Adventures Without a Laptop

FARRO IS AVAILABLE FREE THROUGH AMAZON

December 24th through the 28th

The holidays are over -- at least for me -- and now I have a brief window between now and the start of winter quarter to get as much writing done as possible. Many of you have heard about my failed hard drive, and many of you have wished me luck recovering my work. Many of you are writers yourself and understand what an unfortunate blow losing all that work is to your motivation. I'm currently working on repairing my laptop to a usable state, but I require some key components that will invariably cost money and a bit of searching.

Until then, I will be sharing my husband's computer (the same one he works from, so the time-share may be difficult to manage at times) and really hitting the keys in order to recover that which I had lost in the hard drive failure.

When I have my feet under me again, I plan to post a sneak peak of my next novel's protagonists, as well as a general synopsis and teaser!

Writers of the world: take a moment this holiday season to back up your work!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What a long, long week it's been. Full of highs and lows, I stagger, feet dragging, towards the New Year. Here are a few highlights from my December:

1. Last Thursday: Finals -- all three of them.

2. Last Thursday night: Laptop hard drive breaks with a catastrophic clank and whir.

3. Last Friday: Moving out into our new apartment (with only a week's prior notice)

4. Last Weekend: When not at work I'm unpacking, unpacking, unpacking.

5. This last week: When I'm not at work I'm knitting, knitting, knitting my Christmas presents!

But you know what? It's okay. I've been without a laptop for over a week and without the internet for nearly as long. It's fine, I realized after a couple days. This is the first vacation I've had from writing in over a year. This is the first time in too long that I've had time to curl up with a book, knit a hat, or simply nap on the couch with my cat. After finals and moving, this break is like an oasis of peace, and I've learned to come to terms with the fact I've lost the 30,000 words I had written on Scorpion King (advice to those reading: back up your work frequently).

I've decided I'm going to write it all again, all a little differently. I'm going to produce something better than the original. And while I'm waiting for my laptop to be fixed I'll work on my writing, my research, and my craft. When I'm at last allowed a day of writing, I want to be prepared, fresh, and ready to assume my new character's much milder voice. She's no Khensa, but she's no less amazing, and this break gives me a chance to connect to her as an author.

So this holiday season you, too, might be stressed and flagging and stumbling towards the finishing line, but don't fret. As it's said, when life shuts one door it opens another. So let's head into the New Year with our heads held high!

Hug your loved ones, enjoy that hot buttered rum, and I'll see you next week.

Happy Holidays!

I haven't reported in lately, and I'm sorry for it. Writing is going well, albeit a little slowly due to Skyrim distractions. I've been positively delighted with the overall favorable feedback I've been receiving from Sulfur! Thank you so much for supporting me at this time!

You might have noticed that today the e-book "Farro" was pulled from the Barnes and Noble store. This is a temporary change, as I try out Amazon's new "Kindle Select" program. What's so great about the program? I'm not sure yet, but it allows me to give away my book for free for five days at a time. It also makes my book available to lend for Amazon Prime members (any of you out there?). So for 90 days Amazon will be my exclusive distributor of the e-book, Farro. Sulfur will still be available via Barnes and Noble!

What does this mean for you, though?

It means I will be giving Farro away for free through Amazon Kindle. I've already picked the days, too: December 24th through the 28th. Note: come Christmas time Farro will be available for free.

I look forward to seeing how this works out. If you don't already have a copy of Farro or you would like to get a copy for a friend, consider marking your calendar: Farro will be free Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays!

p.s. Next chapter of Sulfur will be up tomorrow. I may or may not post a chapter to Scorpion King as well.

Read Sulfur Now!

Sulfur is now available in both Electronic and Trade Paper formats! For those of you like me who currently lack the funds for a trade paper or a handheld e-reader, you can download the kindle app to your computer and read it there. This app is incredibly slick and easy to use!

If you're new to buying my books online, please continue reading this post; I've put together a guide for your convenience. If you know what you're doing and just want me to shut up and point you the way, look to the bar on the left; there you'll find working links to purchase Sulfur!

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How-to: Reading on your e-reader or other small handheld device

1. Find Sulfur on either BN or Amazon
2. Buy Sulfur for $4.99
3. Your e-reader or other supported device will sync with your account the next time you use it.
4. Read and enjoy!

How-to: Reading on your computer

1. Go here and download the Kindle app for PC
2. Install Kindle app for PC (find where you downloaded the app's executable and open that on up!)
3. Find Sulfur on Amazon.
4. Buy Sulfur for $4.99 (make sure in the "deliver to" drop-down menu "PC" is selected).
5. If your PC Kindle app does not sync immediately push [F5] or go to Tools-->"Snyc and Check for New Items". This will get Sulfur to show up for you to...
6. Read and Enjoy!

How-to: Read the good-old-fashioned way, trade paper

1. Find Sulfur on Amazon or Createspace.
2. Buy Sulfur for $19.99.
3. Wait for that 542 page monster to ship to your doorstep.
4. Read and enjoy!

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Now, over the last week I've received a lot of questions from anxious readers, and I thought I would take the time to answer some of those questions here for the benefit of us all. If you have any of your own questions you wanted addressed, please email me at arreana@gmail.com.

Is Farro and Sulfur available internationally?

While all my links on this blog pertain to the US version, Sulfur is also available to buy on Amazon.uk, Amazon.de, and Amazon.fr. Amazon automatically converts the $4.99 into the respect currencies so costs should be no different if buying internationally.

Will I still update Sulfur weekly?

Yes, I will be posting a chapter of Sulfur every Friday, per usual. But with this assurance comes a warning: as the book progresses into it's second half there will be more cliffhangers, tension, and perhaps even angst. If you don't want to wait the eighteen more weeks it'll take to finish posting all the chapters, I encourage you to scroll back up and consider purchasing a copy... plus, you'll be supporting me as an indie author!

When will the trade paper be available?

This is a question I've already answered, but I just wanted to take a moment to reinforce the following statement: Sulfur is now available in trade paper. I spent a good portion of my last weekend working on the formatting/publishing information in order to get this published by today. So many of you expressed interest in buying a hard copy (What's better than cracking open a new book, after all?) that I couldn't let it rest until it was done. The book is 5.25" x 8" and consists of 542 pages. It's a heavy novel, and it really turned out quite beautiful!

Keep reading, and thank you so much for your immense amount of support in this last few weeks (and hopefully the next couple, too)!

I wanted to take a moment to thank reader Raye, who volunteered her time and formated the electronic version of both Farro and Sulfur. She added things I never had the time/patience to consider, such as a table of contents, built-in cover, and nicer chapter headings. Thank you so much, Raye!

Loading, reviewing, publishing!

So this is the weekend!

It's a month late, but goodness if I'm not proud. I'm only stopping by to drop off a couple lines before I'm off to continue the finishing touches/synopsis writing/category marking that distinguishes 'publishing' from daunting, exhausting 'editing'.

Thank you so much for the responses this last week. Yesterday alone, I received three letters from readers containing such encouraging words that I was fueled to work until about 3:30 in the morning. I really mean it when I say I couldn't have done this without your support.

Now, I'm afraid I have to get back to work, but you can bet I'll be back in a couple days with the 'big annoncement' I've been waiting months to make. Until then, I hope Chapter 15 of Sulfur will suffice.

Sulfur: home stretch.

