Where Have I Been?

I've been under a rock. There is no excuse for not writing as often as I could be. However, the great news: I have a new book on the way! I was 99% certain this morning I'd be approving the new book. Instead, I decided to flip through a section of the book, I rarely focused on in previous editing attempts and was stopped by a glaring error. So I had to fix that. Since I was in the mood for re-uploading the file, I went and tried a little experiment and fixed something that was literally trivial but the fix made my heart feel better about layout.
So "On the Shoulders of Giants", my latest book for The Company (not to be confused with the general Hollywood euphemism for the CIA or any other Federal agency) is actually a 3 part book series. I had started in June organizing all three books, I actually thought I could publish all three books by the end of the summer. But I realized, there were some major holes in my research for the bulk of two of the books--so I focused on this third book, the biographies of people who contributed to science, 43 different people in the field of science and their accomplishments written for students who need modified curriculum. For every 1-2 pages of biography, there are 2 different sets of questions. One direct W/H questions (Who, What, When, Where, How--no "Why"..that's a different level of thinking), and the other more about encouraging research and finding answers to relate to the readings. Every biography had a map of the modern birth country of the scientist, a timeline of the scientist's life in perspective of the timeline of history that modern history recognizes, and then one illustration that relates to the reading of something that the scientist is connected with.
This book was intended to be a capstone on an already epic series. And then when I moved it to be my sole focus, I do think it lost a little edge, and then I went into the publisher to start setting the book up for publishing. And then there was a problem. A major problem. At 200 pages, with about 175 pages that had color, the book would have to be priced at nearly $50 for The Company to make any reasonable money-- our usual royalty is from $6-$10 per book. That amount broke our general rule of trying not to charge more than $30 to every customer.
We hemmed and hawed painfully for a few days. There are some things that aren't worth fighting for, we put the customers first. The book illustrations were redone: all to be in black and white. It was challenging at first, because we didn't know what would translate well in black and white-- it turns out nothing did so we threw away a lot of original illustrations and used some very old, old graphic tricks like patterning to get the effects we wanted, not just removing the color from the graphics. We tried just removing color from the graphics. It wasn't enough to be visually clear.
So right now, we're waiting to hear back from the publisher. We're 99% certain we'll be approving the draft as final tomorrow. (Yes we know we were 99% certain we'd publish to day, but give us our hope!)

Getting In For the Long Game

It took me three years to get off my butt and finish converting all the images from "The Bard In Stick Figures" into true graphics. The downside, the print on some of the images became too small to read as a result for digital publication. But the good side of all of this, it means that the graphics are ready to go for the new publication. Other issues we ran into include that the publication works best in horizontal and not so awesome for black and white only tablets which still represents about 60% of the market base (including me!). But it's still better than "nothing".

In my personal writing endeavors, however, I'm stumped. My characters have one sided relationships, they do not share what they like about each other, I suspect that one of my characters, no matter who she would end up with, it would not be easy for anyone.

Despite setbacks, one of the things I really like about writing is the process. Just getting the words on the page and not worrying about the artful imagery, though at times, that proves to be useful. Knowing what I see in my characters and needing to bring that out and share with others is very important to my work.

And I did not win any lottery. So back to the salt mines to do taxes.

Editing

Editing is the bane of my existence. Fortunately, for me, I make either subtle mistakes that I can ponder over, delete, and re-word into a simpler manner, or I make huge errors and freak out that they are giant glaring mistakes.

Today, looking at the manuscript heading to the publisher, I removed three pages and then had to sort through some tricky issues with the index. I have to admit, I do the index in a most strenuous manner, but there's got to be a better way sometimes. But on the upside, this upcoming publication has nearly five pages just of sources.

Almost ready to send to final publish. On a second 24 hour hold. We will see.

So many things

Hi Again!

The irregular posts are returned!

I am actually looking at three short stories that I'm trying to build into a book. I have four books I'm in progress, the hardest with over 500 hand drawn illustrations. And I'm still a little confused why I choose to tackle these artistic challenges.

So I'm about 15 images into 500 illustrations. This may take longer than I anticipated.

I'll be back to blog soon. Lots of work needs to be done.

Things that make me want to quit

I've been really working on focusing on one part of a project at a time. It helps prevent the waterfall of emotion that comes with looking at the list of books I want to release over the next five years.

