I thought I was being so clever by putting A Lie Within A Lie up for pre-order! Buying myself all that extra time. Which is why my body decided to contract flu, keeping me bed-ridden for a few days and effectively losing me all that time I had stored up.
Well, shit.
That also slowed down my rollout/building for the new GhostlyWriter.com - but it's coming, honest! (Have you given me your email over there? It'll be worth it.) And God willing, even if it looks a bit crap at the edges, it'll be live on Thursday too.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about!
Right now ol' Ghostly might well be on your mind. You might even be thinking nicely about me! Which is lovely. But thinking about me don't pay the bills! (Nor does selling books, yet, but one day....)
While you're thinking those nice thoughts, however, you can channel them in a productive and really, really helpful way! That's right, you can write a review of Practice to Deceive or Her Smile, or even both, over on Amazon!
Why does this help? Well, Amazon is all about algorithms. Books with more reviews get seen more often! If those books get seen more often, I might make more sales! Which means I get to buy that gold-plated horse I've always wanted. Did I say horse? I meant mask. Did I say gold? I meant, uh... water? Whatever's cheap.
I know for a fact that waaaaay more of you have bought a book (at least dozens!) than have left a review. And I know that it's a hassle and a chore, but it really really helps me.
So while you're waiting for Thursday: write me a review! I'll remember you in my will.
And hey if you write reviews maybe I'll even have something to give you when I'm rich and famous.
Showing posts with label waffle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waffle. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Sunday, June 07, 2015
The last two years and oh hey I finished a book
No, not that one. No the other one. Yeah, that.
Alright, I forgive you for having no freaking clue what I'm talking about. Let's recap:
Last week - in the same cafe I'm writing at now, as it happens - I finished the first draft of what I've previously referred to as 'The Babysitter' (which is not the title). From the looks of it, it took about six years to complete, from first words to last. Of course, plenty of distractions along the way.
But more importantly, it's done. Finally. To say this thing felt like a millstone around my neck - wait, let's back up again.
In the summer of 2013 I finished Practice to Deceive, which had long been also known as 'Housesitting' in proto-form. I published it then too. I had been storing ideas up for a sequel (in fact, sequels, plural) but when the dust settled on it, I decided I wanted to finish off one of my other half-done projects instead of starting fresh on said sequel.
Eventually I settled on 'Babysitter' and started hacking away. And then, as usual, my world turned upside down. For not the first time in the last few years, I experienced a layoff, had to get temporary work, then job-hunt, get a new job, move house and then start said new job. Nothing like that to stop you writing for a while.
Unfortunately for me things didn't get much better. Over the course of 2014 I began, I now recognize, to slip into serious depression. Near the end of the year I left new job behind, and at last, got professional help for the depression. Starting 2015 I was in a better place in a lot of ways, but I still wasn't writing much.
It's taken a few more months to get anywhere close to an even keel. If you've ever heard me expound on this previously - I don't really believe in writer's block. However I now do believe that there can be legitimate and very real reasons that prevent you from writing. It's not the lack of muse, or lack of ideas, or whatever romantic reasons you attach to it. It's just the inability to write, and in my case, it was very much linked to depression.
I make you read this boring summary of my life for the past two years, give or take, to get you to this point.
So as I said, I finished a book. And it's not that one - the sequel to Practice to Deceive - it's the other one, 'The Babysitter'. (Which I previously published a sort of 'teaser' of, which really doesn't have jack-all to do with the actual book, so don't take it as a real preview.)
And like I say, it was a millstone. For those of you not into medieval allegory, it was a struggle, as you might have noticed before. A pain. Especially in the last section, and especially the fucking ending, not to mince my fucking words. I'm still not sure about it. Like the last book, now it's done I'm letting it sit. I'm letting it marinate. After all this is a first draft. It might be total bollocks.
By the way I say 'book' but it might end up being 'books'. I have a feeling it may be separated into two or even three. Partially that's because it's actually longer than Practice to Deceive. In normal paperback terms it's about two books in length. Partially it's also because of the self-publishing market (see my previous post on that) but also partially it's because I'm not convinced this will be everyone's cup of tea, so I want to give you an 'out' if you don't like it. It's pretty different from Practice to Deceive. Yes of course it still involves female masking and disguise and sex, but of course, however it's still quite a different story with a different couple of protagonists.
Hey for all I know, I might show the cleaned up draft to my test readers and they may tell me to lock it in a (digital) drawer for a decade and never reveal it to anyone. In which case this prick tease will have been for naught.
Anyway, the millstoney-struggle of this book has been partially why it's taken so long to do, although see also layoff, depression, job hunting and so on. It's definitely been part of why I've been so silent. But I'm hoping to be slightly less silent from now on. A promise I'll probably break.
What next? I'm not sure. In part I know I have to work harder on 'other' writing. My years are advancing (alright, I'm not exactly ancient but it has been - gulp - about 16 years since I started publicly writing this stuff) and I'm getting cranky about only being able to talk about my work with, well, you, you anonymous faceless (kinky) crowd, you. So I'll be taking time to write Real Stuff.
However, the masked mistress, she is a sly seductress. Even the other day, thinking about what I've scribbled on Practice to Deceive 2 - Electric Boogaloo, I wanted to keep going. Wanted to see what I could come up with next for Billy and friends. (Spoiler: I totally know. The whole book's plotted. Then again, so was Babysitter for a while and look at that bitch.)