Okay, so I haven't posted recently. But I have excuses. I have a whole stack of excuses including the following: school, work, health-related outages, etc. However, those are just excuses, part of the usual barrage of stressors life throws at you. The real reason I haven't posted in so long? I'm almost done with Sulfur. I don't mean that I'm almost to the next stage of the editing process; I mean I'm almost done with the editing process. I'm getting ready to publish, and during this phase everything in my life takes a deep inhale with anticipation.

I've reread Sulfur in it's entirety (It's better than Farro in my opinion - phew!) and now I need only wait for that husband of mine to read through the seven or so chapters he has left. Then we'll both have called in done. I get it formatted, put together, and send it off.

Somehow, I kept postponing posting here because I kept hoping that "tomorrow will be the day", but I can't put you all off forever. Soon, I tell you now, soon. And then you won't have to rely on my episodic updates.

I can't wait; I want to move on to Beauty and the Beast and Ancient Egypt.

(For reading, here's Chapter 14 of Sulfur, featuring the return of Bomani.)

My ass, on the line

What an October it’s been. Many of you might have heard by now that I’ve been out with some sort of tailbone issue. Well, what I didn’t mention in the brief blurb was that I ended up missing a solid week of work and spent a majority of that time lying face down on some doctor’s table with hands probing my backside. Need I alert you how uncomfortably close he came to my butt?

In the end, what started as a two-week long pain marathon, finished with a climatic bang. I was caught between a rock and hard place – the inability to move, sit, or walk and my ever-present need for money. No work = no green, something not everyone can live without.

How did I remedy this situation? With another doctor’s visit. With five shots of Lidocain to the injured area and a whole lot of love (and by love, I mean scalpels and gaze and iodine). Sometime in the near future I’m going to need to go back in for surgery.

All of this drama has ripped a good three weeks of my life away, stranding me face down in a sea of pillows. But don’t worry, I recovered just in time for… school. It’s a big juggling act, my life right now, and sometimes I have to marvel at my own determination to publish a book between it all. But I will, and soon.

Sulfur might be taking me a month longer than expected, but I’m finally able to work again and am very close to sending it on its merry way. I can’t wait to finish this project. It’s almost as though life, seeing me toeing the finishing line, has decided to throw every obstacle it could between me and the tape at the end of the track.

But I’m almost there.
Almost there.

Chugga, chugga.
Chugga, chugga.

Keep writing,
Arreana

P.S. Chapter 12 was posted today

For the Fans!

So I've had a couple requests to think up real-life look-a-likes to my characters. (For example: so-and-so looks like Brad Pitt). I've had enough requests by now, in fact, that I've decided to take a break from writing/recovering from tailbone issue to put together a couple pictures for your pleasure.

These were in fact very difficult to come up with, as I'm rather particular about the way my characters look. It took me a while to find certain characters' doppelgangers (Shana and Ioulia to name a few), but I hope my results will not disappoint.

Please keep in mind that these pictures are purely a little extra "goody" for readers, and are no way completely, 100% accurate depictions of my characters.

KHENSA "SPARROWFINGERS"

(Ken-sa)

Age at beginning of Farro: 18

Comments: Khensa is generally marked (aside from her unpictured purple eyes) by large-ish lips and sharp/square features. The woman in this picture, though similar in appearance, is older than Khensa in appearance, who, though grimy, is still in the prime of her life. The hair, which Khensa wears long, is also obviously incorrect.

BOMANI AMON

(Bo-ma-ni A-mon)

Age at beginning of novel: 22

Comment: Astute readers might recognize this picture as belonging to rising actor Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones" and Conan in the remake of "Conan"). Many readers, when asked what they imagined Bomani to look like, suggested Jason Momoa in his role as Khal Drogo. While this picture unfortunately shows "Bomani" smiling, it captures several other characteristic features: straight and strong features, heavy brow, dark eyes, general hugeness.

LATEEF LIZI

(La-tea-f Le-zi)

Age at Beginning of novel: Approx. 45-46

Comment: People who know me well won't be surprised to see Gary Oldman pop up on this picture anthology. Lateef in appearance is modeled a great deal off the wonderful Mr. Oldman. There is something in Gary Oldman's recent roles that have inspired a feeling of wearying age and downtrodden surrender. While Lateef is perhaps several shades darker physically, their general gray, world-weary appearances are similar.

GHARI

(Ga-ri)

Age at beginning of novel: Approx 55

Comment: Ghari is darker in hue, darker even than Bomani, but I couldn't for the life of me find a thin, butler-ish man to better fit the bill (unless I was looking for pictures of Jafar). Ghari is marked for being thin, stoic, and a possessor of excellent posture.

Shana

(Sha-na)

Age at Beginning of novel: 24

Comment: This picture obviously lacks the splotchy birthmark that mars Shana's otherwise sweet face. She's generally described as a soft-featured, petite woman. I chose this picture, however, for the general tension displayed on the model's face. Shana, though eager to please and prone to smiling, is generally as sullen looking as the rest of them.

Vanessa "Nessa" Bateman

Age at beginning of novel: 21

Comment: This is pretty much spot on how I picture Nessa when writing her -- the color of her skin, the eyes, the nose, the hair. It's pretty much perfect. I don't really have much to add other than an admission: Nessa is something of a favorite character of mine.

Fredrick "Bata" Bateman

Age in Farro: 26

Comment: Bata is a character I've always felt sorry for. He's never been a particularly evil character, but rather desperate and misunderstood. This actor (who I've forgotten the name of at the moment) is a perfect fit for how I imagine Bata looking. There's a puppy-dog arch to his brow, and a general look of pleading the actor emulates perfectly.

Gregory "Hamlif" Hamley

Age at beginning of novel: Approx. 49-52

Comment: Hamlif is best described by Khensa as looking something like a stuffed turkey. He tends to wear his collars too tight, which only pronounces his suety dewlap. He's an average-featured bloke, but can balloon up into a great red-faced monster if provoked. Unlike this picture, Hamlif is salt and peppered and a little more gray in the face.

Jarai Amon and "Mutt"

(Ja-rai)

Age at beginning of novel: 4

Comment: Just a boy and his dog. His hair is obviously longer in this picture than it is in the books, but there you have it!

Umayama Amon

(U-ma-ya-ma)

Age at beginning of novel: 27

Comment: I've blocked our her eyes for obvious reasons, but this beautiful model is generally who I picture Umayama looking like. I've always thought/described her as delicate featured, beautiful, and elegant woman. If he inherits her looks, Jarai might end up being quite the looker!

Mbiki

(Mm-bi-ki)

Age at beginning of novel: Approx. 41

Comment: Mbiki is not a particularly attractive man. Khensa inherits most of her physical traits from her mother, which is probably for the best. Mbiki is also rather more wrinkled and dark than this picture would have you believe. He's spent a good portion of the last couple years standing outside guarding the Junktown Gate.

Ioulia

(I-ou-lee-a)

Age at beginning of novel: 23

Comment: I looked and looked for a good real picture of Ioulia without any success. In my search I came across the cover from the fantasy novel "Gaslight Dogs" (all credit goes to the fantastic cover art of this novel). This art sums up the character I had imagined in Ioulia: short, tattooed, beautiful, spunky, and self-reliant.

Thorton

Age at beginning of novel: 34

Comment: This man. Spot on depiction of a character with which you'll soon become very much acquainted.

So there you have it. The major characters from Farro and Sulfur laid out for you enjoyment!

Hope you enjoyed all the comments and reflections.