Today, for example, I finished the first draft of a new Stick Figure book. I don't have illustrations yet. I just put text together. I haven't figured out how I'm going to handle quotations because of the way this particular story is set up. But the whole story is laid out finally, in a feasible framework.

Over the next year, I hope to start drawing the characters I expect will be in the story and then illustrating the story as I go through.

I sat back, I enjoyed finishing that draft. I put it away. I'm not interested in dealing with that text until next summer. It can sit on back up until then.

Then I moved onto scanning all the illustrations I created. Unlike other times I've illustrated books, especially books I'm publishing, I didn't need that list. Well guess what, I needed that list.

Illustration problems: you go out of your way and create what you think should at least be 55 original drawings for your written work (which is still in the research phase, but the Illustrations are very important to the final product which in early test phases are probably going to be spread out over two books. You spend an hour scanning these original pieces of art to add into your text after digitally adding color. You count your scanned works in the folder. There are 52. 5 of which you can verify immediately as to what they are illustrations of. The remainder will have to individually be checked off a list you thought you didn't need to create. After this series is released: I need to take some serious time off illustration because this drives me nuts.

 I suppose I could always apply and try to get this manuscript taken and published "for real" but I would still have the issues of incomplete data and the fact that everything is just too dense in the real world for the subject matter I create.

Meanwhile, I'm carefully cropping and preparing the illustrations I do have, trying not to go figure out which drawings I'm missing. Who am I kidding? I will be doing that tomorrow.

Copy rights and other things

A good author should always be writing. The problem with my life: I'm not always doing so. Some of it is there are parts of my life that are not involved with writing; sleeping, eating, self-entertaining (TV/media), friends, and stuff writing related (research, illustrating, and editing).

So when I announced at the end of last month I had finally produced a second edition to a book I had written two years ago, I was over the moon with joy. Today, I'm sitting and waiting for the physical proof of a second book in a series to arrive so I can check it for publishing. 

I have also started five new projects, two of which I sent to a pay to use publisher that was about a week of work for both. The remaining three non-fiction projects include intensive research one that requires reading Homer. I've got to say that while I am versed and highly skilled in research, even before the advent of Google, research is a pain. You've got to be extraordinarily organized and prepared for anything that you will uncover.

And then there are no less than three fictional works in progress. I realized last year during NaNo, I was feeling rusty, as if my written work was suffering from my lack of connection to the worlds I was building, even if the world as we see it wasn't that different than the world in the piece I was writing. The good news is that these written works have been started, yet they are hardly publishing level. I don't know if they will ever be ready. I worry about that because that is my goal, to have work prepared for people to share. 

Then there is blogging, I need todo more of it, and hold myself to the deadlines because clearly that works during the 8 months a year I blog for the Company. I am getting better. 

An announcement of no small proportions, I've just formally registered for a copyright for one of my books. I'm thrilled and scared all at the same time. Hopefully the Office of Copyright will see fit to bestow one of their precious certificates on me. I won't know for 8 months. Previous works are actually protected by common copyright law. Having been published is enough to generally protect the work but this last step is an important legal step.

There is a lot going on in the world of writing. I enjoy [almost] every minute of it.

While I have you here: I'm now a part of a campaign #BetterTogether. Using this hashtag is meant to help promote inclusive communities for people with disabilities. Hopefully I will have cause to use it soon.

Four Hour Work Window

Because it is summer time, in order to conserve electricity for more important uses like air conditioning, I tend to only have a four hour work window. This is from around eight in the morning until noon. During this time I also have things like doctor appointments, getting things set up for the work day, or other errands that tend to occupy my time.

So, those are pretty big stumbling blocks considering I've only been out of official work since Thursday afternoon. But apparently chipping away at a revised edition since last September has finally paid off. Six days after getting out of work: one book is at the 99% completion mark as per my publisher's requirements right now.

Some things I regret about the second edition: I pulled out the beautiful, yet useless, map art work pages. There were ten pages dedicated to just pure artwork. And it took some convincing on my part to let those pages go. They were pretty, as far as computer art without depth goes. But since they didn't really contribute to the book, and they were taking up valuable physical space, they were pulled. I also removed over fifteen pages of communication icons. Those were useful, however, due to the nature of the publisher I am using, I can't leave more than two pages blank and then, the communication icons wouldn't be as accessible as possible. However, they are published through another website and are easily purchased for a few dollars.