My rambling point is probably; I won't stop writing entirely. That is, as long as you keep buying stuff occasionally.
Right. That'll do. I finished my lunch ages ago. I recommend this place. Wherever I may be.
Alright, I forgive you for having no freaking clue what I'm talking about. Let's recap:
Last week - in the same cafe I'm writing at now, as it happens - I finished the first draft of what I've previously referred to as 'The Babysitter' (which is not the title). From the looks of it, it took about six years to complete, from first words to last. Of course, plenty of distractions along the way.
But more importantly, it's done. Finally. To say this thing felt like a millstone around my neck - wait, let's back up again.
In the summer of 2013 I finished Practice to Deceive, which had long been also known as 'Housesitting' in proto-form. I published it then too. I had been storing ideas up for a sequel (in fact, sequels, plural) but when the dust settled on it, I decided I wanted to finish off one of my other half-done projects instead of starting fresh on said sequel.
Eventually I settled on 'Babysitter' and started hacking away. And then, as usual, my world turned upside down. For not the first time in the last few years, I experienced a layoff, had to get temporary work, then job-hunt, get a new job, move house and then start said new job. Nothing like that to stop you writing for a while.
Unfortunately for me things didn't get much better. Over the course of 2014 I began, I now recognize, to slip into serious depression. Near the end of the year I left new job behind, and at last, got professional help for the depression. Starting 2015 I was in a better place in a lot of ways, but I still wasn't writing much.
It's taken a few more months to get anywhere close to an even keel. If you've ever heard me expound on this previously - I don't really believe in writer's block. However I now do believe that there can be legitimate and very real reasons that prevent you from writing. It's not the lack of muse, or lack of ideas, or whatever romantic reasons you attach to it. It's just the inability to write, and in my case, it was very much linked to depression.
I make you read this boring summary of my life for the past two years, give or take, to get you to this point.
So as I said, I finished a book. And it's not that one - the sequel to Practice to Deceive - it's the other one, 'The Babysitter'. (Which I previously published a sort of 'teaser' of, which really doesn't have jack-all to do with the actual book, so don't take it as a real preview.)
And like I say, it was a millstone. For those of you not into medieval allegory, it was a struggle, as you might have noticed before. A pain. Especially in the last section, and especially the fucking ending, not to mince my fucking words. I'm still not sure about it. Like the last book, now it's done I'm letting it sit. I'm letting it marinate. After all this is a first draft. It might be total bollocks.
By the way I say 'book' but it might end up being 'books'. I have a feeling it may be separated into two or even three. Partially that's because it's actually longer than Practice to Deceive. In normal paperback terms it's about two books in length. Partially it's also because of the self-publishing market (see my previous post on that) but also partially it's because I'm not convinced this will be everyone's cup of tea, so I want to give you an 'out' if you don't like it. It's pretty different from Practice to Deceive. Yes of course it still involves female masking and disguise and sex, but of course, however it's still quite a different story with a different couple of protagonists.
Hey for all I know, I might show the cleaned up draft to my test readers and they may tell me to lock it in a (digital) drawer for a decade and never reveal it to anyone. In which case this prick tease will have been for naught.
Anyway, the millstoney-struggle of this book has been partially why it's taken so long to do, although see also layoff, depression, job hunting and so on. It's definitely been part of why I've been so silent. But I'm hoping to be slightly less silent from now on. A promise I'll probably break.
What next? I'm not sure. In part I know I have to work harder on 'other' writing. My years are advancing (alright, I'm not exactly ancient but it has been - gulp - about 16 years since I started publicly writing this stuff) and I'm getting cranky about only being able to talk about my work with, well, you, you anonymous faceless (kinky) crowd, you. So I'll be taking time to write Real Stuff.
However, the masked mistress, she is a sly seductress. Even the other day, thinking about what I've scribbled on Practice to Deceive 2 - Electric Boogaloo, I wanted to keep going. Wanted to see what I could come up with next for Billy and friends. (Spoiler: I totally know. The whole book's plotted. Then again, so was Babysitter for a while and look at that bitch.)
My rambling point is probably; I won't stop writing entirely. That is, as long as you keep buying stuff occasionally.
Right. That'll do. I finished my lunch ages ago. I recommend this place. Wherever I may be.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Practice to Deceive: now half-price
Last summer (which in my brain, means summer last year, not the summer that finished a couple of months ago) I published Practice to Deceive via Amazon and Gumroad.
To my surprise and continuing warm feelings, people bought the book. I got some really nice emails. Some very nice Amazon reviews. I felt glad that people were digging it, and it was very validating to see the small payments I'd get from Amazon and Gumroad.
I also felt, after a decent amount of research, that I priced the book fairly at $8.99. It had taken up the better part of 2013 in terms of my writing; it was over 400 'real' pages in length (almost 130,000 words) and frankly... $8.99 ain't a lot. A month of Netflix or World of WarCraft. I was worth that, right? I knew I wasn't going to get rich, but I felt that if you picked up my book in a bookshop and saw $8.99 on the back, it wouldn't break the bank.
A year and a bit later, I'm changing my tune. Tomorrow (or whenever Amazon catches up) I'm dropping the price to $3.99. (The price is actually already changed on Gumroad - which sells the PDF version, if you hate Kindle - to $4. Yes, I know it's one-whole-cent more. I like round numbers where it makes sense.)
