This writer's life ... The attack of the lazies.

Welcome back creativity. The sun is shinning, the birds are singing - the muse is dancing. Creativity is a strange thing - well in my experience. I can easily understand the link between artistic genius and insanity, (however I seem to be having more of the insanity and a little less of the genius!)

So why haven't I been writing?

For me creativity is a fickle and bewitching thing. She will quite often arrive with the sounds of trumpets and then fade away in the middle of the night leaving me a little confused as to why I'm sitting on the sofa unable to face the WIP.

I'm amazed by some of my fellow writers who appear able to keep up a relentless pace of productivity. I click onto their Amazon site and see that they have produced 12 or so (yes that wasn't a type error) novels in the last two years and I sigh with something like a mixture of longing and perplexity.

You see it's not a lack of inspiration. It isn't writer's block. It's a different beast entirely. The stories are there in my head. I'm often mentally writing whole scenes as I'm doing the school run, the ironing, the hoovering, the commute to work, the shopping, the ... (ah, the joys of the writer mom with day job too)

I too have at least 12 novels all there waiting like little beans tucked up warm and snug in the dark of my imagination but it's getting them actually written. And I can't even say it's a time issue. There has been plenty of time in the last month when I've been sat on the sofa stuffing my face with baklava and watching Man versus Food (Which is understandable because it's awesome but for the third run through?) when I could have been sat at the desk writing the last 10,000 words of my new novel.

Yes, you noted that... the LAST 10,000 words, so the other 65,000 have been written and I'm idling away the time when I should be racing towards victory and pounding my deadline into the ground - which oh, thinking about it was meant to be June. I guess we'll make that July now. (Note to self, go change the dates on website)

I've tried to be more disciplined; to write a daily quota but it just isn't me - my muse just rattles her chains to the point I cannot focus.

Now you see, I'm at the end of this post and I haven't even managed to arrive at the solution I hoped the writing of this would offer LOL. So I guess it's up to you guys to offer me your tips on how to beat the attack of the lazies.

Traditional versus Indie: The Debate Rages On.

So the indie debate rages on and for me on a personal level it's been an interesting week in the arena. Increasingly it appears that the indie publishing movement is gaining momentum with ever more positive articles and references in mainstream media. This week I stumbled across the following article,'Do We Still Need Publishers?' by Anthony Horowitz in the Guardian Newspaper.

It's a fascinating article which came out of a talk he delivered at a conference sponsored by the major booksellers 'The Book People.' It is a brave article too in which he levies open criticism of his publishers' 'services'. One of the most lasting impressions from the article are that his recently published (by Orion) Young Sherlock Holmes book has no less than thirty five type errors; stunning lack of quality control for a professional and established publisher such as Orion. Type errors are rarely tolerated by the discerning reader and can be damaging to a writer's reputation. This lack of quality control is often one of the main criticisms levied towards the indie publishing movement, and it is certainly something you would expect your largely commissioned publisher to protect you against.

So as Horowitz asks 'Why do I need a publisher?' Horowitz offers the following anecdote, "I asked my own publisher why I needed her and she came back with the reply that she'd ring me next Tuesday.'

A major publishing house has many benefits of course; expertise, tradition, contacts, marketing budgets, media contacts, quality control (although this is, it appears, sometimes questionable) There is no denying that there is something to be said for the expert mature hand of an elder guiding you through a scary process but...

There are also drawbacks - big drawbacks and increasingly it is something that successful, talented writers are learning and which is why many are tempted to turn their back on the traditional institution and strike out boldly alone.

Because the thing is, traditional publishing houses are just that - traditional. They have been surprisingly slow to take advantage of the social-media revolution, they have been slow to embrace the creative diversity and talent that e-publishing has allowed for. They have remained almost dogmatic in their screening process for new work - making massive assumptions about readership, and of course they have continued to demand a very large slice of the cake.

Now authors wouldn't mind this if they felt they were partaking in a balanced and fair relationship with their publisher but when you have to do almost all of your own marketing, organise your own book signings, even hire your own proof editors to proof check the publishing house's in-house edits, there has to be simple question - What am I paying them for?

A very dear and successful author friend of mine has informed me that this month she has waved goodbye to her traditional publisher and is determined to go it alone, publishing the second book of her series independently. Since making this bold decision she has been overwhelmed by the sense of community and co-operation within the indie movement. She has had offers of Beta-Readers, designers, typesetters, marketing blog-tours, reviewers and slots on various media platforms as well as many messages of support and notes of advice. As well as all of this she knows that she is going to be banking 70% of her own e-book sales - a nice way to earn enough for a print run.

