Whining and Cover Reveal

 Good golly. Depression sucks. 

My sister--and only beta reader--completely flaked on me. She had the book (approximately a 4-6 hour read) for two months and never made it past chapter 11. I can't even begin to express how badly that hurt me. I do not think I will ever get over it. (She doesn't know I dedicated the second book to her, thanking her for being my first reader. I guess I'll have to rethink that.) Did the book suck that bad? Does she just not care about me enough to help me with the only thing that's ever mattered to me, the thing I've been working toward for 20+ years? 

After completing another abandoned book project and quick-outlining a sequel to that, I finally decided to finish my own third round of edits on Foundling last weekend. That took me two days, at which point I did a third round of edits on Blackbird, its sequel. My drafts are really clean, so really I'm just line-editing, which is why it only takes me a couple days to complete. 

I've ordered new proof copies for each, and those should arrive any day, with... wait for it... the finalized cover design. (Go easy on me--I did this myself because I can't afford to hire anyone.) (Also, I'm only revealing the Foundling cover for now.)

I revealed the cover on TikTok today. 600+ views in two hours... and not a single like? Seriously? Y'all are literally killing me over here. 

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Crying, doubting, resenting, considering giving up my dream forever. There's one person in my life who keeps me going. I'm going to stop blogging now and go spend some worthwhile time with him. 

Ta-ta.

Your self-loathing genre fiction writer, 

BCM

Quarter 3 Writing Goals + NaNoWriMo 2023

 Happy July 1st! Ya girl has a four-day weekend, so let's talk about goals for the month and beyond.

First, a quick update. My proof copy of Foundling (book 1 in the series) arrived this week, and that meant it was time to bust out all those pretty pastel highlighters I've been dying to use. I can't lie; it was difficult to mark up a book, but the pretty colors helped some.

I'm starting off with basic line edits and then keeping a list of other changes/continuity issues I need to address. I've already completed five chapters plus the prologue. I'm a little scared because I'm really enjoying the book! I feel like I might be biased toward it because it's mine. Anybody else read back your own work and think, yeah, I'd pay for this?

So, for my first goal: Finish this editing round on Foundling in the month of July. 

For the first time since learning about NaNoWriMo many moons ago, the stars have aligned, and I have a project to work on for the month. In the past, I've either not been writing at all, or was just not at a good place in my current project to set that kind of goal when the competition came around. So, yay for that! 

Looking beyond July, I suppose it's time I began considering soliciting beta readers. Here's the thing about that. For those who don't already know, I've been working on some iteration of this story for over twenty years. Yes, really. Each time I finished drafting it--or, more than likely, before I finished--I would come up with some massive changes and basically start from scratch, saving only a handful of scenes to reuse. 

I turned 37 last November, and for the first time ever, I felt my inner clock start ticking. I realized I couldn't keep dinking around with these books if I ever hoped to finish them, much less give myself permission to work on any other books without inevitably being pulled back to Foundling. So this year, I named the book, re-outlined it, played with the outline for a month or so until I was happy with it, then hammered it out. 

In short, I've lived, and fallen in and out of love, with this story for more than half my life. A large part of me does not want to make any further changes to it. And that might mean I don't solicit any feedback on the book. I'm very seriously considering just publishing it without any beta readers. If I do hire betas, it will only be to identify areas of the story that don't flow well, make sense, or maintain continuity. I may yet do that. But I gotta tell you folks, I think it would destroy me if I had to do any further developmental edits in either Foundling or its sequel, Blackbird. I just need them to be done. Can anyone relate?

I know you're probably saying, that's all beta readers do anyway. Yes, true. But... I'm on the fence. 

Second goal: *Consider* beta readers.

I'm even more on the fence about hiring a professional proofreader. It will cost somewhere in the ballpark of $1,000.00 USD to get this done, and I'm not sure I'm prepared to spend that kind of money. On the other hand, I have a feeling I may regret not doing it. 

So, first things first. I'm no slouch when it comes to grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. I've ordered myself the condensed Chicago Manual of Style. And the internet is full of tools to help with this sort of thing. I think I might go solo on this series and save myself the money. Not because I expect to make any money on the Foundling series. Honestly, I'd be flattered if I sold ten copies in my lifetime. But because, once again, I've poured my blood, sweat, and twenty years into this series, and I'm not sure I feel like forking over a grand to have a stranger spend a couple weeks on it. That could just as easily be an argument for having it done, I realize. So, once again, I'm still considering on this. 

Camp NaNoWriMo Goal: Complete first pass of edits on Foundling.

Remaining Q3 Goals: 

• Begin edits on Blackbird
• Hire beta readers (maybe)
• Hire a proofreader (maybe)

That's all for now. Baby needs a fresh cup of coffee. 

I hope you all have an amazing Camp this month. I'd love to hear about your progress, your struggles, or anything else you'd like to share. Take care, and keep writing!

Your milquetoast genre fiction writer,

BCM

No Writing Community

 Welcome!

Just a quick chat today on writing alone. That is, having few to no supporters of your writing endeavors. 

Let's get down to it. It hurts to know nobody cares about the world and the people you've brought to life. The countless hours that span months, years, or even decades, of work you've poured into your writing. Especially when those bodies belong to your closest friends and family members. The people who should be your loudest cheerleaders. 

To gush about a major breakthrough in your plot, or the tremendous progress I've made, only to be met with a distracted, "cool," is almost enough to make me throw in the towel sometimes.

That's why, as of this week, I've decided I'm just not going to seek validation, approval, or even a hint of support from people who obviously think what I'm doing is a waste of time. If they want an update, they'll ask. I'm still waiting. But I'm not holding my breath. See the difference?