Why? The short answer is: the wacky pricing models on the Kindle store. Basically, there's no real market for 'higher priced' books. In a store where the slimmest of pamphlets (seriously - I'm talking about 15 page books here) can be priced at $2, a book at $8.99 in the land of the blind is king. Or something. In other words, I'm just too expensive. The casual buyer will just pass the book by and go look for something cheap to get their rocks off to. Why risk it, right?
So, there you go. It's cheaper. If you ever wondered "Should I buy it?" you're now able to get a full novel, packed full of the sexy disguises, kinky masks and the hot sex I love to write... for about the price of a decent latte.
(And yeah, I'm not going to $2.99. I have some standards, dammit. I'm worth the extra buck!)
To everyone who bought Practice to Deceive to this point: I want to say a sincere and honest thank you. You're all amazing people who made me believe that yes, people would pay to read my work, and I really, really appreciate it. Feel free to lord it over the latecomers.
If for some reason you've never heard of the book, or me, or are wondering "Why the hell is he going on about book pricing?" then feel free to read a few excerpts here, and then forgo that latte for one day, and buy my book instead.
To my surprise and continuing warm feelings, people bought the book. I got some really nice emails. Some very nice Amazon reviews. I felt glad that people were digging it, and it was very validating to see the small payments I'd get from Amazon and Gumroad.
I also felt, after a decent amount of research, that I priced the book fairly at $8.99. It had taken up the better part of 2013 in terms of my writing; it was over 400 'real' pages in length (almost 130,000 words) and frankly... $8.99 ain't a lot. A month of Netflix or World of WarCraft. I was worth that, right? I knew I wasn't going to get rich, but I felt that if you picked up my book in a bookshop and saw $8.99 on the back, it wouldn't break the bank.
A year and a bit later, I'm changing my tune. Tomorrow (or whenever Amazon catches up) I'm dropping the price to $3.99. (The price is actually already changed on Gumroad - which sells the PDF version, if you hate Kindle - to $4. Yes, I know it's one-whole-cent more. I like round numbers where it makes sense.)
Why? The short answer is: the wacky pricing models on the Kindle store. Basically, there's no real market for 'higher priced' books. In a store where the slimmest of pamphlets (seriously - I'm talking about 15 page books here) can be priced at $2, a book at $8.99 in the land of the blind is king. Or something. In other words, I'm just too expensive. The casual buyer will just pass the book by and go look for something cheap to get their rocks off to. Why risk it, right?
So, there you go. It's cheaper. If you ever wondered "Should I buy it?" you're now able to get a full novel, packed full of the sexy disguises, kinky masks and the hot sex I love to write... for about the price of a decent latte.
(And yeah, I'm not going to $2.99. I have some standards, dammit. I'm worth the extra buck!)
To everyone who bought Practice to Deceive to this point: I want to say a sincere and honest thank you. You're all amazing people who made me believe that yes, people would pay to read my work, and I really, really appreciate it. Feel free to lord it over the latecomers.
If for some reason you've never heard of the book, or me, or are wondering "Why the hell is he going on about book pricing?" then feel free to read a few excerpts here, and then forgo that latte for one day, and buy my book instead.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sex scenes are hard
And I don't mean in the nudge-nudge, wink-wink, innuendo laden way either. Although that is part of the point of sex scenes, I guess.
Sex scenes are hard to write. Really hard. There's a reason why a lot of writers just draw a veil over sex scenes and skip to the post-coital bliss; getting a sex scene to feel right is difficult. Getting a sex scene to feel erotic, as in erotic fiction, is even more difficult - you're trying to get a very specific reaction out of the reader.
And those sex scenes get even harder when they're not 'normal' sex, too - when you're trying to encapsulate thoughts and feelings and, well, urges about someone's fetishes. You've got to imagine yourself in a situation that many of us may have never even been in, or indeed, could never be in.
All this leads me here, to a sentence from a plot summary I wrote, probably about four years ago:
"At hotel, they check in and have rampant sex, all that pent-up tension."
Sounds simple, right? Two consenting adults getting it on. But for some reason (and if I'm being honest, it probably has very little to do with the sex) this scene has blocked me for months. Tonight, I finally finished it. And now, I hope, I can get back to writing the rest of the book. Let's hope.
PS: The book in question isn't the sequel to Practice to Deceive. That's on hold for now. In my foolish wisdom, I told myself last year that I could just 'finish off' The Babysitter. So that's what I've been trying to do. For about nine months.
Sex scenes are hard to write. Really hard. There's a reason why a lot of writers just draw a veil over sex scenes and skip to the post-coital bliss; getting a sex scene to feel right is difficult. Getting a sex scene to feel erotic, as in erotic fiction, is even more difficult - you're trying to get a very specific reaction out of the reader.
And those sex scenes get even harder when they're not 'normal' sex, too - when you're trying to encapsulate thoughts and feelings and, well, urges about someone's fetishes. You've got to imagine yourself in a situation that many of us may have never even been in, or indeed, could never be in.
All this leads me here, to a sentence from a plot summary I wrote, probably about four years ago:
"At hotel, they check in and have rampant sex, all that pent-up tension."
Sounds simple, right? Two consenting adults getting it on. But for some reason (and if I'm being honest, it probably has very little to do with the sex) this scene has blocked me for months. Tonight, I finally finished it. And now, I hope, I can get back to writing the rest of the book. Let's hope.
