Well, the problem I'm having (which is a good problem to have) is trying to find enough hours in the day to do all the writing I want and need to do.
First, I am working on the editorial revisions of my novel, Children of the Mechanism. Fortunately, my editor is taking it one section at a time, so it's not too overwhelming.
Second, I am revising Mary of Cosmos, so I can send it off to the publisher. I'm about halfway done with that.
Third, I am attempting to write another novel, a YA urban fantasy called The Figment Tree. Of all the projects I have going on, this is the one that is getting most neglected. Sorry, Figment Tree. Don't take it personally.
Fourth, I have about 38 SEO articles to write each week, so I can make a little bit of money and live. That's sort of important, for some reason.
Anyway, it turns out that there aren't quite enough hours in the day for all of that writing, but I'm not complaining. I would much rather do this than sling tires or deliver mail or sell advertising space for a magazine (all of which are jobs I have done or almost did in the recent past).
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Northwest Arkansas Author Book Fair
Well, I had an interesting time at the Springdale Public Library today. It was the Second Annual Northwest Arkansas Author Book Fair. A whole bunch of local and regional authors were there from 2-4pm, selling books from a variety of genres and chatting with folks. Here was my spot.
I wound up sitting next to an author named Dusty Richards. You can see his name and his books in the picture there, but that's obviously not him sitting beside me. That is his wife, Pat.
Anyway, I spent most of those two hours talking about everything under the sun with Mr. Richards. For those who might not know him, he is a fairly accomplished, award-winning author of western novels. He told me he's written somewhere on the order of 197 novels, so it was fascinating talking to him, hearing stories about meeting people like Larry McMurtry, talking to the ghost of Zane Grey, and seeing a lynx walk across his yard out near Beaver Lake. He gave me a free signed copy of one of his books before he left. Oh, and here's his Amazon page, in case you want to peruse his many, many books.
In between stories, I sold a few books and talked to a few readers and some other fellow writers. It makes me realize I need to be more plugged into the local writing community, so I guess I'd better get out of my little box here and start attending conferences and such.
I wound up sitting next to an author named Dusty Richards. You can see his name and his books in the picture there, but that's obviously not him sitting beside me. That is his wife, Pat.
Anyway, I spent most of those two hours talking about everything under the sun with Mr. Richards. For those who might not know him, he is a fairly accomplished, award-winning author of western novels. He told me he's written somewhere on the order of 197 novels, so it was fascinating talking to him, hearing stories about meeting people like Larry McMurtry, talking to the ghost of Zane Grey, and seeing a lynx walk across his yard out near Beaver Lake. He gave me a free signed copy of one of his books before he left. Oh, and here's his Amazon page, in case you want to peruse his many, many books.
In between stories, I sold a few books and talked to a few readers and some other fellow writers. It makes me realize I need to be more plugged into the local writing community, so I guess I'd better get out of my little box here and start attending conferences and such.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The Life of a Full-Time Writer
Well, folks, for two weeks now I have been a full-time professional writer. What does that mean, exactly? It means I earn 100% of my necessary income from writing or writing-related activities. Now, what does that entail? Chiefly, it involves three things.
1) SEO Content Writing - I actually do quite a bit of SEO content writing for income. This is basically creating content for various companies' websites. It can occasionally be interesting, but it is also sometimes pure drudgery, depending on the particular article I have to write.
2) Writing Workshops - I will be a doing a bit of this over the coming weeks and months. Basically, I visit schools and do interactive writing workshops, or talk about the art of writing, or read from my novels. I have a few of these gigs lined up and more planned for next semester.
3) Selling Novels - Of course this is the part of the writing income that I want to see increase greatly. Ideally, this would be most of my income, and maybe someday it will be. Speaking of which, I will be selling and signing copies of Mary of the Aether and Mary of Shadows at the Springdale Public Library on Saturday from 2-4pm. Stop on by and hang out and meet some local authors.
So that's basically it. Those three things, when their powers combine, create a full-time writing profession. Of course, I am always open to new opportunities, so the list might grow in time. We shall see.
Currently, I am in the middle of editorial works on my next novel, Children of the Mechanism. I posted the opening paragraphs a while back, but they have all drastically changed since then. Anywho, the novel is on track for a February publication date, so mentally prepare yourselves!
