In Search of Momentum

Personally, it has been a good month or so,

     I have done very little writing or editing though.  To be honest, I have been enjoying the freedom of just going home, putting me feet up and turning my mind off.  It has been a while since I was able to do this and I have been taking full advantage.  The downside to this, is my writing time and editing has suffered for it.

     That isn't to say I've been completely idle.  I have been focusing on what directions I want to shift with my writing.  The Dragon's Apprentice is working through an edit with the help of Grammerly.  Thought I would give it a spin.  Grimmack is going through... an expansion is the best I can call it.  I want to work on my world building in that book.  That means I will be working to add a map to the front, which may take a bit, and then I will be working on details and events in the chapters to bring the world further to life.  I am not planning on changing the story, I like the story and think it works well, I am more interested in the threads that hold the story together.

     My marketing has changed as well.  I am going to mock up a cover and put Grimmack on Amazon when I am happy with it.  Grimmack's books are going to be about the right length etc.. that I think I can put 2-3 books out a year on Amazon with little issue, if I can keep my focus.  Dragon's apprentice is going to take the place of Grimmack as far as what I try to traditionally market.  And yes, I want to keep trying to play both.

    I have put Grimmack out there enough, I am content to self publish.  Mr. Brady Frost added me to a great group on Facebook that is all about self-publishing and it has whetted my interest in that direction.  That being said, I have never been an eggs in one basket type person and I will continue to explore different options.

     Grimmack, has about nine story lines right now that I have documented that I can work on. Dragon's Apprentice will be a Trilogy.  Under a Broken Moon will be a stand alone, for the moment but it has potential moving forward.  That one I haven't decided where to market, but it is so early in it's lifespan that I am more worried about giving it all the bones it needs to walk.

    That means nothing if I can't focus.  Between doing new house searches, planning for my daughter to go to DC for her History Day competition and everything else, my focus has not been on my writing like it should be.  I am hoping to remedy that soon.

    I am hoping by next month, I will be announcing my release date for Grimmack the Goblin on Amazon... Mwha ha ha.



    How is ya'll writing going?

Ben Marble

If you would like to support Ben Marble and his unnatural obsession with the Ewok resistance, consider buying on of his short stories at Amazon.com

Rolling over Rejection.

That is what life is about folks.

     I finally got my answer back from Grimmack the Goblin, that I had sent into a publisher whom I thought the story would work for.  This was my response.

Thank you for submitting your manuscript entitled Grimmack The Goblin to Unnamed publisher for our review. 

We are always pleased to see new ideas, and we have now completed our review of this material. It is obvious that you have invested a considerable amount of time and energy into this project. Our publishing schedule is quite competitive, however, and as we look carefully at all the issues involved in publication, we are forced to be extremely selective in our publishing decisions. I am sorry to inform you that we are not in a position to pursue this project with you. Unfortunately, the demands of our editorial workload prevent us from sending detailed comments about your work. 

We appreciate your thinking of us and giving us the opportunity to review your work. 

     To be honest, this is about what I expected.  Years ago when I looked at Tor's website they mention right up front that less than 5% of the books submitted directly to them get published.  Submitting anywhere directly I figured I would have a similar chance.  Publishers have to be very careful about what they publish because they are making an investment when thy choose an author.  One might ask, if I knew the numbers where so low, why did I bother submitting anyway?  I will answer.

     If I hadn't submitted, then I would have 0% chance.  I love my story.  I love my characters.  I find myself daydreaming and thinking about situations and stories I can put them in. I have several plot ideas for dear Grimmack to walk through, and even being 75% finished with his second books first draft, I can see the growth the character has gone through.  I think this book, his first book is good, salable, and that many people would enjoy it.  So yea, I did my editing and took my chance.  I am not sorry I did either.  As a matter of fact my other book I'm editing (the dragon's apprentice) I plan on submitting as well to the same publisher.  For the same reason, even though that book is a lot more work than Grimmack to get nailed down and edited well.

     So what did I do when I got rejected you ask?  I didn't grab a pint of ice cream and chain watch Game of Thrones (I can do that without being rejected.) I didn't go through my computer deleting Grimmack's notes and stories in a rage that they weren't good enough.  I did not go online to let everyone know I was a hack and will never be a good author.  I didn't even drive to the mountain top and scream and wail at God because I did not achieve success on my first try with this story.  I did what I feel everyone should do.