PS: The book in question isn't the sequel to Practice to Deceive. That's on hold for now. In my foolish wisdom, I told myself last year that I could just 'finish off' The Babysitter. So that's what I've been trying to do. For about nine months.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Where'd August go?
Gak! An entire month without an update. I'm truly sorry. The truth is, I just haven't had a heck of a lot to talk about. I spent some time away, spent some time doing other things, blah blah.
Here's the sort-of-good news: I've spent a decent amount of time plotting the sequel to Practice to Deceive, and I've even started writing. I'm not in the proper writing groove yet, but I'll get there, I imagine. I'm also noodling around on a few other things at the same time. Basically, I'm procrastinating a bit, trying to decide what I commit to next. It may be the sequel, it may be something else. I shall go where the muse takes me.
In the meantime, I'd encourage all of you to visit Kitty Mayer's new site, which went live a week or so ago. I've raved about it before. So far it looks like my suspicions are correct and that yes, there are people willing to pay for masking-related content (surprise!) so congrats again to Kitty. I have another suspicion that she's making a lot bigger profit than I am on Practice to Deceive - but ah well, not all of us can be female or have admirable figures!
At the same time over on YouTube Jasmine Moarly has returned, another 'genetic girl', who's picked up a CFX mask. I haven't got it in me to talk in this post about the advances in silicon based masks but suffice to say, they're getting better all the time. I think inside my lifetime... we could see some incredibly realistic masks. We'll see... and with that inspiring thought, here's Jasmine's latest video, where she 'pranks' her girlfriend (or maybe... pranks us).
Here's the sort-of-good news: I've spent a decent amount of time plotting the sequel to Practice to Deceive, and I've even started writing. I'm not in the proper writing groove yet, but I'll get there, I imagine. I'm also noodling around on a few other things at the same time. Basically, I'm procrastinating a bit, trying to decide what I commit to next. It may be the sequel, it may be something else. I shall go where the muse takes me.
In the meantime, I'd encourage all of you to visit Kitty Mayer's new site, which went live a week or so ago. I've raved about it before. So far it looks like my suspicions are correct and that yes, there are people willing to pay for masking-related content (surprise!) so congrats again to Kitty. I have another suspicion that she's making a lot bigger profit than I am on Practice to Deceive - but ah well, not all of us can be female or have admirable figures!
At the same time over on YouTube Jasmine Moarly has returned, another 'genetic girl', who's picked up a CFX mask. I haven't got it in me to talk in this post about the advances in silicon based masks but suffice to say, they're getting better all the time. I think inside my lifetime... we could see some incredibly realistic masks. We'll see... and with that inspiring thought, here's Jasmine's latest video, where she 'pranks' her girlfriend (or maybe... pranks us).
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Kitty Mayer is back...
... and at last, she's built a pay site! I could probably go dig up blog posts where I said exactly this, but I am so, so glad that a female mask enthusiast has finally done the right thing and said "Hey, maybe I shouldn't give all these goods away for free!" Viva capitalism!
Ahem.
Long-time readers probably recall that Kitty is a bit of a legend, having really been one of the first 'genetic girl' maskers to hit the 'scene' and we were all a bit devastated when she went into semi-retirement. Well, great news because she's back and posting new material. There's one catch: you need to pay for it. But just once, and that gets you access forever. Brilliant.
It would have been easy (ish) for Kitty to go with the whole subscription thing, but I'm positive that this method is going to pay off for her (literally) and she'll see floods of happy customers. I'm definitely going to be one, myself. Who wouldn't want a gorgeous female masker in their lives?
So go! Get yourself over to KittysKornerVIP.com and get signed up, already! If you sign up before September 1st, you save!
Ahem.
Long-time readers probably recall that Kitty is a bit of a legend, having really been one of the first 'genetic girl' maskers to hit the 'scene' and we were all a bit devastated when she went into semi-retirement. Well, great news because she's back and posting new material. There's one catch: you need to pay for it. But just once, and that gets you access forever. Brilliant.
It would have been easy (ish) for Kitty to go with the whole subscription thing, but I'm positive that this method is going to pay off for her (literally) and she'll see floods of happy customers. I'm definitely going to be one, myself. Who wouldn't want a gorgeous female masker in their lives?
So go! Get yourself over to KittysKornerVIP.com and get signed up, already! If you sign up before September 1st, you save!
Thursday, May 09, 2013
Getting closer
My readers are still reading Housesitting, so I sit and I wait and I hope for feedback. I've had some great feedback already that I've already acted on - one scene is staring at me defiantly, waiting to be hacked from the main narrative (which may end up in a 'deleted scenes' section, or something), and there are other things I'm thinking about.
But really, I just want to get this thing published.
I've been thinking about various options for publishing; I will definitely be using Amazon, no question on that, so there will be a Kindle version. I'll probably also use another couple of services - Lulu.com is possible and I've found at least one that will sell a watermarked individual PDF. While I know the mask fiction reading community is very small, there's a little bit of paranoia in me that fears the possibility of piracy, because let's face it - everything's pirated. Ultimately I can't do a lot about it except trust you, but in a community that's just about 100% anonymous, that's a big thing to ask.
Anyway. I've got a lot going on personally so I can't guarantee publication soon, but I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get some more feedback, polish off the thing and get things moving.