In other news, there is a neat little website called Find, Read, Love. A couple of my books are already listed there, with more on the way. You should check it out.
1) SEO Content Writing - I actually do quite a bit of SEO content writing for income. This is basically creating content for various companies' websites. It can occasionally be interesting, but it is also sometimes pure drudgery, depending on the particular article I have to write.
2) Writing Workshops - I will be a doing a bit of this over the coming weeks and months. Basically, I visit schools and do interactive writing workshops, or talk about the art of writing, or read from my novels. I have a few of these gigs lined up and more planned for next semester.
3) Selling Novels - Of course this is the part of the writing income that I want to see increase greatly. Ideally, this would be most of my income, and maybe someday it will be. Speaking of which, I will be selling and signing copies of Mary of the Aether and Mary of Shadows at the Springdale Public Library on Saturday from 2-4pm. Stop on by and hang out and meet some local authors.
So that's basically it. Those three things, when their powers combine, create a full-time writing profession. Of course, I am always open to new opportunities, so the list might grow in time. We shall see.
Currently, I am in the middle of editorial works on my next novel, Children of the Mechanism. I posted the opening paragraphs a while back, but they have all drastically changed since then. Anywho, the novel is on track for a February publication date, so mentally prepare yourselves!
In other news, there is a neat little website called Find, Read, Love. A couple of my books are already listed there, with more on the way. You should check it out.
Monday, September 16, 2013
The Latest Developments in the Mechanism
So what's the latest in the world of Jeffrey Aaron Miller? Oh, numerous things. Let's see. I've got an editor and a publication date for Children of the Mechanism. February 13, 2014 is the date on which you will be able to read about Bik, Hen, Kuo and Ekir and their various harrowing adventures with Watchers, the Grong, the Master and mysterious purple stones. Doesn't that sound fascinating and vague? I've included a few unedited opening paragraphs below for your perusal.
October is set to be a busy month for me. I've got a few school gigs going on around the state. Writing workshops and book readings, mostly. I will also be participating in the Northwest Arkansas Author Book Fair at the Springdale Library on Saturday, October 5 from 2-4pm, so head on over if you can. Also, I might be heading to Chicago for some training related to another job about which I daren't yet speak.
In other news, I am filling in the financial gaps with SEO content writing. Since I have the ability to churn out thousands of words a day, I figured I might as well put it to use while the momentum continues to build for my novels.
Anywho, for those of you who are curious about Children of the Mechanism, here are the opening paragraphs to wet your whistle:
The blare of the morning alarm always started in his dreams, sometimes as a monster screaming, sometimes as a boy talking to him, sometimes as a strange noise rising up out of the Refuse Hole like a siren song. Then it followed him through the stages of waking and finally, as he opened his eyes in the dim, red light, he heard it echoing off the metal walls, a singular note, high and harsh.
On that particular morning, the morning when everything first went wrong, Bik’s limbs felt sore, so he dared to linger for a few seconds, gazing up at the ceiling. He had rolled off his bed mat in the night, and the cold floor was beneath him. He heard boys moving all around, stifling yawns, stretching, moaning and sniffing and coughing. The rumble of the Watcher’s wheels finally roused him, and he sat up. Bik saw it out of the corner of his eye, that lumbering shape. The Watcher entered the Sleeping Room through the archway, returning from whatever strange errand it had been about, and stopped in a corner near the Refuse Hole. A boy relieving himself quickly finished and dashed away.
The Watcher had a shiny, cylindrical body, fat wheels for feet, a flat, circular head with dead eyes, but it was the arms that mattered most, long segmented arms made of polished metal rods with cloth bulbs for hands. Those were the killing hands, and they were ever poised, ready to strike.
“One minute until work,” the Watcher said. “One minute.”
There you go. That's your only tender sampling for now. More to follow in the coming months.
October is set to be a busy month for me. I've got a few school gigs going on around the state. Writing workshops and book readings, mostly. I will also be participating in the Northwest Arkansas Author Book Fair at the Springdale Library on Saturday, October 5 from 2-4pm, so head on over if you can. Also, I might be heading to Chicago for some training related to another job about which I daren't yet speak.