     I let myself feel disappointed and a little angry with myself. Those feeling are natural and I'm not going to go blame some editor I have never met because they didn't like my story well enough.  I'm not going to blame my family, God, or anyone else, this was my rejection.  After I let those emotions run through me for a moment, I straightened my back, and got on the internet.  I then found a couple more agents and sent out more queries for Grimmack.

     One rejection is the last reason to stop trying.  five is not,  Even one-hundred is not.  I will keep trying with Grimmack until I graduate DATC next year, which will be about June.  At that point if I can't find traditional publication I will look at self-publishing.  At this moment I don't feel I have the proper time or energy to market myself.  When I graduate though, we will see.

     This is the attitude we have all been told we need to have to be successful.  When you get knocked down, stand up. Take responsibility for your own actions, etc.  They hold true.  The problem is not that we don't know we need to keep getting up to stay in the fight.  The problem is that it is hard sometimes to spit in the eye of rejection and keep going.  That is why I think it's okay to let yourself feel angry and disappointed.  Just make sure you focus those emotions on where they need to be.  Use them to help yourself be more constructive so you can say, "What can I do better next time?"

     That is my plan.  What is yours.  What do you do to help yourself handle rejection.  I don't know if there is a wrong answer here as long as you stand up and get going again.  The taking a moment to down some frozen milk product while watching a show is just as good as turning around and returning a punch by looking for more avenues.  What matters is that you keep going.  There may be miles and miles of road before you make it.  Or it might be over the next hill.

You never know unless you keep moving on.

Ben Marble

If you would like to support the bundle of burning twigs that comprise Ben Marble, think about buying one of his short stories on Amazon.com.

Nailing my Priorities

Guess who’s back, back again!

     So, it has been a little bit.  Time for an update folks.

     Grimmack has passed through edit number three and has now been pushed to a publisher’s inbox whom I won’t name.  I have some hopes here, as I think my story is very fun and solid.  The final product was just north of 50k words which is on the low end of young adolescent to teens which is where I’m aiming this story.  That being said I feel it is something that appeals to older readers as well.  According to the website I should get a response between Thanksgiving and Christmas time.  I was surprised actually as I know that Tor (not the one I submitted this too) has about a six month turn around on a response.

     Now, honestly I am bracing myself for a rejection letter while hoping for an acceptance.  I do believe my story is good, but it is up to someone whom I have never met who digs through these manuscripts to decide if it is something they want to publish. They hopefully will love my story, but they may decide they don’t.  Or they may decide it’s not a fit for their publisher, or… well there are many “ors.”  I have done what I can for now within my sphere of control, for now I have put the story to the side as I wait for judgement.  I also am looking for plan B, C, and so on for if this publisher rejects my story.  Because it doesn’t fit one place doesn’t mean it won’t fit anywhere.

      I have been a little distant from my writing otherwise.  I have been cramming the last few weeks for my Network+ certification and thankfully I have passed.  Now I am on to learning Security Fundamentals and then Security+.  For now, I can take a small breath, but a new test will be on me soon.

     So, what am I working on then?  Well, I am still writing Grimmack 2 on the side.  I also am going to be working on editing “The dragon’s apprentice” which is the other book I have finished that needs some love.  That one I have had on the back burner for a while for a variety of reasons, but I have finally figured out a few things I want to do to fix the story, and while it might mean sacrificing a few darlings, I am looking forward to getting it to a point where I can submit it.

     Oh, and there is this little November thing called NaNoWriMo I am hoping to do again this year.  If you haven’t done it before, you should.  It is a fun challenge for aspiring writers.

      Otherwise life is moving on.  I am continuing in school, working on watching for ways to advance myself in my new chosen career path.  Yes, I want to write for a living, but until I get to that point I do need to pay the bills.

      So, there you have it.  A lot of fun, and work to getting to where I want to be.

      Because, let’s be honest, this is all about priorities.  If I don’t prioritize my writing, then all I am doing is talking.  That doesn’t help anyone, least of all myself.

Ben Marble

If you want to support Ben Marble you can buy his short stories at Amazon.com

Elias Returns.

