I'm such a bad blogger! Every morning this week, I've opened up this post, typed about ten words, then deleted them and backed out of the site. It's just not been a blogging kind of week. I always wonder if it's better to keep silent and wait for something more interesting to say, or to at least post something. This week, waiting won out.
And guess what? I still don't have anything to blog about!
Okay, not exactly true.
I had to take my War Machine to the vet this morning because he has a little crusty lump on the tip of his ear. Turns out, it's something called a - get this - ear-tip tumor. And the vet says given his age, it should be the harmless kind and resolve itself in a few months. The good news is, there's nothing wrong with him. The bad news is I had to bother my poor brother on his morning off to come help me wrestle said War Machine because the last time I tried to boost all 127 pounds of Viktor into the backseat of the truck, my back seized up so badly I thought I was having a heart attack. (Also, Viktor's real name is Wolfgang's Riddermark War Machine) Viktor is all ready to make war, but not to actually jump into the truck on his own. Oh, this dog...
Anyway, it was actually fun to talk writing, and character studying, and Daredevil with my poor dog-boosting brother for a little while. We have similar views on character development, and sometimes I need to talk shop with someone who actually sees things the way I do.
I've been feeling a little frustrated lately. Part of it's that mid-book blues. Part of it is wanting to branch out a little. The result is that I decided to just be proactive and plan a non-Dartmoor release for later in the year. Turns out I needed that mental avenue. The idea that I can work on something totally new, totally character-driven, something that harkens back to my earlier works. Don't get me wrong, I do love my outlaws, but sometimes I just really want to write about two people having coffee without the expectation of badassery looming over everything. I haven't decided yet if I'll publish it under a pen name - leaning that way at the moment - or if I'll use my name and hunker down against the slings and arrows.
Either way, I'm hoping for a headache-free, productive week next week, and hoping to have more Candy ready for everyone this weekend.
Happy Friday.
Your writing is beautiful, I love how you develop characters, places, story and relationships. The sign of a good author is the ability to write in different styles and genres - publish in your name and be proud!
ReplyDeleteThank you :-) I may do that yet. I would just hate for someone to go into it expecting something like Dartmoor and then be sorely disappointed.
DeleteFor what it is worth, probably not much actually, I agree with Ange that you should publish under your own name. The description of the book should be enough to let potential readers know that it is a departure from Dartmoor and then she or he can decide if it sounds like a book for them or not. I for one love books with action and violence along with a happy ending. Since my reading-time budget is limited the only occasion I vary from this genre is if an author I really love writes something different. You are definitely in the category for me. I love your writing so much that I would be willing to follow where you lead. However, if you wrote under a pen name and I was not aware it was you I would never choose a book outside my norm especially from a new author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis is good feedback! Thank you. I definitely hear what you're saying, and it makes sense. I'm still a long way from publishing this book, so I have plenty of time to decide how I want to do so. From a marketing standpoint, it would be logical to use my real name.
DeleteBut at the same time, and perhaps this is selfish, I would want the new book, and any I might write in the same vein, to not be burdened by certain expectations. A pen name, hopefully even if I shared it with everyone, would be a way to say "This is different."