In other news, I am filling in the financial gaps with SEO content writing. Since I have the ability to churn out thousands of words a day, I figured I might as well put it to use while the momentum continues to build for my novels.
Anywho, for those of you who are curious about Children of the Mechanism, here are the opening paragraphs to wet your whistle:
The blare of the morning alarm always started in his dreams, sometimes as a monster screaming, sometimes as a boy talking to him, sometimes as a strange noise rising up out of the Refuse Hole like a siren song. Then it followed him through the stages of waking and finally, as he opened his eyes in the dim, red light, he heard it echoing off the metal walls, a singular note, high and harsh.
On that particular morning, the morning when everything first went wrong, Bik’s limbs felt sore, so he dared to linger for a few seconds, gazing up at the ceiling. He had rolled off his bed mat in the night, and the cold floor was beneath him. He heard boys moving all around, stifling yawns, stretching, moaning and sniffing and coughing. The rumble of the Watcher’s wheels finally roused him, and he sat up. Bik saw it out of the corner of his eye, that lumbering shape. The Watcher entered the Sleeping Room through the archway, returning from whatever strange errand it had been about, and stopped in a corner near the Refuse Hole. A boy relieving himself quickly finished and dashed away.
The Watcher had a shiny, cylindrical body, fat wheels for feet, a flat, circular head with dead eyes, but it was the arms that mattered most, long segmented arms made of polished metal rods with cloth bulbs for hands. Those were the killing hands, and they were ever poised, ready to strike.
“One minute until work,” the Watcher said. “One minute.”
There you go. That's your only tender sampling for now. More to follow in the coming months.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Children of the Mechanism
I just got a contract offer on my novel, Children of the Mechanism, from a relatively new publishing house called Malachite Quills. Having perused their website, I like what I read. They seem to be very supportive of their authors. I'm looking forward to working with them.
As for Children of the Mechanism, it is the story of slaves living and working in the bowels of a mysterious factory, watched over by cruel robots. One day, a glitch in the system causes doors to open, and some of the slaves escape to wander the corridors. Gradually, the true nature of the factory is revealed.
It is based on a short story I wrote way back in 1994, and I think it turned out pretty good. It's sort of a dark and relentless novel, but it resonates with me in a deep and profound way. I hope people like it. Anywho, I'll keep you all posted about the progress.
As for Children of the Mechanism, it is the story of slaves living and working in the bowels of a mysterious factory, watched over by cruel robots. One day, a glitch in the system causes doors to open, and some of the slaves escape to wander the corridors. Gradually, the true nature of the factory is revealed.
It is based on a short story I wrote way back in 1994, and I think it turned out pretty good. It's sort of a dark and relentless novel, but it resonates with me in a deep and profound way. I hope people like it. Anywho, I'll keep you all posted about the progress.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Opening Paragraphs
Once upon a time, I talked about the importance of opening sentences. Well, what about opening paragraphs? The opening paragraph greatly impacts a reader's initial feelings toward a book. It either pulls them in, irritates them, feels like a slog or just kind of sits there like a lump of damp words to be picked through.
To that end, may I ask, which of my opening paragraphs is most compelling?
The lunatic in the long, gray cloak dashed out of the forest and ran right up onto the front yard, waving his arms in front of him like a child playing tag. He skirted the porch, paused, turned a complete circle and fell onto his hands and knees. A hood obscured most of his face, but Mary could see the tip of a pointy chin covered in whiskers. She sat at the living room window, leaning against the sill and resting her forehead against the cold glass, transfixed by the sight. The crazy man crawled through the high, unmowed grass, his face close to the ground, shifting back and forth like a bloodhound chasing a scent. He stopped at the driveway, lifted his head and appeared to sniff at the air. Then he scooped up a handful of gravel and sifted it through his fingers.
The blare of the morning alarm always started in
his dreams, sometimes as a monster screaming, sometimes as a boy talking to
him, sometimes as a strange noise rising up out of the Refuse Hole like a siren
song. Then it followed him through the stages of waking and finally, as he
opened his eyes in the dim, red light, he heard it echoing off the metal walls,
a singular note, high and harsh.
