S.M. Butler's Blog, page 6

I had a few of you want to get the serial fiction posts, but don’t necessarily want the extra behind-the-scenes and the video stuff that comes with Patreon membership. Because the Patreon is for me as a creator, not just as an author.

So instead of complicating the Patreon with extra tiers, I created a Gumroad account where I can send you guys installments of JUST the Bloodlines serial and any subsequent short fiction from the Bloodlines world that I may write outside of the serial’s timeline.

If you are someone who has mentioned this to me before, I am listening. It just took me a bit to get something set up right for you guys. I’ll be sending out installments every Thursday around 10 am Central for subscribers, same as for Patreon, but it will only be the serial. If you want to help out with funding videos, be part of the growing community there, or help fund with anything else that I do online, Patreon is where all that will go.

You know, I always forget to take a few days off from writing when I finish a book. I immediately start on the next project and then wonder why I can’t seem to get anything done for a week. You’d think after eight years of publishing and writing, I’d have some idea of what I need.

Something inside me hates not writing. And so, every time I finish a book, I inevitably want to jump into the next, but even when you love writing and can’t imagine not doing it, a person needs a mental break occasionally.

So this is where I’m at this week. Bloodlines the Second is written and scheduled through the end of April. Written through the end of May, but those words need another pass before I schedule them out. But… I’m just not feeling the writing right now. I think it’s largely because I’ve spent the majority of the last week getting the final files for Amethyst Dreams uploaded and ready to go for next month’s release.

Now that most of that is done… minus the audiobook stuff… because the book is hella long compared to my romantic suspense books… My brain has checked out completely.

I’m not going to fight it. I’m going to take a couple of days off from writing-related things. Because my next project is Reapers 3 and that book is such bad shape it’s going to need me firing on all cylinders to fix that mess.

I still sometimes feel a bit of guilt when I don’t work on writing stuff. But not taking any time off is not good for my mental health. I’m a binge worker by nature, which means I’m perfectly happy to spend a good month straight writing a book from beginning to end… but I need to remember that when I’m done with the binging, I need a few days to recover.

To sleep. To eat right. To reconnect with family.

You know, the stuff I probably shouldn’t ignore when I’m binge writing.

But whatever. This is how I do and changing that didn’t make me more productive or happier. So I’m embracing my weirdness and my writerly quirks… and taking a couple of days to Netflix-binge and read some books I’ve been hoarding. And you know, work the Sucky Job That Actually Pays My Bills.

I’m so stupid excited right now. Last week, my Patrons got to see this cover and I’ve been stewing on it, dying to show everyone this cover. Then I uploaded the files and realized Amazon got it up within hours, which was a lot faster than I thought it was going to be. Annnnnd, here we are.

So, finally, the time is here. I get to show you guys the cover for AMETHYST DREAMS, the first book in the Bloodlines Chronicles, coming to you May 19, 2020.

Nicola Casimir returned home from World War III a war hero, though she wasn’t exactly given a hero’s welcome and she didn’t want one. As a “collector” of magical artifacts, Nicola found an outlet for the guilt and resentment she carried as a result of her actions during the war. The thefts and schemes she carried out eventually landed her in prison, where she was content to live out her life.

When her old mentor and commanding officer comes to visit with an ultimatum that her conscience can’t take, she turns to the only man she knows that can’t be bought or coerced: the federal agent who pursued and arrested her.

Embroiled in a conflict that turns out to be a lot bigger than she originally thought, Nicola must somehow find a way to navigate through it and come out on the other side unscathed.

Pre-order links: Amazon | B&N | Apple Books | Kobo

I have realized (finally) why I’m so inconsistent with blog posts. It has nothing to do with me not wanting to post or anything like that. I love this blog, and it truly gives me a wonderful way to sit down, grab a coffee, and talk with you guys.

It has to do with where my head is. Mainly, braindead, but that’s beside the point.

I’ve realized over the last couple years that when I’m in-between books or in the brainstorming stage, I find my way over here and just start a vomit of the fingertips over the keyboard. But when I really get into a book, when I’m so engrossed in the story, I forget that there’s anything else out there. Social media suffers, this blog suffers, everything just gets pushed to the side.

And as much as I’ve tried to discipline myself to come here at least once a week to post, I don’t always make it while in the throes of writing a book.

Why do I mention this?

Mostly because I just figured it out and it fascinated me. I don’t always realize what kind of quirks I have as a writer or what weird sort of routine I get into, particularly when it involves several months of a process. But it’s fun to see some aspect of myself that I’ve never really noticed before.

So, that was my fun discovery of the day.

I wrapped up Bloodlines the First today… for the most part. The final eBook files are uploaded and should be up for pre-order soon. Cover and title reveal will be right here on the blog next week, with a newsletter going out around the same time.

I still have a lot more work to do for that book. I have to record the audiobook. I need to finish formatting the paperback version and get that uploaded (as well as the hardcovers.) And I need to get ARCs ready to go for those who will be getting them.

Other than that, I’m feeling pretty good about where I’m at in the process, and I’m taking a nice breath before I dive back into the madhouse with Reapers 3 next.