Keep reading,

keep writing,

Arreana

Sulfur's Cover

So today I post Sulfur's cover for all to see an enjoy. Like the first cover, it is the creation of one Ms. Angela Taratuta.

I've had a lot on my plate this week. We're currently in the process of clearing out my husband's childhood house and moving. I've always been somewhat of a neat freak, and I'll tell you, the things I've encountered in this house... Some of this stuff has sat untouched for twenty years. I ask my husband "What is this?" "Where did it come from?" "Why is it here?" and his response is likely to be, "Because it just is." To someone who immediately throws out anything they don't use on a daily basis, this is shocking. Shocking, I say!

I've also been having to brush up on my mathematics, for a placement test I needed to take in order to enroll for fall quarter. I've been out of Uni for a year, and I can't tell you how happy I am to finally be able to go back. (On a side note, I totally rocked the placement test, and I'll be taking the math class I wanted!)

Then there's work, and I don't mean the writing, I mean the work of the 9-5 variety. It's a physical job, as much as I enjoy it, and afterwards I tend to get home, moan, shuffle into bed, and conk out for an hour or two. Conducive to my writing career? Not exactly.

Speaking of 'writing career'. I've found the adjective doesn't adequately apply to my work. Yes, I write. I write a great deal. But I spend almost as much time editing and promoting and answering letters and stressing over deadlines. In view of these added responsibilities, I think it only appropriate that instead of 'writing' I am 'noveling'.

"Oh, Arreana! What are you doing today?"

"Oh, you know, the usual -- noveling."

As long as I don't go writing any memoirs or histories, I should be fine.

So how will all these added pressures (school, work, moving) affect my approximated release of Sulfur? Not much hopefully. Back in May, when I started writing Sulfur, I estimated a September release. This is unfortunately looking to become more of a mid-October release. Life has thrown a couple wrenches into my schedule, but I'm still going strong, and I haven't let myself get knocked too far off course!

For reading a lonely history of a stressed 'novelist', here is Chapter Eight.

Oh Boy, Editing!

So I didn't post last weekend because I was too busy off in the mountains camping and goofing off. No internet for four days. No checking emails, no having to talk/think/look at Farro or Sulfur... Then I come back and it's Vacation Shock all over again. Email box = 54 non-spam messages to sift through. Sulfur = 21 chapters left to edit. I think I'm done for vacations this summer. Or at least... the ones that take me away from the internet.

Here I am, up to my eyeballs in work and Sulfur work. Then, sneaking up fast, is that looming "first day of school" which might crack me completely.

I'm so excited to be done with Sulfur, but I haven't had any time to really enjoy it. When this is good and done, I'm going on a week long siesta, complete with naps and coffee and maybe a pallet or two of the cheesiest lasagna I can find.

Then what, you might wonder?

Well, then I will be promoting the heck out of both of them. And I'll be attending school. And I'll be editing a book I wrote back in 2007 that I'll be throwing out hopefully sometime in November/December. After that I'll be finishing off my half-completed project currently titled "The Scorpion King". Beauty and the Beast in ancient Egypt? Yes, please!

From there the road forks, and I'm not sure which story I want to tackle first, the Historical fiction adventure set in Ancient Rome, the lovecraftian horror, or the cowboys vs. zombies story I've been sitting on ever since I saw this, a video of ants turning into zombies upon becoming infected by a terrifying mind-controlling fungus.

The world is opening up, and the only obstacle between me and the next project is this mountain of a book sitting on my plate right now!

Speaking of which, Sulfur's cover by Angela Taratuta is now complete and can be seen on my Facebook page (link to the right)! Go check it out when you get a chance. I'll probably be throwing it up here sometime next week!

Now, if you haven't read them already, here's Chapters Six and Seven for your enjoyment.

Love,

Arreana

Sulfur: completed.

Editing is now before me, sitting like an ugly troll between my novel and publication. I'm late on my usual Friday post because Friday was the day I typed the last chapter, the last line, the last bit of dialogue between characters that have become downright precious to me.

I am exhausted. After putting Khensa through so much emotional and physical pain I find myself sharing her aches. With the story's completion, all I wanted was to get away from my computer. I went out to dinner, I ran some errands. Yesterday, I went salmon fishing, and last night I slept for twelve hours.

I must admit to a dissatisfaction with the ending. There is so much emotion (personal gratitude, narrative closure, suitably epic descriptors) I wanted to express in the last six or so chapters, that I feel one week's frantic writing could not adequately do my feelings justice. It will be revisited, perhaps lengthened, and then maybe I'll have my release from my characters and their stories.

For the first time today, I piled Sulfur's chapters into one mega-file (I usually edit in chapter chunks). I wanted to see what it's total length had come out to be, afraid that in my hurry to express all that needed to be expressed, I had shortened what should have been a novel of Farro's length.

I'm pleased to report my findings:

Farro = 35 Chapters = about 116,000 words

Sulfur = 32 Chapters = about 125,000 words

Long chapters, longer book, and hopefully (when all is said and done) better written.

Thank you all for your support and your advice. Thanks in particular to my husband, my two alpha-readers, and my three beta-readers.

Now, you've probably already heard but here's Chapter five of Sulfur, for your enjoyment.

Keep writing and don't stop for anything,

Arreana

This is how I write...

... I sit down, I open MS Word, and I smash the keys until the story's done.

I don't stop until I'm finished. I don't sideline projects in pursuit of others. I start a project and then I don't stop until I finish it. Frequently, I also won't eat, sleep, or read either. Why am I saying this? Because at work yesterday I saw an advertisement for a writing workshop program that the library will be hosting next month.

Writing workshops don't make sense to me. You don't learn how to write by instruction or reading or any other method save one: rote practice. The only way to learn to write is sit down and write. The only way to finish a short story or a novel or a screenplay is to keep writing until it's completed. Almost every time when I hear from a friend that they've "started writing" and "Won't you read it and let me know what you think?" I say yes. I want to support my friends, I think writing is an amazingly strong talent that can translate into many other skills. However, what do I get to look over? One chapter. One chapter that my friend has looked over so intensely that they haven't had a chance to write a word beyond it.

Please stop doing this. Please just write the book, beginning to end. All authors constantly have new ideas that pop into their heads, that doesn't mean you should drop your current project to run at it. Jot the idea down somewhere, stash it away for later, and get back to writing.

Why the rant? I'm sick of hearing about workshops and how-to books and writers' blogs. They're a waste of the writer's time. Write your damned book, and don't let some wayward "marketing" workshop derail you and make you rethink your whole project. Put the blinders on and just run for the finishing line.

Ironic, isn't it, that my advice to you is to not listen to advice from sources like this? If you're a writer get off this blog and go write something. Only when you've exhausted yourself, should you check out Chapter Four, The Axes They Wield.

Hair!

So, I have hair. Lots of it. It's thick and somewhat wavy and a rather neutral shade of brown. It's not particularly wonderful, it's usually incredibly difficult, and right now it's about fifteen inches longer than I want it to be. I like short hair. I like being able to use a tiny dab of shampoo to get the job done. I like waking up with bed head, throwing some hair spray on it and claiming it's "fashion". I don't like this long hair.

But my step-aunt-in-law (what a connection!) and my step-step-cousin (the plot thickens!) have inspired me to make the sacrifice and grow it out. They have been donating their hair for years now to Locks of Love, a charity that provides hair pieces to children who need them.