Shadows of Tockland
David saw him first, the old man with the scabs on his head lurching out of his seat on the front row, clapping his big, gnarled hands and shuffling toward the stage. Bubbles the Clown was the current performer, a petite woman in a loose, silvery costume. She had a bamboo pole balanced on her open palm, a large ceramic plate spinning on top of it. Every eye was drawn upward, watching the plate wobble, so the old man managed to get all the way to the stage without anyone hindering him. He gave one last clap, did a little hop on his bare feet and lunged at Bubbles, snagging one of her billowing pant legs.
David saw him first, the old man with the scabs on his head lurching out of his seat on the front row, clapping his big, gnarled hands and shuffling toward the stage. Bubbles the Clown was the current performer, a petite woman in a loose, silvery costume. She had a bamboo pole balanced on her open palm, a large ceramic plate spinning on top of it. Every eye was drawn upward, watching the plate wobble, so the old man managed to get all the way to the stage without anyone hindering him. He gave one last clap, did a little hop on his bare feet and lunged at Bubbles, snagging one of her billowing pant legs.
A man in a tattered leather jerkin and pale blue doublet writhed in the shadowy space between the rocks, clawing at his clothes. Jeren spotted him from the cliff’s edge as he braced himself against a skeletal tree. The highway ran a twisting course through a steep ravine, winding its way toward the snow-capped peaks in the west. Tumbled rocks lined the road here and there, piled up in some places to create makeshift walls, safe places to camp when the harsh winds howled down from the mountains. It was in one of these places that the man lay, kicking at the rocks and thrashing.
I daren't give the opening paragraphs of Mary of Shadows, Mary of Starlight, Mary of Cosmos or A Whisper in the Void, as they contain spoilers. But there you go. Opening paragraphs from many of my novels. Which one is the most compelling? And what makes it most compelling? Do you have favorite opening paragraphs from other novels?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
What's Happenin' Now
Various and sundry things are taking place currently in regard to my writing, so let me just dump it all out on the table and let you look at it.
First of all, I recently did a fairly extensive interview with a website called Arkansas Authors, where they asked me compelling questions like the following:
Looking one hundred years into the future, what do you hope people remember about you or your writing?
I hope people remember me as one who created compelling, sympathetic and believable characters and placed them in memorable settings. I like to move people, to haunt their memories with beautiful, troubling or inspiring scenes.
I highly recommend that you read both parts. It'll give you a pretty good sense of who I am as a writer. Here is part one and here is part two.
In other news, I am lining up writing workshops and book readings for schools around the state. I've already got one lined up for October 15. I hope to get a bunch of them on the calendar, so I am in the process of e-mailing every school district in the state of Arkansas. And, man oh man, there are a lot of them. Anyway, if any school teachers or librarians are reading this, do know that I am available for such things at a more than reasonable price.
In the meantime, I am polishing up Mary of Cosmos, so I can send it off to the publisher. After that, I will begin a new Young Adult series set in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in the glorious year of 1991. Yep, you read that right. It'll be beautifully strange, people. Just you wait and see.
So there you go. That's all for today, folks.
First of all, I recently did a fairly extensive interview with a website called Arkansas Authors, where they asked me compelling questions like the following:
Looking one hundred years into the future, what do you hope people remember about you or your writing?
I hope people remember me as one who created compelling, sympathetic and believable characters and placed them in memorable settings. I like to move people, to haunt their memories with beautiful, troubling or inspiring scenes.
I highly recommend that you read both parts. It'll give you a pretty good sense of who I am as a writer. Here is part one and here is part two.
In other news, I am lining up writing workshops and book readings for schools around the state. I've already got one lined up for October 15. I hope to get a bunch of them on the calendar, so I am in the process of e-mailing every school district in the state of Arkansas. And, man oh man, there are a lot of them. Anyway, if any school teachers or librarians are reading this, do know that I am available for such things at a more than reasonable price.
In the meantime, I am polishing up Mary of Cosmos, so I can send it off to the publisher. After that, I will begin a new Young Adult series set in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in the glorious year of 1991. Yep, you read that right. It'll be beautifully strange, people. Just you wait and see.
So there you go. That's all for today, folks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)