Another short going up soon.

     That is right, my third short starting Elias will be coming out on Kindle/Amazon.com soon.  I have a little more tweaking to do with it and I will be putting it up.  This was written as a quick break from the world of Grimmack which is also coming along nicely.  I just need to figure out a name for it...

     I have some goals I am trying to achieve in my third edit of Grimmack.  The first is tightening up the language and prose so it reads more smoothly and professionally.  I want to add a touch more world building and detail, two things I know I'm sparse at when writing.

      Life is busy.  I have been working on my Network+ certification and I’m a couple weeks away from taking the test.  Kids have started school again, and we have been stumbling over ourselves to make sure all the million and a half forms sent home by teachers to be signed are attended to.  My work schedule is also shifting, which means my school schedule is shifting.  Good times.

     My goals are still before me.  I am working on my outline for the story I want to write for NaNoWriMo this year.  When November 1^st hits, I want to be ready to meet it head on.  I am poking at agents and soon a couple of publishers on Grimmack’s behalf.  If I don’t have him published traditionally by mid-summer next year, I will instead look at doing self-publication through Amazon. 

     I still have “The Dragon’s Apprentice” to finish editing as well.  My daughter really liked that story and keeps pushing me to get it done.   It will also look at traditional publishing before I consider self-publishing.  I am more than aware of my own limitations, and I know time wise I’m not In a position to market myself if I do self-publication.

     Otherwise, I have no issue with self-publication.  As a matter of fact, with the way trends are turning and media is sliding towards the electronic devices that rule us, I think self-publication will give some traditional publishing a run for its money in the near future. 

     That being said I know a lot of people are hesitant to touch anything self-published and with good reason.  There are some really big steaming piles of crap out there.  But there are also diamonds hiding in the self-published field.  I can think of a couple of authors who self-published first.

     You know, Christopher Paolini and Larry Correia.  Both have written great books, and if I remember right, both were self-publishing before they were picked up by traditional.

     That is my update for now.   Working on writing, working on not just claiming to be an author, but to put myself in the headspace where I can consider myself an author which is probably just the difference between author and aspiring author; Confidence. 

Until next time,

Ben Marble

Critics and Opinions

I'm raising an eye over Suicide Squad reviews.

     First off, I'm halfway through my second of my edits through Grimmack the Goblin.  I will have this run finished by next week, and then I plan on my third run through being a lot more comprehensive and game changing.  Right now I'm happy with the state of the story.  I am looking forward to strengthening my world building and making the third run through my final one for a bit.

     Big thank you to my alpha readers on this.  They have helped immensely.

     If you haven't heard by now the critics are panning Suicide Squad.  This hurts my heart a little as I have been looking forward to watching this moving for months.  And guess what, I'm still going to see it.  Why?  Because critics aren't my end all be all with media.

     I'm that guy.  You know the one who still enjoys watching Ben Affleck's Daredevil every now and then.  That likes (not loves) Superman versus Batman and while admitting there are several issues in that movie can still sit down and enjoy it.  I liked Man of Steel.  I like the Blade movies, and even the campy Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin because I can see them for what they are.  Moments to turn of your brain and enjoy some action.  I loved the Warcraft movie despite the critics ripping it down.  It is a good movie, and I will stand by that.

    If you hate these shows, your point of view is just as valid.  I'm not going to judge you for not liking some of the weird shows I enjoy.  You are welcome to enjoy what you want, even if I don't as well.  If you like Rap and Nickelback, (ok, I like a little Nickelback) we can be friends.  If you vote Democrat, Republican, or flying spaghetti monster may his sauce be upon you, I am cool with that.  I'm going to bring my point back to critics however.

     Critics have the job to let you know if a movie is good or not.  Or a book,  or any other type of media.  They take their expertise (I'm not sure if there is a movie critic school, degree etc... but wouldn't be surprised if there was.) and give the judgement to the movie on whether EVERYBODY would enjoy a show.  Not just the fans, not just the non-fans, everybody.

      I can walk into Suicide Squad and I'm pretty certain that as long as the movie accomplishes some good action, Harley Quinn and Deadshot fun, and somewhat of a storyline I will be happy.  If it blows my expectations away I'll be ecstatic.  I have no illusions that what i'm going to watch is going to be deeply intellectual or Shakespearean.  It is a pop-corn fueled action flick.