I've grown out my hair for two years now, not only because it's for an really flat-out awesome cause, but because it's something I can afford to do. One of these days, I'll be able to do more, but now, in such economically troubled times, all I can do is pull out my hair... somewhat literally.

So, as I embark to the hair salon to finally -- at last! -- cut this brown mass from my head, I suggest that other ladies (or men) consider doing the same. Aside from the wonderful "you're helping a child" feeling, there are still more reasons to consider it:

• Your hair's probably nicer than mine. Donate it so that some child doesn't get stuck with mine.
• It's probably hot where you live. Not here, in the Pacific Northwest, where everyday is in the 60's, but maybe where you live. Think of those hot days when all your hair does is act as an insulator for your sweaty, clammy neck.
• Try a new style. Some girls almost never cut their hair. My sister for instance, has had long, long hair since elementary school. I'm looking at you, Sis, when I say, "Try something new, cut off that pony tail and give it to someone who can't grow their own!"
• You're helping a child, dammit.
  
  

There, shame-free plug (pun not intended) complete! I hope I have inspired someone to do the same.

Now, as your reward, I present Chapter 3: Cedar and Pine

Two Kinds of Vacations

Having just returned from a vacation, I've temporarily become an expert on vacations. I've come to the conclusion that there are two types of vacations:

1. The Exciting Vacation: Where you go somewhere exotic or exciting and you get a tan and go swimming and generally spend way more money then you should. At these sort of vacations you exhaust yourself everyday and get far too little sleep. When the vacation is finally over, you feel rather sure that you now need a vacation from a vacation, or a pain killer and a seriously long nap.
   
   
2. The Relaxing Vacation: You go somewhere scenic and peaceful and plant yourself like a fern. You don't go anywhere, you sleep in and and take naps and read books and generally do nothing. Maybe you're like me and you visit family, or maybe you just stay at home, or maybe you rent a yurt by the the ocean and teach us all how it's done. Whatever way you choose, you're relaxing and escaping for a week. You put off your obligations and focus on yourself. You ignore you email box, you catch up on games and you don't think about the mound of things you have waiting for you at the end of the week.

So those are your options, but either way coming back from a vacation is a shock. Either because you're suffering from sunburn, jet lag, and exhaustion, or because you're suffering from the shock of having to once more face responsibly.

I have a serious case of the latter. My email box has exploded, my house has exploded (we're having a garage sale this weekend, so that hasn't exactly helped), and now my head feels like it's exploding. I've been back from vacation for two days and already I want to crawl back to bed and coffee and Colin Firth in Mr. Darcy's hosiery (You might wonder at this point what the hell I've been up to this last week and a half, and I'll hint that it has a lot too do with sleeping, caffeine, grandparents, shopping, and Jane Austen.)

So while I recover from vacation system-shock, here's Chapter Two of Sulfur ready to read!

Love,

Arreana

Sulfur Kick-off

True to my word, I have posted the first chapter of Sulfur for everyone to check out. I'll try to make the updates a weekly event, I'm really looking forward to receiving your feedback.

Click here to read Chapter One

Now, I'm posting this from my vacation hide-a-hole. I'm going to get off quick and try to enjoy the sunshine and the coffee!

Until next week!

Love,

Arreana

Vacation is a Comin'

Wow, I haven't posted anything in... too long. I've been so absorbed in Sulfur I guess I've let myself fall off the map. I've been working extra hours the last couple months and that, coupled with a mid-July sinus infection and getting myself enrolled for Fall Quarter, have compounded to make me something like a zombie. I mumble to myself a lot more, and I sit doing nothing a lot more. What I call, "thinking," my husband calls, "freaking me out."

Good news? Writing's going great. I've gotten to what I think will be my favorite part of this story, and writing it, though emotionally difficult , has been incredibly rewarding. I have approximately eight more chapters to go; I could be done in the next couple weeks! Phew!

I will be posting the first chapter -- fingers crossed -- on July 29th, the first day of my vacation.

Ah, vacation. When I get myself a week of work off to flee my house. Where am I going? My grandparents, which may astonish some of you but not me. To me it's the best sort of vacation anyone can have. They have a wonderful house full of memories, a fragrant garden, coffee in the morning, and an altogether awesome appreciation for ethnic food. It means naps in the afternoon and talking politics in the evening. It's relaxing, which is more than I can say for some other vacations, and an annual tradition.

I'll keep writing even while my husband and I are staying there. After all, I need no vacation from writing, as it in itself is a stress-relieving escape!

I hope all of you are having a similarly wonderful summer. I hope you're finding ways to keep cool. Moment of bragging: I live in the PNW and it's been raining here every other day or so, I call that a good thing!

See you again on July 29th!

Half Way Mark

So how did I end up sitting here in the middle of the night, red as a lobster and manically exhausted?

First last night I got too little sleep. Three hours. I went to bed late only to wake early and go crabbing with my Troll Dad out on the Sound. I was excited, it's opening weekend and it was supposed to be a gorgeous day.

Gorgeous day. One of the first we've had in the Seattle area in a while, and the first over 80 degree day we've had in a dog's age. For a pale-fleshed Washingtonian with little tolerance for anything that isn't rain, flannel, and mold, this was a disaster.

Double disaster: I was wearing a grungy t-shirt, and now not only are my arms burnt, it's a farmer's tan burn. It's not even either. I have these splotchy pale spots where I'd obviously touched my arms with my sun-screened fingers. (Yes, despite stupidly forgetting to lather my arms, I had coated my face, thank the Gods!) I look like a spotted monster, and after getting home, cleaning the crab, cooking the crab, and showering, I was ready to nap. I laid down, fully ready to embrace my pillowing exhaustion, only to find that my body, first burnt and tired, was now feverish. I couldn't get myself warm. It was eighty-something degrees outside and I was shivering. Some nap that was.

Now I think, "Fine, be that way, Lobster Arms, I'll just go to bed early tonight."

To which Lobster Arms reply, "Nope. You will toss and turn and ache and writhe until you can't take it anymore."

Well fine, Lobster Arms. FINE. If I can't sleep then I shall stay awake and write. Misery loves company after all, and I have characters enough to torture.

So tonight, as Sulfur approaches its final climax, I charge ahead smelling of aloe-vera lotion and coffee! Today I have finished the estimated first half of Sulfur. Huzzah!

(Today I also caught my limit of crab. Come the Fourth of July I shall eat it with a vengeance.)

Dear Troll Dad,

Today is a day to honor you.

For your imagination, creativity, and persistence I offer you a hearty round of applause. Many dads are known for being steady and firm, others for being kind and nurturing, but you, troll dad, shall forever be known as the trickster and prankster.

As I reflect upon today and celebrate with the rest of America the brilliant awesomeness of father's day, a random memory comes to mind:

I'm lying on the couch. It's Sunday afternoon and I'm watching TV like a lazy lump on a log. You walk in from the kitchen and, seeing nowhere to sit, promptly sit on top of me. I whine and complain and thrash and all you do is laugh and laugh and laugh. Suddenly, when I think it can't get any worse, I feel the rumble of one of your mighty farts reverberating through the throw blanket. I scream, and you cackle.

But in all seriousness, dad, thank you for imparting in me a sense of justice, fairness, and -- of course -- humor. Thanks for crafting that lazy lump taking up your couch into a responsible adult. Dad, I tried finding a picture of you to share with the world (you know, one that would reflect all your badassness) but alas, I failed. I had a really good one too, of you in track shorts and a white t-shirt, complete with a mustache and a 80's hair cut, but I couldn't find it. Then I remembered this, a site dedicated to honoring dads just like you: the definition of cool. (Notice my rhyme?)

