hoping the newsletter might help, but I really just need to learn advertising. And how to successfully launch this book, which, unless I figure it out quickly, will be launched the same as all the rest. But, who knows? Maybe I’ll get my act together with the AROG, because I really want to release ARPIP in June.

You guys want that too…right?

Feeling anxious…

Just need to breathe and concentrate on the spiral stone stairway. I’ve got this.

~Lady Caitlin

More pictures of the magic because…why not?

Cover Reveal Time

March 30, 20221 Comment

Here we are, folks. Cover reveal time.

I thought about putting it in the newsletter, but then I’d have to wait until at least 4/15, and I’m pretty sure I said last week I’d do it this week and I don’t want to make a liar of past-Caitlin. Besides, there’s no reason to wait anymore. I got to get this thing going, and it all starts with peeling back the curtain so you can see it first.

Here we are, the cover for APIP, the first book in The Coyote & The Claw series, an urban romantic fantasy featuring superheroes:

Ay? Ay?

You like it? Hope so, because I’m not changing it. Haha—but seriously. This is it. I went back and forth with the original purple, but I think this version captures the D.C. mood I’m attempting to replicate (Detective Comics. Not the capital…) I wanted it to have a darker, noir-feel, and between the two options, I really think this one is it.

Whew.

Cover reveal DONE! Checkmark and thank you. Wow. Okay, well that feels good. Now I can move forward with the next phase of this thing since any sort of marketing seemed quite impossible without a cover. But no more worries on that front. They can all shift to the marketing and the advertisements I need to work on now. That, and still editing the book…

Yep. I’m cheating on myself…with myself. I’m supposed to be editing ARPIP. I need to, and I know this. This should be my primary focus and goal, and it is…but so is writing AROG. Every time I block off time to edit, I sneak a peek at the other WIP and figure writing one to two more paragraphs won’t hurt. That turns into five or six, and then half a page, and then I’m reviewing previous chapters to check something, and then Appa is nudging me to come to bed and all my time is gone. It’s not great since I’m literally the only one who can edit this thing. And with each passing day, my window is getting smaller and smaller if I still want to make my June release date. And I do. I’m just saying it’d be great if I had a clone, because I’d use her strictly to edit. That way, I could just write. We’d get so much done.

First part: write the book – check

Second part: edit the book—meh, still working on it

Third part: create a cover—check

Two out of three ain’t bad. I’m working on the last one, and I PROMISE I will get it done. I’ll hit a road-bump in my WIP, and will switch back to editing. But whatever works, right?

~ Lady Caitlin

A Festival and Wedding

March 23, 20221 Comment

My excuse this time is that I went to a festival and wedding.

Excuse me—an amazing festival and an amazing wedding. I barely have pictures of the former and none of the latter, but just know in your hearts that I was away this weekend celebrating life (like we all should) which is why this is going to be a short, to-the-point post.

So, which festival did I go to? Reggae Rise Up, and it was hands-down awesome, from the chill but lively music to the relaxing atmosphere to the delicious fried Oreos. My sister has been a few times and always raves about it, and she thought Batman and I might enjoy going. Spot on, sis. Other than the slight sunburn (due to not properly thinking through the OUTDOOR festival) and the port-o-potty-bathroom situation, the whole thing was so great. We attended Friday and Saturday and got to see Rebelution and Slightly Stoopid among other terrific bands. And yep—probably going again next year, so there’s that.

The wedding was equally great because it was a high-school friend, making the whole thing a mini-reunion since I saw some faces I hadn’t seen in a while. It’s crazy that I still feel mentally sixteen (ten at times…) and here I am, this gorgeously amazing thirty-six-year-old goddess. Crazy how that works.

In regards to writing, I’ve got my first round of edits back, and I’m working through making APIP slightly better. I was on such a roll with AROG, but I think I’m going to do half and half. Half editing ARPIP and half writing AROG because I can fly through the edits pretty quickly, and—more importantly—I’ll go mad if I’m not writing. And no offense to blogs or newsletters or witty emails to my coworkers throughout the day, but those don’t count quite the same. They’re fun, but I’m still in this reality. I like to be in other realities with my popcorn watching my characters do their thing. It’s so a passport I wish I had (and existed!) but until then, writing is the only commute.