In the interim - be very happy to hear your requests for excerpts. What will get you to buy this thing, I wonder....
But really, I just want to get this thing published.
I've been thinking about various options for publishing; I will definitely be using Amazon, no question on that, so there will be a Kindle version. I'll probably also use another couple of services - Lulu.com is possible and I've found at least one that will sell a watermarked individual PDF. While I know the mask fiction reading community is very small, there's a little bit of paranoia in me that fears the possibility of piracy, because let's face it - everything's pirated. Ultimately I can't do a lot about it except trust you, but in a community that's just about 100% anonymous, that's a big thing to ask.
Anyway. I've got a lot going on personally so I can't guarantee publication soon, but I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get some more feedback, polish off the thing and get things moving.
In the interim - be very happy to hear your requests for excerpts. What will get you to buy this thing, I wonder....
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Timelines are funny things
Today, out of the blue, I realized the timeline on Housesitting was out of whack. Or at least, I thought it was.
Funny thing: Housesitting, in very first form, was written in 1999 or so. One of the main characters - the mother - was supposed to have acted in a half-remembered TV show from the early 1980s. Today I realized that couldn't work, if I still wanted her to be the age I wanted. Luckily, moving the fictional TV show ahead by 10 years or so didn't affect the plot at all.
Moving up the timeline so the story takes place in the 'present day' has also opened up things considerably, plot wise - to allow things like smart phones, the internet, laptops and so on, very few things that were so pervasive in 1999!
Time flies, right? I never expected to be finishing up a short story from 1999 in novel form...
Funny thing: Housesitting, in very first form, was written in 1999 or so. One of the main characters - the mother - was supposed to have acted in a half-remembered TV show from the early 1980s. Today I realized that couldn't work, if I still wanted her to be the age I wanted. Luckily, moving the fictional TV show ahead by 10 years or so didn't affect the plot at all.
Moving up the timeline so the story takes place in the 'present day' has also opened up things considerably, plot wise - to allow things like smart phones, the internet, laptops and so on, very few things that were so pervasive in 1999!
Time flies, right? I never expected to be finishing up a short story from 1999 in novel form...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
... so where the hell is it, then?
Over three weeks ago I told you I'd finished the first draft of Housesitting (which, day by day, is less likely to be called that, just FYI...). So where the hell is the book, right?
Well... life got in the way.
If I'd sat down and consulted a calendar I'd have realized that March was always going to be insanelu busy, and lo, it was - and even in the times/places I was hoping to sneak in a bit of editing and rewriting, it didn't happen.
Something else weird happened, too: when I actually started looking at the book, for a while, I kind of hated it. Went through a period of "What the hell have I done" and general guilt and self-loathing.
However, then I managed to get it onto my phone (via Kindle) and got it readable. And now, you know, I'm starting to see where I need to edit and how I need to tighten it up, etc etc. Which is good.
Still a road to go. But I'm about ready to get back on it. Perhaps another date will motivate me.
Well... life got in the way.
If I'd sat down and consulted a calendar I'd have realized that March was always going to be insanelu busy, and lo, it was - and even in the times/places I was hoping to sneak in a bit of editing and rewriting, it didn't happen.
Something else weird happened, too: when I actually started looking at the book, for a while, I kind of hated it. Went through a period of "What the hell have I done" and general guilt and self-loathing.
However, then I managed to get it onto my phone (via Kindle) and got it readable. And now, you know, I'm starting to see where I need to edit and how I need to tighten it up, etc etc. Which is good.
Still a road to go. But I'm about ready to get back on it. Perhaps another date will motivate me.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Happy New Year!
Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I hope you had a fun or relaxing New Year's Eve, depending on your preference.
And whether 2012 was 'one for the books' or an 'annus horribilis' then I hope 2013 is a great year for you and your family. Wishing you all the prosperity and happiness you can handle.
New Year's Resolutions? Just one: finish Housesitting and publish it as an ebook. Oh, and sell a copy. Or two. Anything else will be a bonus!
And whether 2012 was 'one for the books' or an 'annus horribilis' then I hope 2013 is a great year for you and your family. Wishing you all the prosperity and happiness you can handle.
New Year's Resolutions? Just one: finish Housesitting and publish it as an ebook. Oh, and sell a copy. Or two. Anything else will be a bonus!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Happy Christmas!
Managing, somehow, to spend at least part of Christmas Day quietly writing. Couldn't ask for more.
If you get to be with those you love and be loved by them this Christmas, so much the better. If you don't, feel loved anyway.
Apropos of nothing - call it a cheap Christmas gift - here's a look at the excellent Catwoman fan film, Principles. I'll leave it to you to figure out why I like it so much...!
If you get to be with those you love and be loved by them this Christmas, so much the better. If you don't, feel loved anyway.
Apropos of nothing - call it a cheap Christmas gift - here's a look at the excellent Catwoman fan film, Principles. I'll leave it to you to figure out why I like it so much...!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Slow progress
Writing has not been going great.
It's still going, but at a snail's pace. Less than 500 words a day, some days. It's mostly a lack of time - although, you can always make time - but also a few other distracting factors. Not good ones. I want to write, I really do. So I will get back into the groove eventually.
Around 55K on Housesitting now, so there is progress. I have no concerns about passing my word count well before my self-imposed deadline - although whether the book is done by then, who knows. I don't think I'll be wrapped in 20K more words, but then, that's a good thing. Fingers crossed I'll be close.
