Selling Your Soul To The.....Customer?

So I was thinking a little about the upcoming conventions and conferences and such this year and thought back to some advice I'd been given.  I've been looking into self publishing through a company that specializes in that sort of thing, though I can't right now since I don't really have the money.  One of the things that I've heard is that even if you don't have a book finished you should still advertise yourself to your audience.  Set a deadline goal and then promote yourself and your book to the public.  Something that was suggested was going to events that focus on the audience you were looking for and get out there and talk to them. 

I've been debating on doing that for a while now and really in the long run it would depend on how much a table would run me.  Annoying things like rent, food, gas for my car, etc always seem to get in the way of the things I want to do.  How dare real life get in my way? 

I believe the next big event around here would be CONduit, a local science fiction/fantasy convention and it has the audience that I'm looking at.  Would it motivate me and give me a poke in the side that I'd need to finish the book faster?  Maybe, I can't be sure....unless I do it.  It's an investment either way and I guess if I went to something like that, find out if people actually like the idea of my book, then it would be something to tell me "Hey, people actually would read this thing...it might be a great idea."  It's definitely a nice boost to the ego to be able to know you have an audience out there demanding product.  In the end I have to be happy with my story, but it is nice to know that people outside of my awesome writing group would love to hear more of my story.  Though honestly if my writing group were the only ones to buy the book I'd still be really happy cause I love those guys. 

So if I could get a table at the convention, just a small one mind you, I was trying to come up with ways to promote the book.  Banners and stuff are always nice and you see people walking around with those nifty bookmarks but I don't really have cover art for my book and I'm sure that'll cost me some money too.  I'll look into it but I was also thinking of maybe printing out a pamphlet type deal with a preview of my book...maybe say the prologue and the first chapter?  I know the convention's coming up soon so I have to make a few decisions soon.  Any artists out there wanna give me a hand with a cover design?

Also on a side geek note, I just bought a board game from my friend's store, Fongo Bongo Games.  I really shouldn't have but I couldn't resist.  It's the Star Trek Expeditions Game based on the newest Star Trek movie that yes I actually liked, and yes I am a Trekkie/Trekker depending on how you want to say it.  Haven't played it yet but I'm getting off the computer soon to try it out.  It's kinda nice cause it only requires a minimum of one player to play.  Yay!

Since When Is Sleep a Good Thing?

Okay so after yesterday I got the message...sleep is a necessary thing.  I guess I just figured I could make it and cram as many things into my day and sleep later....yeah that didn't work, even with caffeine.  What I should have done is sat down in front of the computer or pulled out my notebook cause I get some interesting things when I'm sleepy but I didn't.  I'm doing some research as I finish up my chapter nine.  Mostly in my head research first, get the creative stuff down and write a kind of 'bible' for my book.  It doesn't have be set in stone but it's nice to have this whole notebook full of history and plans and character details.

Speaking of chapter nine I'm debating on whether or not to follow my usual formula.  The chapter starts with a conversation between three archangels.  Now in past chapters whenever I had a conversation between say God and the angel, and Lucifer and Lilith it became the whole chapter.  The scene between these characters are usually the entire chapter then I move onto Galen and his interactions with others.  So my question is whether or not to have the entire of chapter nine focus around these three archangels, or include what I want to happen with Galen as well.  At this point it's about just going with it and see what happens. 

I recently started reading Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull and it's some pretty cool stuff.  It starts out pretty crazily but I like that zaniness about it.  Pretty good start for my mission to read more, especially since I have a really long list to finish.  Luckily several of the books on my list are audiobooks.  Call me crazy but I love being read to.  If you find an excellent narrator it can be just as good as watching a movie.  With some books when I've listened to them several times it's also excellent to help put me to sleep.  Sounds bad I'm sure but it turns into a kind of white noise that's very soothing.  Right now I'm loving the narrator for The Looking Glass Wars series.  Makes me think of who I could get to narrate my book once it's finished.

One thing's for sure I definitely know who I'd want to star in the movie of my book :)

Demons Are Real....Wait...What?

So world creation's interesting.  I have a lot of research to do but I'm going to try and not get caught up in it and just skim.  It'll be my side thing to do when I get stuck with the book or I get frustrated or the characters are being stubborn and what have you.  Research and Firefly, two great stress relievers.  There are others but we won't get into that cause that'll be an extra long, long ramble.

So I was doing some random searching on the internet for links to the different writing groups and events I've gone to or that I belong to or that I plan on going to in the future and I found some extra interesting things.  I now have a list of writing contests that I want to enter.  Contests always make me nervous because when I write it's for me first then my audience and it's meant to be fun and out there.  I mean in the end you need to pay attention to the technical details but you've got a lot of time to worry about that stuff later.  With contests you need to pay attention to the creative and technical stuff right off the bat.  But it'll be fun and a good exercise to keep me writing so that's always good.  I also have to remember to post some of those links to my group's website, so keep an eye on that guys :)

I can't wait to participate in the A to Z challenge in April.  That also seems like it might be fun and I'm already thinking I should make a list of possible topics so I get a good start.  It's an interesting challenge.

Side note I have to go into work tonight ugh.  I'm going to keep some paper or have my word processor up in case I feel like writing something tonight.

Mmmmm Coffee......

So here's to a fresh start.  I look back on my posts and they seem so impersonal.  I basically forced myself to write something and it had to purely be about writing.  Well this is a writing blog, not a personal diary, but then I realized that my writing is me.  It's completely personal, it's how I think and feel and that shouldn't have to be put into some sort of format.  I'm not going to sit here and ramble on about work or my date last night (ha), or that fender bender I got into last week (heaven forbid).  I'll talk about my writing and everything I'd connect to it, and I'll say it in a way that makes me feel like I'm actually talking to people. 

So on that note I attended one of the most awesome writing conferences two weeks ago.  LTUE or "Life, the Universe, and Everything" over at Utah Valley University.  A three day conference devoted to science fiction and fantasy writing.  Oh yeah, geekgasm.  It was so much fun.  I learned a lot and met a couple of really cool writers.  Even attended a couple of non writing panels such as The Secret Mind of a Serial Killer and a panel on ghost hunting.  Way cool.  I've really been stalled lately and it got the juices flowing.  I finally started my chapter nine!!!!!

If you check out the blogs of a few of my friends they've got more details notes on the conferences panels but I'm not going to go into that.  Going to stuff like that really gets me thinking.  It's one of those events that tells you that maybe you really can do this and be happy with what you produce.  My big questions is always about whether I'm good enough to do this or not.  Then after the conference, specifically the keynote address by James Owen, I realized that I have to be the one happy with what I'm doing.  I want to write for my audience, want other people to love what I'm writing but I don't like what I'm writing then what's the point?  I am the first audience for this book/story/idea and if I don't have fun doing it then I shouldn't be forcing myself. 

Totally attending this conference next year. 

So now a revamped blog, trying to keep a very positive attitude, and get myself out there learning and meeting new people.  Also, love my writing group! I've said it before and I'll say it again, they rock.  Without their support I wouldn't be writing at all, let alone attending conferences and digging into the process of writing.  If you haven't joined a group yet join one and if you don't have one and happen to live in Salt Lake City join our group.  Yes that was my shameless plug for new members....but I'm not sure that works if no one but my writing group is reading this.....lol oh well it's worth a shot.