So yes, back to publishers - there's no denying that for the lucky few who manage to be taken under the wing of a major publishing house and convert their relationship into one whereby the publishing house needs them rather than the other way around, there are massive perks. However there is another way... and at last it's being taken seriously.

Horowitz's article can be read online (edited version) at www.theguardian.co.uk

#12DaysofCreepfest Author Interview: Annetta Ribken

Author Bio:

Annetta has been writing since words were carved on stone tablets with chisels. Not only does she write her own words, Annetta is also an accomplished editor. She lives just outside of St. Louis with her evil feline overlord, a rescued shelter cat named Athena


"Athena's Promise" synopsis:
Compared to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, meet Pallas, the heroine of "Athena's Promise". As the front desk manager of a hotel on the edge of Zombietown, Pallas is used to dealing with angry centaurs, surly trolls, and zombie housekeepers. The trouble really starts when one of her guests ends up dead. But that's not her only problem.

A cop with an attitude – can he be trusted to be more than just a pain in her ass or does he have a more sinister agenda?

A new Guest Services Manager, out for her job and ready to sacrifice anyone in his way – what does he really want?

The attractive maintenance guy, endangering the promise she made out of necessity to the Goddess Athena – does he know more than he's telling?

A mermaid diva, whose show at the Sparkling Butterfly must go on – or else. Pallas needs to find the killer, and fast, or she'll lose her job, her home, and the ragtag family she's adopted out of her crew of "critters". In the course of the investigation Pallas uncovers connections to a nasty Oddities dealer deep in the heart of Zombietown, forcing her to expose a trauma from her past which could threaten her future.

With everyone and everything she loves in danger, the promise made to the Goddess Athena may well damn her if she breaks it, but she is bound and determined to save her friends, her home, and everything she's built.

No matter what it takes.

INTERVIEW:

In 140 characters, describe your private self.
Silly, serious, loyal, focused, addicted to words. Professional hermit with a deep allergy to the Out. Cat lover, mother, grandmother, but only 19 years old in my head.

In 140 characters, describe your writerly self.
I am a driven workaholic with an overactive imagination and a number of storylines I'm trying to untangle. I love the creative process; it's exhilarating and amazing fun.

Tell us more about your current work and projects.
Every day is different, which is one of the things I love the most about my job. I have three editing projects going on in various stages; working with a client on a large project; poking around trying to get "Athena's Chains", the next book in my trilogy plotted; several shorts planned. A boss of mine used to say, "Busy is good." I agree.

Which writers are your biggest influence?
Stephen King and Robin McKinley. I think Stephen King is amazingly talented in the way he brings people to life. There are very few books I've read of his that I feel I could not recognize his characters were I to bump into them on the street. I admire that more than I can say.

Robin McKinley has a beautiful, lyrical style that really appeals to me. Her book, "Deerskin", moved me in so many ways. I love taking a fairy tale or established mythology and give it a good twist, which is what she does here without the usual happy ending. It's a fabulous book.

What is your favourite book / story of all time?
This is too difficult. I would say if I were on a deserted island and could only bring one book, it would have to be "Dragonriders of Pern" by Anne McCaffrey.

How do you like to bring the 'dark side' into Christmas?
I like to watch Christmas movies like the Blade Trilogy, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Grinch is my hero before he gets all mushy. Christmas today is a whole lot different than when I grew up, and I don't like it much now. I try to avoid all the commercialism, the sales, the pressure to clean and cook and shop and wrap and bake and…well, you get the picture.

Describe your perfect fantasy Christmas day.
My perfect fantasy Christmas day would start off by coffee served in bed by a naked minion, while another naked minion cooks dinner. My kids would be here with my grandson for a visit, and we would enjoy the cookies made by yet another naked minion.

Well, maybe not naked if my kids were here.

After a nice meal, everybody goes home. Go on. Get out.

Which six famous figures (dead or alive) would you love to have sitting at your Christmas table?
Nathan Fillion, Stephen King, Louisa May Alcott, Adam Levine, Queen Elizabeth I, Anne McCaffrey.

What are your New Year wishes?
Health, wealth, and happiness. Oh, and world peace. That would be nice.

Just for fun: TRIVIA

Christmas pudding or Stilton Cheese?
Cheese.

Bing Crosby or The Pogues?
Bing.

The Queen's Speech or Taking out your own eyeballs?
Taking out my own eyeballs. Or maybe taking out the Queen's eyeballs. Hey, I know! Eyeballs that talk with the Queen's Speech!

Turkey or Ham?
Roast beef.

Brussel Sprouts or Carrots?
Roasted Brussel sprouts. MMMMM!

Jolliness or Bah Humbug?
Jolly humbug. Heh.

Buy links:

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