Christmas, for me, usually involves family and in-laws, so writing will be curtailed if not killed entirely. Doesn't mean I cannot generate ideas, however, and hopefully that will bring me back fresh in the New Year.
In case you don't hear from me, have a great Christmas celebrating whatever you want to celebrate.
Oh and if the world ends tomorrow, think kindly of me so I secure a place in masking heaven....
It's still going, but at a snail's pace. Less than 500 words a day, some days. It's mostly a lack of time - although, you can always make time - but also a few other distracting factors. Not good ones. I want to write, I really do. So I will get back into the groove eventually.
Around 55K on Housesitting now, so there is progress. I have no concerns about passing my word count well before my self-imposed deadline - although whether the book is done by then, who knows. I don't think I'll be wrapped in 20K more words, but then, that's a good thing. Fingers crossed I'll be close.
Christmas, for me, usually involves family and in-laws, so writing will be curtailed if not killed entirely. Doesn't mean I cannot generate ideas, however, and hopefully that will bring me back fresh in the New Year.
In case you don't hear from me, have a great Christmas celebrating whatever you want to celebrate.
Oh and if the world ends tomorrow, think kindly of me so I secure a place in masking heaven....
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The real reason for a four month gap
Yep, still haven't released the 'missing' SG issues I mentioned last time. I have a pretty good excuse. Excuses, actually.
First the big one. Some time after I wrote the last post, I was laid off from my job. Unexpectedly, as tends to be the case with layoffs. It's not a good feeling and it tends to throw your life into disarray. I was lucky to find another job not too long afterwards, but that came with a lot of life changes. Needless to say I didn't want to sit in front of the keyboard much after that.
Second. The truth is when I dashed off that post in May I wasn't actually done with 25. I was really close. In fact I'm still not done; there's one last scene. It's probably 30 minutes of work. I also need to edit and rewrite 23, 24 and 25 itself, although I'm almost done with that process. So, bit of work still to be done. But why haven't I done it in the last few months?
Ah, excuse the third. Truth is, I have no damn idea what I'm doing any more, and not much of a clue why I'm doing it, either.
The series could run indefinitely. I know that now. I have plotlines that could run forever. I have major arcs, minor arcs and all sorts of crazy ideas. I have long term plans. I could even throw in a 'Brand New Day' or a 'Marvel Knights' style reboot (or even, as I contemplated a while back, a MAX version of the series - AKA 'all the sex, swearing and violence I want').
Here's the problem: right now, I gain nothing from this. Absolutely zero. Allow me to get very 'real' for the rest of this post.
First the big one. Some time after I wrote the last post, I was laid off from my job. Unexpectedly, as tends to be the case with layoffs. It's not a good feeling and it tends to throw your life into disarray. I was lucky to find another job not too long afterwards, but that came with a lot of life changes. Needless to say I didn't want to sit in front of the keyboard much after that.
Second. The truth is when I dashed off that post in May I wasn't actually done with 25. I was really close. In fact I'm still not done; there's one last scene. It's probably 30 minutes of work. I also need to edit and rewrite 23, 24 and 25 itself, although I'm almost done with that process. So, bit of work still to be done. But why haven't I done it in the last few months?
Ah, excuse the third. Truth is, I have no damn idea what I'm doing any more, and not much of a clue why I'm doing it, either.
The series could run indefinitely. I know that now. I have plotlines that could run forever. I have major arcs, minor arcs and all sorts of crazy ideas. I have long term plans. I could even throw in a 'Brand New Day' or a 'Marvel Knights' style reboot (or even, as I contemplated a while back, a MAX version of the series - AKA 'all the sex, swearing and violence I want').
Here's the problem: right now, I gain nothing from this. Absolutely zero. Allow me to get very 'real' for the rest of this post.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Time flies
Holy cow - almost a year without a post. Apologies, although I've been busy elsewhere, that's for sure.
The truth is I'm actually writing. In fact, been writing today. Three things are on the go, on and off: the Babysitter (which will definitely not be called that), Housesitting and occasionally Spider-Girl. Don't expect any of them soon, but with patience they'll eventually turn up.
I actually log in to Tumblr more than I do here - I even posted a short piece of fiction, but don't expect that to become a habit.
(Edit - I moved that short piece to the Maskingwriter group, as generally that's where I throw stories.)
Well, not much else to say, I do like to ensure I post on occasion here so people know I'm alive. Watch my Tumblr for, well, usually photos of ladies in fun outfits...!
The truth is I'm actually writing. In fact, been writing today. Three things are on the go, on and off: the Babysitter (which will definitely not be called that), Housesitting and occasionally Spider-Girl. Don't expect any of them soon, but with patience they'll eventually turn up.
(Edit - I moved that short piece to the Maskingwriter group, as generally that's where I throw stories.)
Well, not much else to say, I do like to ensure I post on occasion here so people know I'm alive. Watch my Tumblr for, well, usually photos of ladies in fun outfits...!
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Messin' with the blog
I came home ready to write tonight, but for some reason when I hit the keyboard, it wasn't coming. It's not writer's block - I'll get back to it later - but it was a good excuse to spring-clean the blog here, which I'd been meaning to do for a while.