Thank you for all your paternal support, and I hope you have a wonderful father's day!

Love,

Arreana

Sleep, what? What?

My schedule is hitting "critical mass". I'm shifting gears slowly, moving from Farro's marketing phase into writing Sulfur. Yesterday I had a book dream. The kind where you "dream out" the scene you're currently working on. Sulfur is a book of climaxes, so my dreams invariably end up with me running somewhere, screaming at someone, or trying to punch someone. My husband, who must endure me mumbling and kicking in my sleep, is understandably frightened. Little does he know how bad it'll get. Soon the boundaries between fiction and reality will blend together and I'll start talking to my characters. ("What kind of hot sauce should I use, Bomani?", "Hmm... how much garlic did we have at home, Khensa?", etc, etc.) While writing Farro, I had one such fictional conversation that has become something of an embarrassing story.

Setting: at the grocery store, in the aisle with the soda bottles.

In my voice, "What do you think I should get, Bomani? Pepsi or Pepsi cherry?"

In a low, gravelly voice meant to sound like Bomani's, "Pepsi."

This would have been all well and good, nothing out of the ordinary, if a woman and her son hadn't been standing right next to me. I wanted to crawl under a rock never to emerge again. I can only imagine the picture I painted -- top ramen in my basket, hair disheveled, baggy sweat pants, holding up soda bottles and talking to myself in manish voices. Crazy, crazy, crazy. I didn't look to see their reaction; I put both soda bottles back on the shelf and bolted for the register.

The worst part? Bomani never got his Pepsi.

And now, for reading, I present to you a teaser from Sulfur (not published/polished and therefore subject to change):

The ice breaks with the sound of a branch snapping. I drop like a stone. I hit the torrential water.

It burns!

It squeezes my lungs, pulls me down. The current slams into me, sweeping me downstream. I can’t think, can’t breathe. So cold. I can think only of the water and the ice and how I shall die down here and freeze. My skin like white porcelain, my arms shriveled and as fragile as glass, I’ll sink to the bottom where the tiny fish and the snails will chip away at my corpse for the many years to come.

It’s as dark as night. I can see nothing but the shimmer of my limbs flailing in the water, as heavy as lead. I lift them up, searching for air and escape, but my fingers find only ice. The hole through which I fell is gone, the river carries me away. My fingernails carve deep scratches into the icy roof as I fight against the current.

I shall die down here. I am numb to the pain, numb to everything. It’s just like Chike’s ice baths. First I was cold. Then I was numb. Then I was warm.

Where is the warmth, where is that release?

My lungs are empty but I cannot feel the pain. They burn but I cannot feel it.

A shadow above, movement, Bomani. I dig my fingers into the ice, but still the current drags me downstream, my body stretched parallel to the river bottom. My clothes are heavy, my hair, my legs, all so heavy, all working against me.

Above me the world shakes. The noise reverberates in my ears, the sound of a gong, the sound of a hammer striking bronze.

Again. It’s Bomani.

The Tip Jar

I've been meaning to do this for a while. I've added a small feature, a "tip jar". No more offensive (hopefully) than the jars baristas put out on their windowsills. You know the ones I'm talking about? The large mason jars with the words "Tips" written in big, bubble letters and surrounded by hearts and shooting stars and smiley faces? Yeah, that's my tip jar.

Why do I need a tip jar at all if I'm selling my novel? Easy! Unlike many indie authors, I've made Farro available to read online for free. If you want to, you could read Farro, lurk on my blog (I see you!), and then disappear forever. Well, that's fine, I shouldn't have my book available for free if I didn't expect otherwise. But hey, maybe if you've liked what you've read and you'd like to support an author who is anti-DRM, creative commons friendly, and who will try to always have her work up for free perusal, then maybe you'll consider throwing a couple coins at that big flashy button over there.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Each donation will mean something. Fifty cents is a ear of corn for me to barbecue (thanks!). Two bucks is a cup of coffee on a cold morning (thanks!). Five bucks is a movie from a discount bin at Target (I love those things!).

This is for my younger readers, who maybe can't afford a e-reader or a trade paper copy but who have still read and liked Farro. Thank you ma'am or sir, keep reading, and keep supporting the authors who in turn support you.

(Sulfur Update: Eight chapters, going strong. I just got to an exciting part, so I'm having fun!)

Trade Paper of Farro Now Available!

Finally!

I have to say though, for all the waiting on the proofs, correcting

the proofs, and ordering yet another proof... It came out looking great. I'm a minimalist when it comes to design and art. If you weren't able to tell from my blog and cover, I like simple, clean lines, and I'm proud of the trade paper for possessing these qualities.

Here's a picture of my cat curled up with my book (for added cuteness):

So support the author and get your own hard copy today...

Either through Createspace

or through Amazon

Love,

Arreana

The Truth About Arreana

She's a shameless nerd.

The interesting thing about this claim is how popular it's become in recent years. I remember when being a nerd was a bad thing. When you hid the fact you programed games on your scientific calculator. We're talking the sort of nerds that in high school would clump together in a giant nerd crowd to talk about games, philosophy, and politics before college made it cool. I find that people that use the phrase "I'm a nerd" nowadays mean it as "I like Star Wars and zombies and bacon-related products, aren't I nerdy in a hip way?" or "I like manga and anime so much that I dress up as my favorite characters when I go to work." I'm a Revenge of the Nerds sort of nerd, the awkward, hiccuping female breed.

My husband and I went to high school together -- yes, we were high school sweethearts. Back then I always kind of considered him the leader of the nerds, the one-to-rule-them-all per say (to throw in an ironically nerdy quote). I, meanwhile, was the only girl who came to their nerdy gatherings. (At this point you may ask, what is a nerdy gathering? Back then it was playing Magic the Gathering, watching bad horror movies for the purpose of critiquing them, and taking turns playing Stepmania. Lan parties... Diablo II Lan parties, how I miss those days... but I digress.) So my husband was at the hub at these activities, and I was the only girl. A predestined match in my opinion.

We're still nerds to this day. We're big gamers, we talk politics obsessively, we get into frequent "math fights" that I usually lose. We use words in every day conversation that most people have never heard. We critqiue scientific experiments we read about (both of us being in the sciences, this is something of a habit). We're generally insufferable to the most normal people. Which is why I usually keep my nerdom hush-hush.

So most people don't know that I: love Minecraft, play games almost constantly (in the last year this has included, Fall Out NV, Dragon Age II, Dungeon Keeper I (my favorite game as a kid and one I'm enjoying replaying), Portal 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and a multitude of others). To top it off, I spend way too much time on reddit.com/r/gaming.

Meanwhile, I'm writing. The gaming, the bad movies, the card games, and political debates, are more a relief for my brain. When I'm tired, when I can take no more of my characters and need a moment to be me, I turn to Kyle and say, "Let's go get coffee and talk about dissections."

So now you know, rant complete. (But I still can't help liking bacon)

(Sulfur Update: Chapter 1-4 written.)

Sulfur Begins!

... and Farro gets promoted!

I've been so busy over the weekend celebrating my birthday and catching up on life that I've been a little MIA. I'm back now, with some pretty thrilling updates (at least thrilling for me!), I'm starting the promotion process for Farro this week and I've started writing Sulfur.