Also: I’ve made a final decision on the cover and it feels sooooo good. I’ll probably share it in next week’s post because, you know, reasons, but just rest assured knowing it’s chosen. You don’t have to lose anymore sleep over it, so, you’re welcome. That hill is behind us. Only a few hundred more to go.

Since I actually do have evidence of Reggae Rise Up and that I exist as a person (and not an adorable figment of your imagination), here you go:

Until next week’s cover reveal…and whatever happens between now.

~ Lady Caitlin

Another Complete Rewrite?

July 14, 20212 Comments

Listen to this crap:

I reached the “end” of Untitled, and it turns out, it’s not the real ending. Like, at all. Unravel it even further, and all of the “things” I started learning along the way, the “things” I wanted to sprinkle into the next draft have already changed the entire story. Again.

DUDE.

I don’t even think this is the same story I started writing the beginning of last year. The original scene that I wanted to write just because (with no intent to share—just for me and yet, it spurred entire book) is NOT EVEN IN THIS NEW VERSION. The way they meet completely changes, so it wouldn’t make sense.

*blink*

*drinks wine*

*drinks more wine*

This is weird. I’m all for following my characters down their freaky little rabbit holes, but these are huge changes. So why make them? BECAUES THEY’RE BETTER THAN WHAT I HAVE. I just reread my first chapter of the rewrite and my God, does it suck. Not just the telly-writing (we can forgive that; it’s first draft) and I could even *maybe* get past the cliché-ness of the cheesy-ass freshman-level formatting (always something to edit later) but it was just BORING. There was no risk. No reason to keep reading, and I knew it was desperately missing something.

So, I dug in, and it didn’t take long. I knew what my characters wanted, but by changing the urgency of the need, it propelled one of my protagonists into a different situation, changing her back story (and, in essence, her current story). *Ahem* Enhancing her back story, which was interesting, but lacked a deeper level I now had thanks to this change.

I really wish I could say more. Explain more. But, I’m still figuring this thing out myself. Because, and I’m afraid to admit it, I’m not sure if the conflict in the previous rewrite now applies to this version. So, what does that mean? Another complete rewrite?

*goes out and buys more bottles of wine*

Do I have the energy for another new rewrite?

I really want to say no, and that what I have is fine—but who just wants fine? We all want the best, and I want the best for this story. This untitled, constantly changing story that won’t even tell me what to call it. Fucking story. But, I do want to keep working on it. I have to admit that before (and, well, kind of now) it’s solidly based on just the romance, and I found myself asking questions about what happened outside the romance. The answer to those questions enhanced the characters (the heroine more than the hero) and again, now the situation has changed.

But it’s okay, guys. I’ll figure it out. Each change digs me closer to a more interesting plot and I’m excited I’m not just at the mercy of the romance. I want excitement in every aspect, which is probably why I was drawn to writing Harrizel, which I need to get back to…

Maybe the impossible has happened: I miss writing fight scenes? Could that be it? And there are some in this new WIP, but maybe it’s the over action I miss? Romance just for romance-sake can get boring. I guess I like a little adventure to go along with it.

Wonder what this one will come out looking like.

At his point, your guess is as good as mine.

~ Lady Caitlin

Making It Better #IWSG

June 2, 20216 Comments

There is a chance—a good chance—that I missed the last post for IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group). I don’t want to ring my own shame bell, but I’d be lying if I said I’d had perfect attendance all year, and I definitely haven’t, so, let’s forget my shortcomings and just jump into the optional question:

How long do you shelve your first draft before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?

Excellent question! Mostly due to the appropriate timing since I’m a chapter and a half away (one week?) from being done with this FIRST draft of a COMPLETE re-write. So, the question is pretty much when do I swing back to the top with edits and re-writes and ways to improve the thing?

Right frigging away.

I don’t give myself a week away to get “fresh eyes” like lots of authors do. It’s never been my thing, and I think it’s because I’ll get beyond antsy if I don’t work on something. I mean—sure—I could find another small project to keep the creative juices flowing, but my heart knows I’m just writing fodder, and that none of it matters. What REALLY matters is going back through that completed draft and making it better.

So, why wait?