I also took advantage of some formatting changes and aligned the glossary to look more like the glossary of the Just the Words series and the upcoming books that may partner with Finding It in the World: Geography.

But I'm pretty excited. I should be able to "sell" the book soon. Meanwhile, my four hour work window has closed. Time for me to find non-electronic work to focus on.

What Is My Brand?

I've been entrenched in branding for the better part of nearly four years now. I had to "brand" a company when I first created it. This means I had to (and my partner would have to agree at the time),

• What colors would be used in the company logo?
• What direction would the company head?
• What social media platforms would we use to communicate with the world and why?
• How to convey messages through the platforms?
• When to update and why?
• How to document the journey of being a really small business doing some pretty big things.

This is completely separate, and why we bothered to set up the company, and why when my business partner left, I continued on and had to do the extra leg work to get the company back up to speed as a sole proprietorship.

But as an author who publishes separately from the company: what is my brand?
Is it me?
Is it the professional me?

Sure, me the person and me the author share a LOT in common. For example: we are both HIGHLY motivated by awesome chocolate chip cookies. I like to write. I've enjoyed it even when I didn't know which words were going to come next on a page or when I typed. And yes, I'll say "we", went to architecture school.While I currently Tweet as myself online, it doesn't necessarily mean I've tweeted as an author, nor does it mean I've set up a Page as an author through Facebook or even Google+.

But how much of "me" am I sharing? Did something I do with my characters resonate with the way my life went? Certainly not always.

"Me the author" really likes to write romance. And it took "me the person" a while to come to terms with that fact. In fact, perhaps, this may be the first time I've publicly admitted that fact although I've not made that the focus of my previous publications.Look, there is no more poerwerful force on earth than love. Love between family, love between people willing to tough it out and start a life together, or love between a person and their pet. [Please do not confuse that previous statement with "having sex with".] Love is a binding force of our universe. Perhaps greater than all four of the types of gravity that are recognized in physics. (Oh, by the way "me the person" is a pretty astute geek and nerd on the side in case sometimes you forget.)

I can also admit, "Me the person" often decides that "me the author" will just have to "wait" while I play video games, run a million errands, or spend time with friends.

I find that my brand as an author takes a different roll every time I open the first draft of my latest work. And I am writing again. Perhaps it will work out this time and I will get a chance to publish. But first come ParaEducate's publications. I publicly announced two months ago, I would be releasing at least one book. I'm nearly ready on a second book which means I should probably start designing covers. Or other projects. Or video games. Or family, eating, sleeping, working jobs that pay a regular paycheck, or friends.

I think I found my brand: Always busy.....

The Post NaNoWriMo Blog Wrap-up

My NaNoWriMo has been validated. And an impressive 55, 118 words was the final count.

What I learned this year: I have gotten rusty when it comes to fiction. I am not reading enough different materials anymore and I am not developing my characters the way I need them to develop into deep creatures of habit.

So what I may end up doing next year is finding characters I have already worked on or at least tried to work on previously and finding a deeper story to provide the depth and the generous story quality I know I can create.

I also happen to know that I am not creating those moments for my characters, moments that I hold in deep emotion. Those have been harder to create this year.

The best news: the growth out of the deep dark that I can write was not nearly as bad this year. I could write a dark, emotionally haunting scene, and as an author I could walk away and not feel the emotion boiling over limiting my ability to recover.

I don't know if that is a reflection of maturity as a writer, or the fact that I did not care about my work this year.

As for my company books that are pending: I have five or six books lined up and I just need to get them to be organized.

So new goals:

1. Write more. This isn't a quantity, this is a discipline. And more in fiction.
2. Remember that I can only improve. Or at least that is my goal to continue to improve.
3. Ignore the goal of publishing. It would be great if I was worth lots of money from my writing, but it is not the only thing I can do.
4. Know that I am in this for the long haul. I like writing. I always have. 

NaNoWriMo 2014: done. And now a little time to relax while I prepare some books for my company for publication.

Why NaNo2014?

Or better yet, why NaNo at all?

As a person who generally walks down the street, I am normally not thinking about the sidewalk, or things I see, hear, or smell specifically in much detail. My world lives and dies the way I write, the way I think, and the way I need to convince someone else to think.