A note on the first, I've been contacting book blogs about Farro. The act promotes deep, uncomfortable memories of my very brief and wholly awful stint as a telemarketer. I experienced the same feeling when querying agents, with about the same amount as success. So far responses from the book blogs have been incredibly kind and helpful, invalidating my fears, and I hope they continue to be that way! I'm excited for their opinions -- good or bad!

The Bigger News -- and the thing you probably want to know most about: Sulfur has begun. I have wrote the opening line, the opening dialogue (spoken by Bomani), even the opening event (secret for now). I love starting books almost as much as I love finishing them. I love picking where I should start in the story and scraping that and starting later. Farro originally began the day Khensa was kidnapped from Junktown, and her subsequent months in the temple. After writing this however, I didn't like the feel of it, the drag and the flab, and so I said, "Screw it, we're just starting at the end of it." Low and behold, a beginning. With Sulfur, I had a similar work through. Originally it was to begin with "the gang" getting ready to depart on their big quest and heading out on their mission and evading guards and staying under the radar and ugh, when does it end? Bang, Sulfur starts in the middle of the desert.

But when do we get to see it?

After my Beta-Readers have had a chance to go through it and reply.

Wait, what? Beta-Readers? You have Beta-Readers?

For Farro I had two teenagers reading it and acting like my cheerleaders. They didn't make any changes despite the grammatical errors, they are just reading it for the fun of it. A couple more Beta-Readers have been added to the Sulfur list because they have asked to be included and I was only too happy to oblige. "Why yes, you may read Sulfur and critique it, as long as you wave a pair of proverbial pom-poms in my face while you're doing it." Oh Beta-Readers, like dogs nipping at me heels.

Bonus Chapter #2

So! Happy birthday to me!

To celebrate, here's a new bonus chapter!

Arreana

p.s. I'm off to dinner! Relax, be cool!

Farro Published

Farro is now available in the following formats:

Kindle Edition $1.99

Nook Edition $1.99

Soon (in the next week or so) Farro will also be available in trade paper for those of you that like to hold the book in your hand. I know I do. Many of you have probably already read Farro, if that be the case, please consider sharing Farro with a friend, leaving a review, or even buying a copy. Thank you for your support, to an indie-author like me it has meant the world!

I'm going to keep this brief. I have lots to do, including writing a Bonus Chapter to help celebrate the release! I'll also be diving right into the sequel next week. Lots to do before then.

Editing is done, Farro is published, I'm sleeping again. Oh happy day.

Love,

Arreana

Days Away!

That's right, I'm days away from Farro's release.

I'm going to keep this short because I'm currently in the middle of editing, but I was beginning to feel as though I were neglecting this blog.

I've started polishing. My checklist in the last three days has dropped from eight pages to four. The biggest task of all? Adverb removal. Jeez, that took me a whole day, but it was worth it. By identifying and revising weak verbs I think I gave the novel as a whole some real strength.

Another task I anticipate taking a long time: Description Day, as described in the last post.

Days away.

Then I can start working on Sulfur!

Thank goodness, I'm not editor.

Love,

Arreana

The Trouble with Farro

So last night I got a very thorough, negative criticism of Farro. I will not divulge the source of this criticism, but, as my first very detailed negative review, I wanted to give it the time I feel it deserves. There are points that I disagree with the reader, that I feel our personal tastes divided our opinions. Other points are shortcomings I feel Farro honestly needs to have acknowledged. What follows is a bulleted list of the issues the critic took with Farro.

• Khensa and Bomani were unlikeable, uncommunicative, and unrelateable
• The narration was unvaried and didn't express Khensa's feelings and emotions
• Descriptions in all scenes is lacking. Not enough of Khensa's senses were provoked/described in said scenes, making it hard for the reader to throw themselves into the story.
• Khensa never describes people by their physical characteristics, but always by their emotional expressions
• The dialogue, like Khensa, was under-developed and irrelevant, it frequently related information of import
• The plot had too many points and felt like a never-ending story

Lots to think about, don't you think? Like I've said, there are a few points were I politely disagree with my reader. To me, and some readers out there, I know Khensa and Bomani to be exceedingly likable. I also feel that Khensa is frequently expressing her pain and trauma through the narration. Other points were stylistic choices, Khensa's language for instance, is restricted in a way Lateef's (should he have been the main character) would not have been. I find myself "dumbing down" the language more often than I find myself intellectualizing it. Second, the dialogue is as realistic as I possess the ability to make it, this is the way I like dialogue. I don't like monologues, I don't like it when characters reveal big chunks of the plot in large speeches, or repeat themselves again and again as if preaching to a classroom of toddlers. These were stylistic choices that obviously put me at odds with the reader.

But does that mean I disregard the whole of the criticism? Hell no!

I feel, like the reader, that Farro suffers from a lack of description. While I'll probably never flat out describe my characters (I come from a lonely school that believes eyes shouldn't be "chocolate" and eyelashes, "smoky"), I feel deep down that I can do a better job describing my scenes. It's always been something of my weak point in Farro. I was always so eager to get to the story, the plot, the characters, that the setting - while fully formed - often took a back seat.

So this is what I'm going to do: this week I'm designating a day called "Description Day". This will pretty much be exactly what it sounds like. I'm going to go through each of my scenes/settings and I'm going to highlight their descriptions. I'm going to expand it, and look again at how Khensa reacts to them. I'll add a sentence and/or a reaction to improve the scene without falling into the "purple prose" trap. There's nothing I hate quite like "purple prose". Oh wait, monologuing, I hate that too.

I invite all the writers out there to do the same. Maybe dialogue is your story's shortcoming, maybe characterization, maybe style, but set a day aside and address it. Don't leave it simmering on the back burner until it's burnt and inedible, fix it now while you can.

Approach each criticism with graciousness. Know that the reader took the time to tell you what they thought, and maybe they even gave you suggestions for how your story can be improved. Don't give in to that knee-jerk reaction of scoffing at the review and disregarding it. Remember what is likely the case: the reader is right, the writer is wrong.

(Farro is on schedule for a early- to mid-May release)

The Writing Process

...for me.

So a couple weeks ago I mentioned off hand that I initially wrote Farro in three weeks. This is true, the first draft went from nonexistent to "the end" in under a month, but I've spend many months more rewriting and editing. I go through stages and writing is (unfortunately) only a single step towards completion.

I thought I would share these steps with you. So prepare yourself for a rather lengthy post!

Step One: Write your book.

The biggest mistake I see aspiring authors making is writing a couple pages, maybe even a couple chapters and then reading over what they wrote. Why a mistake? Because these authors will inevitably see the flaws in their writing and come to resent the whole project. They're likely to even scrap it. This isn't where I'm going to tell you how to write a good book -- I'm not sure anyone can tell you that -- but I will impart to you this one gem of knowledge: Write. Don't make calendars and deadlines and goals, just write because you like to write. Don't look over what you're working on, and don't -- for heaven's sake! -- start a new project right in the middle of the first. You're supposed to be writing for fun, and if all the sudden you find yourself growing bored, introduce a dramatic setting, a thrilling climax, a new character. It'll spice up your story and keep your words coming. That is, after all, what's most important. Just write, we forgive you for the typos!

[Time: 3 weeks]

Intermission: Let it sit.

If you're like me and you wrote your book in a few, sleep-deprived weeks, then this is especially important. You've finished, so give yourself a break for a couple weeks, maybe even a month. Read some books you've been meaning to get to, reconnect with friends, rent those movies you've been meaning to watch. Give the writing side of you a break.