     I look at movies that are supposed critical failures and a lot of times I see the critics points.  Avengers one was great because it was the culmination of years of work from Marvel.  Avengers 2 wasn't likely to reach that high point, but when they made it a move that not only had to be a great flick, but shoved things in there to set up the rest of the MCU that baggage dragged it down.  I look at Captain America: Civil War, and that one was great.  Why? Because it was again the Culmination of several things including Avengers 2 and wasn't bagged down by having to set up a lot of new stuff coming in the Marvel Universe.  I still love both Avengers movies, but I have to admit the second one wasn't as good.  So the critics were right to bag on it a little more.

     However, with Batman Vs. Superman, the critics were right.  If I took my daughter who hates super hero movies to it, she would have hated it.  If I grabbed Joe Shmoe off the street who didn't have an opinion, he might have looked at the ending and been, "ummm Martha?"  Or he might have turned his brain off and enjoyed the action.  The critics are supposed to judge which re-action Joe Shmoe is more likely to have.

     With writing I hear again and again authors warned not to read the reviews on their work.  There are some hateful folks out there and they are happy to let you know if they think you suck.  There are also literary critics who once again are judging based on "If anyone picked up this book," not "If a fantasy nerd picked up this book."  It makes the critics opinions pretty much invalid for a large group of people who fit in the fantasy nerd circle.

    Anyway, I've rambled.  In short, Enjoy things because you enjoy them.  Don't let people be they critics or friends make judgments for you.  If you want to see Suicide Squad vs Batman Vs Ghostbusters, go see it.  If you enjoy it, smile and enjoy it.  If you hate it, well you won't know until you see it.

    Just don't let people decide what you like for you.

Ben Marble

     As always, if you want to support this crazy habit of writing you can purchase any of my short stories on Kindle or Amazon.com.  A Fey Deal, The Choice, and The Black Oak.

Grimmack 1.1 done.

Grimmack the Goblin is done, roughly.

     So that means that I am doing a quick run through this draft, and then it will be on to Alpha readers. Ah, that step where I beg people for feedback so that I might get an idea of what to work on and what is working and not working.  This is the interesting part.

     I have already gotten some feedback because I had the advantage of having a co-worker I sent each chapter to as I finished it.  My goal, (and it was achieved a bit) was to have him laughing here and there behind me at the very serious book that is Grimmack the Goblin.

    Really this book is very much a poke at fantasy genres.  It is silly, the main character telling the story is sarcastic, and a bit of a coward.  This book, unlike other was not a slog in parts to write because I had fun the whole time.  If I manage to do anything with this story, I think I have a few more Grimmack stories in me as well.  Like I said, it was absolute fun to write, and I look forward to doing the next one.

     The amazing thing was that this story is much brighter and more fun than anything I have written before.

     Here comes my challenge.  Right now the book is sitting at about 43,000 words.  I'm adding a bit in this edit, but to hit the "standard" length of a YA or younger book I am looking at moving that count up to 50k-75k words.  So, part of what I will be looking for from Alpha readers is "what is this story missing?" "What would you like to see more of."  part of the problem with this also being that there are some arcs I would like to make a whole story out of.  I'm fairly certain that if you read the story you will know which ones.

      So here it is, anyone who is interested in giving me some honest feedback, let me know.  I do not want anyone to feel obligated to read this, but if you are interested I will happily send you a copy to read through.

      I want to state:  I am not looking for an editor, or someone to judge the prose, though if by all means something in my writing style bugs you, let me know.  What I am looking at is people to read this story, and give my an opinion.

      Opinions like, "I think this story would be better if..." or "I think this character needs more development...."  or even "I love this part where..."

     If you tell me I am no Brandon Sanderson, I will be like, "umm... Not trying to write a Sanderson."

    So, anyone who wants to volunteer let me know.  I will keep posting about this story as it progresses.  My hope is to be marketing it in a few weeks.  If from the point where I start marketing it, and six month pass then I will probably look at self publishing instead.  However, I want to try the traditional route first.

Good reading and great adventures,
Ben Marble