Writing is probably the easiest way for me to do this. I've been very reluctant orally to express my thoughts.

But while I write describing every last item within reach of my characters, I know completely that over half of that dribble will be cut away. None of it matters, but it mattered to me because I am trying to build a world that I know almost nothing about even if it is very similar to my own world.


So far, so good, crossing 2000 words after an hour and a half of writing yesterday. Going to try for some more today. My goal this year officially is 55,000 words. I would _really_ like 60,000 just to say I was able to make it.

Other complications: the blogging I do for the Company. That's at least an hour or two once a week to develop the topic, edit what I have written (sometimes rather poorly I might add) and then send it through the social media whirlwind.

But I can't abandon the idea of NaNo after nine years. I like the dedication I am required to have to help hone discipline I rarely use in the rest of my life. Although, upon brief reflection that discipline would serve me better if I used it more often outside of NaNoWriMo.

Time to get cracking. Another 2000 words await being placed on the page.

What have we learned?

So, I am excited to announce that I have selected "Approve" from the publisher. And they must have been thrilled too because within 5 hours the amazon page was up. I know. They had all then information for weeks, wouldn't take them long.

And I'm exhausted. Not as exhausted as I was at the release of "Finding It In the World", but enough that I know what I will be looking for in the next book.

The primary, early complaint, was simply "Just the Words:Science" was set up as busy work. So the challenge as I approach the History series (which is 6 volumes by the way!) is to find a way to take it out of busy work, reach for the stars, and connect it to relevant CCSS. 

But before all of that can happen, first, a week off, then straight to the library, we have a lot of research to sort through.

How many times? And for what integrity?

The thing that frustrates me the most about non-fiction is the amount of detail that needs to happen. With fiction, of course, as an author, "Well that was explored, but not important to ultimate outcome." But with non-fiction, if a little hair is out of place, it's questionable.

I've spent the last week fixing errors after error that were minor. And the things that should have been minor that exploded into reformatting.

What have I learned?

1) Apparently with my multi-platform set up, I can only handle 240 pages total. Anything beyond that, and the document dies.

2) My thoughts for the History set up is going to change a little because of this lesson. In addition, History will be approached with different purpose.

3) Early complaints about the new book included, "It looks like busy work" And unfortunately, yes, busy work does have a purpose in Education. And busy work can lead to some other things. I will defend later. I apologize for being vague, I'm really tired of trying to stand on this leg of defense of busy work.

4) I _really_ hope that this is the last update. I'm glad I've been vigilant in fixing the errors, it'll look better long term. But otherwise, I'm at the desperate "please let it be done" of the design and finishing.

Drowning in Work

I think the thing I resent the most about being paid for my non-fiction work is the amount of research I need to do to make the bit of non-fiction be truthful. Or as truthful as I understand the world. And yet, I know I will have opposition as I have the words "Darwin", "natural selection", and "evolution", within my own, modern loving country.

But now I sit on my lap with history, and I know there is yet another controversy going to be lead to my feet. But I publish it anyway.

I have blood and gore in my Project Beta. It's being illustrated. Going to publish it anyway.

I have been toying with the idea of getting an intern next summer. Just to help with the research.

But I'm on the precipice of releasing a new book. I'm waiting to hear back from the publisher and I thought I would actually submit something to my Author's blog.

And I want to send a congratulations to my friend Jane. She has known for a while she's expecting. She and her husband, Tarzan, have waited 13 1/2 years for this to happen. I wish them the best of luck.

As for my adventures when I'm not doing work, primarily between the hours of 12 pm to around 6pm to help conserve electricity, I'll be gaming via hand held devices and writing by long hand or through my ipad (which will hopefully not kick off while I'm using it.)

So much to do, so little time. And I want to release at least 3 things this summer. Some people have babies, I have books.

A Ride On A Rollercoaster

I'm pretty honest with this: as a child, and even as an adult, I have a lot of anxiety surrounding things that are considered adrenaline boosting. I don't like being frightened. I don't like things out of my control. And I've only actually ridden 2 real roller coasters my entire life, neither of which I enjoyed.

Last 24 hours has been a wild ride. Actually, the last 3 weeks have been a huge wild ride, but last 24 have been pretty important. And I still don't know when the next loop or drop is going to come.