[Time: 5 months. Why so long? Because I needed it. I was tired, and unemployed and I needed time!]

Step Two: The Rewrite

This is where I sat down and focused on character/plot fixes. This is where I went through and extended scenes, cut scenes, tightened scenes, etc.. I took it chapter by chapter, the original document open to one side of my screen, the new document on the other. I reworked those sentences that weren't inline with the narration style, I altered the style completely in tense/action scenes. I did about a chapter every other day, brushing the grit from the surface of the story, bringing forth it's deeper themes and potential.

[Time: 2 months]

Step Three: The Edit

Ugh. Of all the steps this is my least favorite, for obvious reasons. I'm not great at spotting my own typos (see earlier posts for details), so I usually strong arm my husband into helping. First I take a chapter and I read it ALOUD. Why aloud? Because it's the single best way to edit for voice, style, dialogue, word choice, etc. If you do nothing else, proofreading, revisions, etc., then please -- for the love of all that is holy -- read your book aloud. Second, I send said chapter to husband, who does a pass for grammatical mistakes, further word choice advise, and style corrections. Third, check over husband's changes, make sure I agree with all of them, see where maybe I need to rework a whole paragraph in light of his changes, etc. Then it's done. I check that chapter off my list. Hooray Arreana!

[Time: 2 months]

Step Four: The Polish

So all throughout step three I was finding problems, right? Well, the ones I encountered frequently I added to the "Farro Checklist," a now-7-page bulleted list of all the problems that I will ctrl+F and double check in the final stage. I'll format my book here to make sure everything is consistent (i.e. when I say "Kah" it doesn't appear "kah"), I'll check to make sure anything I was unsure about in the editing process gets changed and inputed here. It moves fast, it's satisfying -- who doesn't like checking things off a list? -- and, after writing the novel, it's probably about the most fun you'll have with it. I get to see the final product, to see it come together at last.

[Time: 3-5 days]

So, as you can see, Farro took me a considerable amount of time. Usually books don't take me that long to complete, but life threw me a couple doozies, and I'm afraid the whole project was put on the back burner for a while. Hopefully Sulfur will go considerably faster!

For Writer's Out There

(A quick update: editing is on schedule, Farro should be released for purchase before May 13th!)

I know that some of you readers may be writers yourself or have at least toyed with the idea. Many of you might have heard of the fancy programs now available to assist you in your writing. I've played with a couple of them but have never really used any of them. Why? Because I make up my story as I go along, and many of these programs are designed to aid the writer in plotting, character building, etc. These aren't things I need. When writing I open up a word document and -- bam! -- I start writing like a mad woman.

But I've heard of other people using these programs and really loving them for outline/note purposes. Today I found one that even I was tempted to use:

Quoll Writer

What made it stand out to me? It was clean, fast, affordable and easy to use. The minute I opened the program (trial version) I knew immediately how to use it, and I'm not particularly tech-savvy. Does this mean I'll abandon Word in favor of Quoll Writer? For me, probably not. I've been using Word for over 12 years now, it's what I'm most familiar with. When considering my writing style, it's also the easiest for me to use -- when writing on the fly, you really don't need anything but a blank sheet of paper and go! I would, however, recommend writers out there to check out this program. It really could prove helpful for some of you.

Ninja Typos (a.k.a. Stealthy Typos)

What does this post serve? Not much. Consider this a public service announcement:

"Warning! Beware ninja typos!"

"Well," you ask, "what is a ninja typo?"

Let me demonstration. Say while writing you miss a letter or two, and Word autocorrects it to the nearest approximate word, and sometimes you just honestly type the wrong word (while thinking the correct one). Whatever their origination these sorts of typos are hardest for me to catch. Why? Because my brain sees "demonstra...", registers the meaning, and moves on to the next word before I've even had a chance to see that it's spelled "demonstration" instead of "demonstrate". There are smaller, sneakier words that also frequently bother me: me/my, express/expression (auto-correct loves this one), scrapping/scraping, dare/date (hilarious!).

The best/worst part? Most adults are bad at catching them. Most of these words are "sight words" for us now. Compare these words to less commonly used words like "inchoate, ethereal, ornaments." Our minds glaze over the sight-words, but they're no less susceptible to typos!

Never fear, I've thought up a solution: give your manuscript/essay/research paper to a elementary school student. Sounds wacky, right? But then these small "sneaker" typos are glaringly obvious to a child who isn't used to seeing sight words like "demonstration" and "demonstrate". Can't find a kid willing to read your novel? Then make a list of all these words, a check list of sorts, and ctrl+F all of them. Are you using them correctly in every instance. Unlikely! At least... unlikely for me!

Remember! Editing can be fun if you approach it with good humor. If you're willing to change the most disastrously bad/embarrassing typos and laugh at yourself. "Oh, Arreana!"

Oh, Arreana indeed!

"I date you!" -> "I dare you!"

Hilarious, no?

(Current length of Farro's Checklist [in typed pages]: 7)

Farro Cover!

Artist: Angela Taratuta

Please check out her wonderful art here or here.

She did an amazing job rendering Khensa, it looks exactly how I pictured her. Eerie, really! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

To celebrate this amazing cover I have written a bonus chapter. [While Khensa was off battling Bata in the desert, Bomani had his own set of problems!] I wrote it this morning to accompany the cover. A little rushed but filled with love and excitement!

Love,

Arreana

Cover in the Works!

So I've been working extra hours these last couple months. You may have heard about it. What a wonderful thing it's turned out to be. What wonderful timing, I think, for I would love to commission a cover. I had not anticipated being able to afford one. I had been submitting myself to the wretched realization that my cover must be one of my own creation. How dismal were these thoughts! I've put so much time and energy into writing and editing Farro, only to slap a sloppy cover on top!

But this month I was able to afford it, so I've commissioned an artist to help me. I have seen the preliminary sketches and have nearly wet my pants in excitement. It is like someone coming along and plucking free a character I'd thought would always be locked away inside my imagination. I had no idea a great cover could make you feel this way -- maybe no one does at first. I'm intensely gratified. I have never been more motivated to make Farro as perfect as can be. I never thought I'd see Khensa so perfectly portrayed. I'm beyond thrilled, I'm as giddy as a school girl, I'm rambling.

My artist is working on the design now, when it is finished I shall post it here for all to see, as well as reveal the name of that wonderful person who has lent me their talent and enthusiasm!

Please stay tuned! You won't be disappointed!

Readers, Balm for My Soul

"You already posted today, Arreana, what are you doing?"

Jeez, I'm a nervous wreck today. This monster of a book is sitting on my lap, and I keep wondering, will anyone want to read it? I'm not about to give up, but boy-oh-boy am I ever terrified. I'm glad for everyone's support, it's been immensely comforting today. I've been rereading reviews -- in particular the glowing, over-the-top good reviews. They're amazing! You're amazing.