Then comes the challenge of book dedications. I'm at the stage where I've had to start thinking about this. The first book's dedication was a no brainer. Gabe, my partner of 18+ years, has been nothing but supportive. He's helped me countless times to work through a story problem, rename a character, brainstorm, you name it. The first book is for him. The rest? 

Parents might seem the obvious choice. Therein lies the problem. My mother has been an avid supporter of all my creative endeavors. Dad, not so much. If there's no money to be made in it, he's not terribly interested. Once in a while he surprises me, but most of the time I get little more than a grunt. It's clear to me he thinks I should be focusing my time and energy elsewhere. 

But I'm not a child anymore. I'm approaching forty, and it's time to let that mess go. Hence, I have decided not update him, or anyone else who doesn't expressly ask, on any but my most profound book progress, despite the fact we talk multiple times every day. And, hence, I started this blog as an outlet to share my thoughts on my writing, track my progress, etc. Maybe nobody will ever read it, but it gives me the impression of having an audience, and that seems to satisfy. 

My point in all this rambling is simply that you may have to do this alone. If you do, just know you're not alone in that. I don't want you to quit just because your cheering section is silent. Write this book for you, and for that maybe one person out there whose life it's going to touch. They're out there. I know I'm far from the first person to give this advice, but I'm definitely one of the oldest, so you should take it! With age comes wisdom, and all that. 

So, know I'm rooting for you, even if you can't hear me, and know that what you're doing is not a waste of time, no matter how many people may try to convince you otherwise. 

All my best.

Your salty genre fiction writer,

BCM

What's Next?

You may or not be aware that the Foundling series started as a freestyle roleplaying game in an AOL chatroom back in the day. Foundling, in its current iteration, resembles the original story... well, not at all. For better or worse. (I think better.)

Here's the thing. The story is done. It has an ending. And yet... am I done? 

For several years now, I've been toying with the idea of turning this duology into a trilogy. Scenes have come to me. They expand the story, and explain what happens next. Is it necessary? Probably not. Do I desperately want to write this third book? Yes. Emory and Noor have so much more to say. So many consequences to deal with, wounds to heal, fences to mend. 

I should be drafting Project: Arcadia right now. I want to write a fantasy novel. I'm excited about this project. The book cover is done, and I love it. (I make DIY covers in Canva for inspiration.) And yet, my heart is pulling me back to Noor and Emory, begging me to expand their story and address the natural ramifications of the events in the duology. 

I'm thinking it might be a companion novella, rather than the third book of a trilogy. Hell, I'm thinking of writing a canon fan fiction! 

We'll see. I'm not opposed to working on more than one project at a time. As long as I'm writing consistently, I'm winning. 

Question of the Day (even if this post is over a year old by the time you read it): Do you make DIY book covers for your works in progress? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Your Basic B. genre fiction writer,

BCM

Novels Update - June 2023

 Hello, lovely reader! So good of you to join me today. 

I just wanted to jot down a quick update on the progress of my YA sci-fi/dystopian/romance duology, The Foundling Chronicles.

Though I've been working on this duology most of my life (literally, since 2000), the hard truth is, I didn't have the first clue what I was doing until just a couple years ago. And, even now, I have merely the first clue. ;)

Am I embarrassed to admit that? Well, somewhat. For years, I've wanted to move onto other writing projects--my list of future book ideas is as long as my arm--but every time I tried, I'd get 20-50k words into the new project and then abandon it to return to Foundling. Rinse, and repeat.

It wasn't laziness or lack of focus so much as it was life getting in the way of my writing. I won't bore you (or horrify you) with the details. Suffice it to say, this year, I finally decided to prioritize my writing.

This year, I started and completed the most recent drafts for both Foundling and its sequel, Blackbird. I've finished my first round of revisions for both. I designed e-book covers for both books (subject to change). And, finally, on June 20th, 2023, I ordered paperback proof copies of both books. 

To top that off, I'm 25,000 words into a new fantasy novel. On that note, I've always wanted to write fantasy, but I never could come up with a concept that wasn't just basically someone else's idea, regurgitated. While the fantastical elements in this novel are not strictly my own invention, I do believe I've put a unique enough spin on them. And, if not, well then this book will just be for me. 

So, suffice it to say, 2023 is shaping up to be the best writing year of my life. As of today, I have written 151,000 words of prose. I mean, who is she? 

For tracking purposes:

02/05/23: Started latest draft of Foundling 
02/23/23: Finished latest draft of Foundling (64k words)
02/26/23: Finished high-level edits and ordered proof copy of Foundling
02/28/23: Started 2nd draft of Blackbird
04/17/23: Paused Blackbird 2nd draft to start outlining Project: Arcadia (Fantasy)
05/13/23: Started drafting Project: Arcadia
06/10/23: Paused Project: Eagle to finish 2nd draft of Blackbird
06/17/23: Finished 2nd draft of Blackbird (62k words), and resumed drafting Project: Arcadia
06/20/23: Ordered new proof copies of Foundling and Blackbird
06/21/23: Reached 25,000 words in Project: Arcadia draft

I'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much for reading!

Your lowly genre fiction writer,

BCM

Introduction

 Welcome, honored guests. 

This blog will be a place for my to track my goals, updates, and thoughts related to writing. If that's your cup of tea, I'd love to have you join me. 

For those not in-the-know, I am in the process of writing several novels of speculative fiction, all of which I intend to eventually self-publish. I hope to attempt traditional publishing at some point in the future, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

Since this is just an introduction, I will leave it there. 

Question(s) of the Day: Are you a writer? If so, what genres have you written in so far? 

Thanks for reading! 

Your humble genre fiction writer,

BCM