Most authors can blog AND write on their manuscripts, unfortunately, I let my blogs languish when the pressure is on because I want the moment to be cool when you realize that I've published.

That's right, as of this morning, my company, ParaEducate, has announced the pending publication of Finding It In The World: World Geography Level 2.

Last night with nearly 20 emails as I collaborated with my business partner to finish the first volume of "Project Alpha", I'm certain she was ready to find a way to cut me off digitally. Catching up on comments for edits and then choosing a cover and dealing with the fact that this book had many demands, especially within the last two weeks.

Finding It In The World is an entire adapted curriculum for students with disabilities to use in inclusive education settings for Geography. It reviews the 5 Themes of Geography, the continents, types of maps, natural hazards, geographic features, and selected countries of the world and their cities. We are very excited to have this available for the general public very shortly. I expect it to be available in the next two weeks.

We did choose a cover.

The first book of "Project Alpha". Property of ParaEducate

And as of this morning, we've sent this through social media. The book is now sitting on computers at our publisher waiting for final edits. There will still be work ahead of us, there is publicity and just getting our supporters to understand the material available. But the book is done. I think we're ready to step off this ride.

90% mark

I have to say, one of my favorite parts about having access now to regular publication: I can publish whenever I am ready. Except when my material isn't ready.

This isn't about the reluctant artist. I will deal with that later.

I'm sitting here with my unedited manuscript knowing that I have to edit it, deal with the issues surrounding the final pages and potentially cutting the introductory chapter because it's a little flat.

I worry about the issues surrounding the fact that I don't have a full publishing house to back me up and I'm entirely stuck with my work being what it is and what I could potentially be missing to support my work.

The worries of what I still am missing are there, but also at this point, I lack motiviation to finish things that I think aren't important or as important as they were when I started the book in the first place. After all, who cares if something didn't make the final cut? I have the finished product. And by hook or by crook: it's done. I have to accept the deadline, even self-imposed deadlines.

Other things keep sucking away my 100% focus, but I suppose my business partner and co-authors from other projects will be thrilled with that knowledge.

But 90%. Missing 5 pages, 8 maps, a complete editing, and citiations. So close.

And It's Out of My Hands

I just want to thank you all for your support the past few months as I've prepared my newest book, Sheltered Hearts. It is the first book I've independently published in over 4 years. Sheltered Hearts has just made it to the final check with the publishers, pending a 24 hour review before final publication to go live on Amazon and Amazon Europe.

Sheltered Hearts surrounds Blair Jacobson as she tries to manage the aftermath of her father's recent death. She knows how isolated she is in her life that has been consumed by work, like her father. It is her little inlets to reaching out that helps her and her brothers and sister find that the house they grew up in was more than just a building conceived and built by their father, but the safe harbor they never thought they would ever have.

Still available on Amazon.com: ParaEducate (with Megan Gross, Jennifer Kurth, Ph.D, and Lisa Yamasaki), Putting It On the Line, and Small Voices.

In the next few months I'm preparing ParaEducate's first adapted curriculum book, Geography, and potentially a release of the US History book.

I'm really excited and cannot wait to see what I will get my hands on just around the corner.

Books Are Precious

One of the reasons I keep writing: I have loved books. I love the journey and the story within books. And even as I have migrated to ebooks for some things, I love the tactility of a book. It reminds me that the knowledge and experience within the book is valuable, not to be overlooked.

As I begin the second round of editing of my first fiction book in over 4 years, I'm looking at the events surrounding its concepts and I was discussing this with my business partner from ParaEducate, Megan Gross.

And I admitted that I had to deviate from the original intent of the book. She did poke fun at me about it briefly and yet, as I examine the esoteric nature of my story for the first time in print as I make suggestions to myself to improve the nuances in the story: the romance still remains. Books, written or otherwise are a romantic nature of themselves. It means that the book itself is valued for simply the attempt to reach someone and pursue a series of thoughts that no one else might have been willing to share in the same manner.

But as my book may not rise to the top of the New York Times Best Seller's List, I am reminded that my story never originally wanted to be shared with the greater population. Even still, the population at hand will only ever see my books when they find the need for them. But I am not discouraged. The remains of my thoughts shall live on and on. And if only a small population sees the book, than I have achieved success.

Books are precious. And will always be so.