Here are a couple reviews that have kept me going:

"Fantastic story. I haven't read anything like it, the originality is refreshing, especially the characters. Thanks for sharing." - LanternLight13

"I just wanted to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this story! It is by far my favorite story on fictionpress, and I'm waiting with bated breath for Sulfur to come out." - bluelibellule13

"Ohh, Arreana... I FREAKING LOVE FARRO. DO NOT EVER SCRAP IT. I MIGHT KILL YOU. Any chance we can get a date on when Sulfer will be posted? I promise to review every chapter! XD Good luck for publishing this; you can garuntee at least one copy will be sold." - Schnitzelover

"Anyway, I just wanted to say you're doing a fantastic job. You could honestly be ready for publishing with a few touch-ups and some polishing! Khensa is a fantastic character--and she honestly would be a great "role-model" to your target audience. She brave, witty, sarcastic and got a soul full of courage... and then she's got her weaknesses: inability to trust the RIGHT people (*cough-Bomani-cough*, her temper and her stubbornness! It makes her such a great character... and someone we readers keep coming back too--we just can't predict what she's going to do next! And Bomani. He makes my heart skip a beat. He's flawed and broken and much more a man than I think Khensa can realise. I hope she begins to see him for what he is rather than his title and what his princedom stands for. You've given him more layers in these up-coming chapters-- [spoiler removed]. He truly is a thrilling character to read!" - Bulletproof.cupid

"I absolutely love this story!
It's perfect and the characters and well developed.
I can't wait until you post up Sulfur!" - SummerStorm

There are so many others too, over 200, to be exact, but I only really have room for a sample of all the wonderful things everyone has said. All from complete strangers too! I'm very moved! I hope you will continue to support me as I venture into the world of publishing!

The State of Farro

Editing sucks.

So instead of supplying you, my readers, with some steady stream of witticism, I going to vent about editing Farro instead. Poor you, lucky me.

This wouldn't be nearly so bad if it was more than just me and my husband working on it. It wouldn't be half so hard, or boring, or daunting a task. I have written the story, edited it once, rewritten once, and now find myself editing it again. How I would have loved to have had another person take some of the work load. Say, an editor? I have read every chapter nearly half a dozen times, if not more. (I think I've editing the first chapter over a dozen times by now). This final read through is the worst though. I'm not catching errors as well as I would be if I were looking at it fresh. Worst of all, my husband, who has read it nearly as many times as I, is starting to miss them too. Case-and-point, a conversation between us yesterday concerning a chapter he'd just edited and I was now looking over:

"Kyle! There was tense confusion here!"

"What where?"

"Here, between typo A and typo B!"

"What? How could I have missed that?"

[frowns all around]

I love my husband acutely, he's a wonder with words. He's an unrivaled speller, a walking thesuarus, an opinionated sytlist, but he's not particularly good with punctuation. He's, frankly, rubbish. And his commas? Oh, his commas.

"Kyle! I found a comma splice in [chapter he had just edited], be careful about those!"

"What's a comma splice?"

"..." Awkward silence. "That's okay, I'll handle the commas."

[Ten minutes later]

"Kyle? Why are there a whole bunch of added commas in this bit?"

"Because I felt there needed to be commas."

"Too many commas!" [undo, undo, undo]

He errs on the side of more commas, and when I discovered that, about four chapters in, I told him to leave the punctuation to me. I may be only okay with it, but that's better than extra commas. I hate extra commas. I suffer from over-commating things. Must. Break. Habit.

Damn punctuation.

So I finished Farro's rewrite two weeks ago and how many chapters have I finished in that time? Five. Just five. I'm settling into panic mode just about now. I need to pick up the pace if I'm going to make my deadline, and I have to make my deadline.

To myself I say: "Pick up the pace, Arreana. Finish Farro, publish Farro, beginning writing Sulfur, move on to something new!"

To any readers out there I say: "Thanks for letting me whine! I feel 80% better!"

Farro and Sulfur is here to stay!

Edited: March 27, 2011

So last week I was preparing to move Farro and Sulfur off Blogger -- on a website I'd have room to stretch out. However, after looking into it a bit more, and waffling about what to do, I have ultimately decided to remain on Blogger, which is easy to use and familiar, for as long as I can. Please feel free, therefore, to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I'll be posting updates on Sulfur through these means frequently.

Many of my readers have been messaging me, wondering when Sulfur will be coming out, and I thought I'd take a moment to answer this question:

I will be working on Farro -- editing, formating, polishing -- until May 13th (my birthday). This is the deadline I've given myself. My cut-off date. I could waste months, years fussing over Farro, and that's not time I really have. So I'm going to wrap it up, self-publish it, promote it, and start working on Sulfur without really looking back. So what does that mean for Sulfur? That means I won't likely be going anywhere near it until mid-May. At that point I'll be going into 'writing mode' and will do little else. When focused, I'm rather insomniac, obsessive, and Gollum-eque. Knowing this about myself, I hope to have Sulfur done between mid-June, early-July. I'll take some time to edit and polish it and put it out for the kindle anywhere between August and September.

Disclaimer: this is a rough time table. I am known to overestimate such things, I really am a terrifyingly fast writer when I get into it. I don't sleep, I don't even really eat. You know those hand-held Campbell's soup things? Yeah, that's my diet. I'm hoping to also have a larger group of volunteers willing to help with Sulfur's editing by the time it's done. For Farro it's only been me and my husband and neither of us are particularly great editors.

(On that note, if you are a good editor, and you'd like to beta/edit Sulfur this spring/summer, please shoot me an email. I'd be happy to consider including you on the list! The more beta's, the more errors caught!)

Love,

Arreana

Long Time, No Life

Hi there,

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, and to anyone reading this, I apologize. I've been very caught up in the rewriting of Farro's last couple chapters. Additionally, I've begun studying for a test I have to take for my grad school applications. Additionally, additionally, I've been working extra hours at work while a new server is being installed. My anniversary is this month, both my little siblings' birthdays, and well, Farro is alway a pressing chore. It weighs down on me day in and day out, reminding me, "Arreana, look at me. Arreana, work on me."

And Thursday I worked on it all day, and I finished two chapters (approx. 10,000 words). Friday I took the day off thinking, "I did twice as much yesterday, so I deserve it." Today, Saturday, I'm frantically working to extinguish the guilt my day off has occasioned me. I'm plotting the last two chapters (Yes, I'm down to only the two), because so much has changed in the rewriting to render the original ending completely obsolete.

I've changed so much these last couple months; I've added scenes, extended scenes, cut scenes, softened characters, hardened characters, etc. I've even added a character. I'm gone through and refined my underlying themes and my characters' underlying phobias and traumas. I've coaxed from my main character, Khensa, affection and sorrow, and I've fought tooth and nail to bring out Bomani's anti-social awkwardness. It's been an adventure, but even after the rewrite my to-do list is three typed pages long. Most of my problems are formating issues -- things I need to correct so they're uniform throughout the entire novel -- others are more tedious: plot tweaks, repetitious word removal (ugh, my least favorite), fact checks, etc.

Now I'm just further stressing myself.

I'm going to try to end this post on a positive note. I'm going to address those things I feel confident about; the common problems authors face that I feel I can currently mark as 'done':

1. Pacing - my scene extensions have added depth where it was needed, my careful cuts have removed the fatty lag.
2. Dialogue - I've removed redundancies and shortened the length of most conversations. They flow well and connect better with the story.
3. Overarching plot - when I approached this rewrite I knew I had some huge plot-related issues to fix, those have been dealt with. I now feel that from beginning to end Farro adheres nicely to its story.
4. Characters - if there is one thing to take away from my readers' responses and my own personal feelings, it's my characters are exactly where I want them. They are likable and flawed and have overhanging histories and quirks that propel the plot. They ARE the plot. If I'm proud of anything, its my characters.

But enough horn-tooting. I have work to do!

Love,

Arreana