Apart from re-arranging, cleaning out the clutter on the right hand side and giving the whole thing a damn good thrashing (ahem) I added yet another exciting way for you to interact with me here. Under every post now you'll see something called 'Reactions' where you can check a box and leave an opinion on the post. It doesn't require a login or anything, it's totally anonymous... so for all you lurkers, here's a chance to say something. Without... saying something.
Of course, I always love to hear from people via email (ghostlywriter AT g mail DOT com) and in comments - but here's a new alternative. So tick those boxes! (And also let me know if you want alternative... reactions. Like, say, 'Meh'.)
Right, back to the real work.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Fave Betty bits?
I'm writing issue #23 of BBSSG* right now, and for reasons I won't go into for fear of spoiling it, I'm referring to a lot of the previous issues to make sure I get details right.
One of the pleasures for me of having, well, quite a lot of issues behind me is that I get to revisit favorite pieces of writing and, usually to my surprise, find they don't suck. I've written so much of this stuff I genuinely forget whole scenes.
Got me to wondering: what are some of your fave bits of the series? (This is of course, assuming you've even read it. If for some strange reason you tuned in during the last two years - which we'll refer to as the Great GW Drought from now on - then this might not make any sense. And if you do intend to read the series over at Maskingwriter, well, huge spoilers below.)
Some of mine?
- The Chameleon becoming Betty, in issue #1
- Betty and Susan getting it on for the first time in issue #3
- Betty's gradual transformation into Gwen, as she seduces Peter, in issue #6
- Betty and Susan getting it on for the second time in issue #7
- The Green Goblin's defeat in issue #8
- Betty becoming Gwen full-time in issue #9
- Betty becoming her brother, Bennett, in issue #11
- Betty invoking the Chameleon in issue #12
- The Chameleon becoming Catwoman in issue #15
- Betty becoming Batgirl in issue #17
- Catwoman's seduction of Barbara Wayne in issue #18
... and as they say on the commercials, many, many more. Any of these ring bells? Any other scenes you particularly enjoyed?
* BBSSG = Betty Brant, the Sensational Spider-Girl. I'm careful in referring to the series by acronym, mostly, because frankly I don't need the Google traffic.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Two year anniversary of... nada
I realized, sort of by accident, that tomorrow will be my two year anniversary... of releasing no new writing. The last thing that went public was the last issue of BBSSG, issue #20.
Err, sorry?
I look around at the 'scene' (not that there's much of a scene... more of a Yahoo! Group and a couple of websites where you might get mask fiction... occasionally... by accident) and I wish there was more stuff to read and enjoy, but I guess I'm as guilty of this as anyone else. I have some bloody good excuses for not churning out the words in the past two years, but... whatever, you don't want to hear that.
As I've said before, I'm still hammering away with 'the Babysitter' (and I really must come up with a better title... as it's really not about babysitting any more). It's really all I've been working on, although I have got two-and-a-bit issues of BBSSG done sort of at the same time.
I'd love to tell you I'm mere months from finishing the Babysitter, but I'd be lying. It's got a long road ahead, although I think it'll be worth it.
Still, two years is a long-ass time and I want to reward your patience, somehow. So... come back later this week and I'll try and do... something. I have no idea what. And I need to cook dinner.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Eye candy: Mary Jane as Spidey
For some reason - well, apart from the obvious - I've been looking for images of Mary Jane dressed in Spider-Man's costume recently. This is the image that started my search:
Yep, I certainly remember buying that book in great excitement... and getting very disappointed that there's no scene like it inside. (Some mad scientist thinks Mary Jane is Spider-Man. It's all very silly. Although there was some interesting discussion of 'exoskeletons' to allow a female to fake a male form, which is on file somewhere in the back of my mind for a potential future Betty plot.)
That one's by Steve Rude, I believe, and here's another more recent one he did - both, I'd guess, were convention sketches:
No idea who the artist is on this one, but it's fun anyway:
Looking for these, I think, was probably inspired by this classic cover - Amazing Spider-Man annual 19:
Anyway, just thought I'd share. Seen anything similar? Cross-gender comic imagery is always fun.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thoughts on the Chameleon's return
I warn random search visitors in advance: I doubt you're looking at this the way I am. Also, SPOILERS for Amazing Spider-Man 602.
As I mentioned before, this week's issue of Amazing Spider-Man features the return of the Chameleon, who in the course of the issue manages to kidnap and impersonate Peter Parker as a ploy to get inside the high security of City Hall, wherein J Jonah Jameson is now serving as Mayor. At least, that's what we assume he's going to do, he hasn't done it yet.
The issue's writer, Fred van Lente, has done a really good job updating the character for the modern world. He's written in a creepy, quite chilling way; ruthless in what he does, clinical, professional... and to me, not entirely convincing.
One fairly major issue I have is this: I've never seen the Chameleon as a serial killer. In this issue he kills one bystander so he can take over their life, and then 'kills' (because, you know, I highly doubt Spider-Man himself is about to die off-panel) Peter Parker too. Without much concern for either death.
Now sure, we could argue that many people in this world wouldn't be missed, especially if after the Chameleon impersonates them, he makes arrangements for them to 'leave town'. And yes, I know it makes the character more threatening if he's willing to kill, and I also know it's just a story and no-one thinks these things through. I'm only giving it thought because frankly I've spent way too much time thinking about this character, as I'm sure you realise.