I certainly don’t. And I don’t plan on it with this story either. And, like all the other ones, the first draft is already weighing in at *quite* the length. Still have the remaining part of this chapter to write, plus another one, and I’m sitting at over a hundred thousand words. But it’s all good. I’ll edit the thing down to its rightful length, and if he’s still a chunky monster at the end, so be it. I’ve written my fair share of chunky monster books. Must be my thing.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.

Think that’s all I’ve got for this week. We’ll touch base again next Wednesday, sound good?

Have a badass week!

~ Lady Caitlin

The Ability to Say Fuck It

May 20, 20203 Comments

The best thing about writing a first draft is the ability to say fuck it.

It took me a while to get here because like so many aspiring writers, we all want to believe our first draft is magic. It’s not. No one’s is. Not mine. Not yours. Not Henry David Thoreau’s. The first draft is usually shitty, because you’re only telling the story to know what it’s about. Whether you’re a plotter or a panster (woop!), you can have the entire thing or nothing in your head when you sit down to write, but it’s going to be the first attempt, which means you’re not going to get it right. Not the entire thing, not the dialogue, not the grammar, not the secondary story lines. It’s the first draft which means stuff is going to change; it’s going to get better.

Now that I’ve crossed the bridge to this understanding, it makes writing a first draft *so* much easier, because now I just say fuck it. I’m not hard on myself; I’m proud of myself for committing to the work, even when I get stumped. Even when I know what I’m writing probably won’t make it to the end, it’s getting me through the story to the end. That’s the importance.

I’m admitting all this because I’m—gasp! —almost done with the first draft of that strange story that fell into my head and that I’ve been writing for over two weeks. I’ve got maybe another few scenes and that’s it. First draft done. And, to be honest, I’m not even sure I’m going to flesh it out. I probably will because the writer in me wants to know more, and a lot of those details are found in the second, third, and fourth drafts. So maybe I’ll write this one for me. Based on the shitty first draft (we all agreed they’re shitty, remember?), this thing isn’t spectacular. There’s nothing super defining about my characters (right now) other than their witty banter and the way they met. And that just won’t do. Because just like every agent and reader wants to know before diving into your book: what makes it special?

At this point… nothing. But that’s what editing is for.

P.S. I do need to get back to RTD, but this may be the break I need to return to that beast with fresh eyes. It took over a year to write that monster (…and I still have the rest of the final scene to write…) but diving right back in wouldn’t do me/my editing eyes any good. I think “new story” is a gift from the writing Gods. And again, even if it never gets published, and is for my eyes alone, it was a lot of fun to write.

I’m Alive and Doing Things

June 28, 20182 Comments

I messed up, guys. I didn’t post on Wednesday. I’m sure many of you cried; several, probably, took to the streets in mourning. I’m so sorry. But I’m here now and everything’s going to be alright. 🙂

The reason I didn’t adhere to my “post every Wednesday (so you can still be relevant and gain an audience) rule” is because I was busy finalizing BTN, which I still need to do since I promised a beta she could read it next week. INWARD SCREAM. With that said (and with much more to finalize) I shouldn’t be here writing this post. I should be working on BTN, so that’s what I’m going to do.

Just wanted to pop in and say I’m alive and doing things and everything is good at work where I have to sit in the murder chair**. But they haven’t fired me and I get free donuts on Thursdays, so it’s not too bad. Oh! If you’re curious or a stalker, I’ll be on Debra’s Book Cafe for an interview. Because I do that. Professional-like interview things because I’m an author. Eat it, Janelle, from third grade who told me I could never be an author.

*drops mic*

*runs back on stage*

Oh, and there’s this thing on Facebook called The Indie Readers Party Room (Public group/place/still unsure how everything works/ but authors get to take over and “host” for the day where they can talk about themselves, their books and interact with their fans by doing games and having questions and giveaways. It’s actually pretty fun) and in a courageous moment of why the hell not? I threw my name in and requested August 16th (day before Better Than Now releases) So. On August 16th, I will be hanging in The Indie Readers Party Room, so, if you’ve been wanting to hang with me–and who wouldn’t? *tosses hair*–come hang with me.

**I sit at the murder desk at work. It’s the first seat you see when you walk in (door is at my back) so if some crazy madman shows up, I’m being tagged first. Murder desk is real.

Have a great Friday 🙂