Because the universe understands that I’m going to need all kinds of strength to deal with that hot mess.

A couple of days ago, I finished revisions on Bloodlines the Second. I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but I sort of hate revisions. I’m a discovery writer, so that means I discover the story as I write the zero draft. But that also means that my revisions that eventually turn into my first rough draft are pretty hefty because I have to figure out all the stuff that outliners have already figured out before they ever put pen to page (or fingers to keyboard… whatever).

To show you guys how it generally goes for me, I uploaded this video about the Bloodlines 2 revisions, complete with numbers and everything.

I’d love to know what you guys think so let me know! If you’re not subscribed to my YouTube channel, you really should, because I suck at cross-posting them here.

Only a few more weeks until we’re done with Bloodlines the First. I’m really starting to ramp up the publishing side of this project. I’m finishing the copy edit this week and will be sending it out for proofreading soon. I have a title I think I like, but I want a cover for it before I announce it. And I’ve realized that I have no fantasy skill set when it comes to covers and that’s something I might try to work on over the next year.

But in the meantime, I’m actually hiring out this cover, so hopefully, once I have a cover, I can give you guys the scoop. LOL.

If you want to read this installment and the 30 others that are locked for Patreon members, you can support me on my Patreon page. I also post more weekly updates, the occasional private video, and some other fun stuff for my patrons. They also get publishing news before anyone else. I’d love to see you there!

Bloodlines 034. I really wanted you to live

There’s been a few discussions in my writer groups on Facebook about having accountability for our goals and our writing. Which is what led to what I talk about in this video.

I don’t have a lot of accountability partners these days, at least, not for writing. Which is fine. Because I hold myself accountable in other ways. Like doing these weekly planning videos. Because if I don’t do anything, I have nothing to talk about for the week, and then I feel bad about myself. LOL.

I didn’t realize how much I relied on these videos for my accountability system until I was working on my monthly check-in for my quarterly goal milestones that I realized that the times I do the worst or make the least progress are usually when there’s no one to know that I didn’t do anything.

So, if you’re struggling to write that book, or finish some project, take a look at who holds you accountable to what you say you’re going to do. If there’s no one, how are you yourself going to hold yourself accountable?

I hope you guys have a fantastic weekend, my friends.

I’ll talk to you next week.

(see what I did there? Now I have to post next week… LOL)

For your reading pleasure, the 33rd installment of Bloodlines is up for Patreon members. If you want to read this installment and the 29 others that are locked for Patreon members, you can support me on my Patreon page. I also post more weekly updates, the occasional private video, and some other fun stuff for my patrons. I’d love to see you there!

Bloodlines 033. The impenetrable prison

I decided when I was planning out my 2020 goals that I was no longer going to let working a full-time job interfere with my writing. Yes, when I come home, I’m exhausted, both mentally and physically. When I get up in the afternoon, I’m still exhausted. LOL.

But I gave myself a timeline at the beginning of the year. Because this is the year I’m going to go completely freelance. Yes, it’s going to take some time, because I’m not making a full-time income from writing or the audiobooks I record or the stationery shop I really want to open but haven’t yet.

You might wonder… what does this have to do with writing and revisions? Very little, really, but it’s on my mind as I work on Reapers 3 revisions. The reason is… I’m trying to keep a habit going. I don’t write every day, but I do most every day. My goal is to write every day, without fail, but I’m not going to give up on that goal because I miss a day here and there.

And since I started this writing habit, I’ve gotten more done in the last 43 days than all of 2019. Not by tackling huge word counts every day, though there have been a few big days, and I think sticking to this write every day goal has contributed to that a lot.

It’s kind of like doing 10 situps every day. You do your 10, some days maybe you don’t have time. But eventually, you finish that 10 in like five seconds so you decide to do 20 or 30. Pretty soon, you’re knocking out 50 situps a day. That’s been my experience with this writing habit goal. When I started, it was 250-300 words a day. From there, it’s just grown.

Probably the biggest factor in creating this new writing habit was my Patreon. Because I committed to posting an installment of a novel every single week of 2019. Which meant, I had to write it, I had to edit it, and remember to post it. It was really hard for the first few months. I had to keep up with it and I didn’t have a finished draft. Eventually, I wrote ahead of where I was posting and managed to finish it weeks before the installments needed to post. A large part of that was because I built this great writing routine.

I think because I did that, I’ve managed to get light years ahead on Bloodlines 2 and get a huge chunk of Reapers 3 revisions done at the same time. Because I’d work on one project, hit my daily goal, and usually surpass said goal. But I still felt like writing, so I’d pull out the other story and work on that one. Because 10 situps isn’t enough for me anymore.

So all of you struggling to write with a full-time job that exhausts you, trust me I understand. Start with those 10 situps. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to make excuses as to why you can’t do them.

If I can do it, you can too.

If you’re interested in learning more about my revision process, this week’s video is about how I start revisions on my stories. Give it a thumb’s up if you like it and subscribe to the channel for more videos like this!