No, Seriously, I Am Always Writing

As someone who works in a public school 5 days a week for over 190 days a year in the past 2 years,  I have tried to convey to my students that one really does need to know how to write. While the English teachers that I work with admire the direction I have tried to put a spin on the importance of skill building, I sometimes get the idea that no one really knows exactly what I do and how much of "it" I do.

Seriously: I am always writing.

• I write emails for the company, I write emails to my co-workers, I write emails to my friends
• I write short stories
• I write reviews for items and books for a variety of stores
• I write modified texts to let my students access the curriculum
• I write process charts (somtimes also called scaffolds or task charts)
• I write for 4 separate blogs (yes I am crazy)
• I write at least two status updates to FB daily.
• I write text messages to my friends
• I write sample items for my students to refer to when  am not with them
• I write
• and I write
• and I write.

I write as I am falling asleep. I write as I'm going to work, even when I cannot write, whole chunks of sentences form in my head before I even get a chance to pick up a pencil and actually write them down.

I used to write poetry quite a bit.
I still write short stories and novels.
I will always be writing on Project Alpha, the project with no end in sight darned illustrations.

Pictures still are valued at 1000 words. At least. My own hand is much more steady these days.

But I'm always finding an outlet forcing myself to express the ideas in my head that have been placed there by something I've seen or trying to experience or put words to an expeience that I do not quite understand.

The nebulous way my mind wants to work is not much unlike a web one might teach students to use to write with. But it happens in clearer and clearer chunks the more I work at my craft.

I was most recently asked why I hadn't gone into the English department as a major in college instead of heading to Architecture school. And I will be honest: there isn't a lot of money there. But I don't care about making money, not in the way that I don't want to make money, but in the way that money is not the primary decision guide. Architecture was a means to another skill of communication. And I have been able to control a lot of things that I probably would not have been able to without having been formally trained in the visual skills that are required of architecture.

I always was mistified by my friends and aquantances being stimied by the direction to write. I always found it the easiest thing in the world to string words together. I'm not an expert at it and sometimes my direction is more of a stab than a gentle curve. But the words will come.

But always looking for a chance to explain is what is in my head is always the goal. So I am always writing.

Stick Figures

I just posted my first adapted book for sale.

Yes, it is Romeo and Juliet as envisioned as stick figures. While you laugh at it, pause for a moment and ask yourself how many times you had to draw something and you resorted to stick figures to figure it out.

Adaptations do not have to be pretty.  But they have to be able to be maintained and archived well. So those little scraps of paper or the fact you adapt on the fly every time for each student is just not efficient. That's the idea behind Project Beta and Project Alpha. Taking away that time you will spend trying to make it new again even for a student who might be in the same academic bracket as another.

This seems a huge departure for me both artistically and as a writer. But I had to put this out because I believe in the power of adapted materials for students with disabilities. I want my student, despite the fact that he or she may make unusually noises in the classroom, to feel a part of their grade, of their classmate's angst, to be held accountable for the classroom's activities. I want staff to not feel stifled at their work because they do not have the best skills in drawing, or perhaps writing. But all these things intersect, here at ParaEducate. That's why I keep working.

And why I will eventually print a new book soon. Something that might not be an entire series unto itself.

They Aren't Always Good Ideas

My primary training is as a designer. My training had me learn ways people figure things out and how to get the results I wanted. Basically, in the world that I now work in, I'm not only leading the horse to water, salting their food, but there is only one (maybe two) ways to get that horse to the water.

So as I work through new projects to engage my students at work, I'm still a designer.

• Are there too many words on the page?
• Did I call attention to the important details?
• Does the font lend itself to easy reading?
• Is the spacing right?
• How many different ideas am I presenting?
• What are the new words that my student needs to learn?
• (and perhaps the most important question of all) How do I get my student to even care?

This is all secondary to things in a standard classroom. But this is the background of evaluation for each step I'm trying to accomplish.  Meanwhile, I'm also looking at things like, what software do I have available (usually just Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

And there are good days and bad days. The nice thing is, kids are brutally honest. I will know quickly if they aren't going to be successful at what I have tried to provide.

Bottom line: Project Alpha Volume 3 is being piloted. So far, working well. Need more pictures, need vocabulary highlighted, and now to start ways of assessing if the students totally engaged in the lessons.