My take was always that if the Chameleon had to impersonate someone specific, he'd get them out of the way if needed, but only temporarily. He'd also quite often just go ahead and do it, and leave others to figure out why there were two people who looked exactly the same wandering around. This has been seen in previous comic appearances, too.
My other thought was that often, when the Chameleon chose a disguise, it'd be one that wasn't even based on a specific person; it was instead just a generic disguise, non-specific, but convincing. If after all you just need to blend into the crowd, how hard can that be?
Of course for us, as particular consumers of a particular fetish, it's the specific impersonation we crave. That's always more fun to read about. Which is why I found it quite thrilling to see the Chameleon impersonate Peter Parker - even though he's done this before (briefly). As you can see in this preview for next week's issue, he certainly gets away with it, to the extent that he actually manages to seduce Peter's roommate, Michelle - who in fact Peter's already slept with.
Which brings up an interesting point; some commenters on that preview have said that this is rape, because Michelle, while she consents to sex, isn't consenting to sex with Peter. Interesting argument, and I wonder how it'd hold up in the courts. If you think for all intents and purposes that the person you're sleeping with is who they say they are, is it rape? I expect the argument would hinge on consent regardless of who it is.
It is of course a downright sleazy and villainous thing to do - to take advantage like he certainly does - but hey, the Chameleon is a villain. And one thing this storyline seems to be doing is re-affirming his place as a Grade-A one, at that.
If that leads to more storylines, great. I've got to say, it's gotten me thinking about the Chameleon again as a character. How fickle am I, eh?
As I mentioned before, this week's issue of Amazing Spider-Man features the return of the Chameleon, who in the course of the issue manages to kidnap and impersonate Peter Parker as a ploy to get inside the high security of City Hall, wherein J Jonah Jameson is now serving as Mayor. At least, that's what we assume he's going to do, he hasn't done it yet.
The issue's writer, Fred van Lente, has done a really good job updating the character for the modern world. He's written in a creepy, quite chilling way; ruthless in what he does, clinical, professional... and to me, not entirely convincing.
One fairly major issue I have is this: I've never seen the Chameleon as a serial killer. In this issue he kills one bystander so he can take over their life, and then 'kills' (because, you know, I highly doubt Spider-Man himself is about to die off-panel) Peter Parker too. Without much concern for either death.
Now sure, we could argue that many people in this world wouldn't be missed, especially if after the Chameleon impersonates them, he makes arrangements for them to 'leave town'. And yes, I know it makes the character more threatening if he's willing to kill, and I also know it's just a story and no-one thinks these things through. I'm only giving it thought because frankly I've spent way too much time thinking about this character, as I'm sure you realise.
My take was always that if the Chameleon had to impersonate someone specific, he'd get them out of the way if needed, but only temporarily. He'd also quite often just go ahead and do it, and leave others to figure out why there were two people who looked exactly the same wandering around. This has been seen in previous comic appearances, too.
My other thought was that often, when the Chameleon chose a disguise, it'd be one that wasn't even based on a specific person; it was instead just a generic disguise, non-specific, but convincing. If after all you just need to blend into the crowd, how hard can that be?
Of course for us, as particular consumers of a particular fetish, it's the specific impersonation we crave. That's always more fun to read about. Which is why I found it quite thrilling to see the Chameleon impersonate Peter Parker - even though he's done this before (briefly). As you can see in this preview for next week's issue, he certainly gets away with it, to the extent that he actually manages to seduce Peter's roommate, Michelle - who in fact Peter's already slept with.
Which brings up an interesting point; some commenters on that preview have said that this is rape, because Michelle, while she consents to sex, isn't consenting to sex with Peter. Interesting argument, and I wonder how it'd hold up in the courts. If you think for all intents and purposes that the person you're sleeping with is who they say they are, is it rape? I expect the argument would hinge on consent regardless of who it is.
It is of course a downright sleazy and villainous thing to do - to take advantage like he certainly does - but hey, the Chameleon is a villain. And one thing this storyline seems to be doing is re-affirming his place as a Grade-A one, at that.
If that leads to more storylines, great. I've got to say, it's gotten me thinking about the Chameleon again as a character. How fickle am I, eh?
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Whoops
Ah, sorry about that little three month break there. Nothing you're not used to, I figure, but I also figure it's worth popping up here and saying something now and again.
Here's where I stand; my life is about to change in a very big way, but I don't want to elaborate on just how. (Although I will shoot down a couple of obvious things: no, I'm not having a kid; no, I'm not getting divorced; and no, I'm not having sex change. Alright, the last one's not so obvious.) That's partially led to my invisibility over the last few months.
The good news for you is that I am, occasionally, still writing, but Other Stuff has gotten in the way. I'm still interested in continuing/finishing things I have going, though, with The Babysitter (working title) and quite possibly Teya (also a working title) being the most important ones.
For the handful of Betty Brant/Spider-Girl fans out there, well, that's not going anywhere fast. I have ideas of where I want to go with her, but honestly, right now it's not appealing. That could change.
I know it's a bit crappy of me to write another "Oh I'm writing stuff, but there's nothing to see here - yet" post but personally, I prefer to hear something from people in our little 'circle' instead of nothing at all. Hope you feel the same.
That's it. I'll try and make sure next time I post, I've got something to share, too. In the meantime feel free to sound off below, or send me an email just to say 'hi'.
Oh, and happy July 4th, for those who care about these things!
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