Self-publishing and Revising:

Right now, there is a lot going on in my life mainly revising and editing little by little. It is a long process, and one that can be exciting like rearranging words, and how even simple ones can have more of a meaning then a long drawn out sentence. I don’t mind it as much since revising means adding details, and making a story better. It also means listening to people critique my work, and not getting mad when they don’t praise my work since first drafts always suck. There is no getting around it either, and a rough draft is better than nothing at all. I have been reading more in between everything and a there are a few good books out there on self-publishing like the review I did, and the link is here: http://wolfdreamer25reviewsforwriters.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-of-lets-get-digital-by-david.html

There are two ebooks I have read cover to cover one is called Smashwords Book Marketing Guide by Mark Coker which explains how to market your books. It even has 30 tips on getting your book out there, and it is really helpful with showing you inexpensive marketing techniques.

*I am apart of the Amazon Affiliate program and clicking on this link will bring you to a purchase site. It will result in compensation for me if purchased through this link.*

The second book is called Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker, and it is amazingly helpful in teaching you how to format your ebook for Smashwords. It even has step by step instructions to formatting your ebook as well as a list of resources to use. It shows you mistakes to avoid, and it teaches you how to work with Meatgrinder the program used to format the ebooks.

In the meantime in between editing and revising. I know that when the time comes to put the Retail novella out I will definitely be ready to implement the techniques I have been learning, and this time I will be more prepared especially with my team in place like my graphic designer, editor, and proofreaders I know I can become more successful especially with their help.

Until next time,

Wolfdreamer25 

VCU, working and Writing

I went to orientation last Tuesday to be introduced to VCU, and I got my ID now. My schedule is 5 classes two are online, and three are at VCU Tuesday and Thursdays. Not a bad schedule for the fall, and it is going to be my first semester at a University. I will talk about the differences between community college and university, and my experiences for people who are going to Community college who want to transfer to a University. 

I am excited, and in the meantime working on editing to get the ebooks out in between working five days a week. I have been reading more ebooks like David Gaughrans Let’s Get Digital, and the ebook Self-Printed by Catherine Ryan Howard. I have been reading more self-publishing articles to get a picture of what it will be like, so I am prepared. Right now I am just trying to work on the feedback, and I plan on doing a review of an eBook I have from an author that contacted me over Facebook too. I will find the time to get everything done, and do the reviews. It is just a matter of finding the time in between everything. Life is just one learning experience one after the other, and really I love the way my stories are shaping in the rewrites. I forgot how fun the editing process is, and how it all comes together in the end. I have also learned more about life, and people along the way.

Until Next time,

Wolfdreamer25    

So it begins…

I graduated school Monday, and I loved it! I had fun that day, and I even got a shirt. Since school is over until the end of August I will be working five days a week, and working on the ebooks too.

 I also had an idea to have an awesome indie post featuring books by independent authors. I love reading from them too, and since I am an indie author myself it works out. I chose to become one for the higher royalties, control over everything, and I really don’t want to change my story because of a publisher. I love being able to do things my way, and reaching out to people to help along the way. I have been meaning to read more, but I am enjoying the absence of stress thanks to school. School was stressful for me, and now that I don’t have it things are different. Now I can work on my writing career, and my blogs. 

I am going to get the feedback for the retail story today, and work on making changes all day tomorrow. Then giving it to the editor, and working on the second ebook changes. Then giving Revenge Against the Ex to the proofreader afterward, and after I get back the changes from the editor making the changes, get the cover and publish. Then do it all over again for the second. It is a long…long…process, and when the second ebook is finally done I will  combine both ebooks into a paperback for readers who prefer that format.

That is all I am going to say for now…

Until next time,

Wolfdreamer25 

School is Over

I took my last exam Tuesday, and I passed all my classes which means my GPA is a 3.0. I am really happy to say I will be graduating with an Associates May 11^th! I am finally happy community college is done! It really makes me happy to finally be done with school until August which means I have the whole summer off. I will be working full time, but it also means I have more time to write posts for my blogs! I plan on going ahead and releasing two ebooks this summer, and a paperback on top of that since I have all this free time in between school. As always I will be working on the second killer novel little by little too. I have the second ebook title nailed down which is called Revenge Against the Ex which is fitting since it deals with getting even against them. I really am looking forward to being done with math too since that is a subject I struggle with so no fun there. I will be getting a minor in writing too, and that will be pretty neat too.

I have new student orientation for VCU on the 21^st, and then I will know my schedule too. I hope to have time to write in between the classes I am taking, so that is all I have for now.

Until Next Time,

Wolfdreamer25

Editing away......

Currently I am working more on my story, and I had to get rid of a chapter so here it is:

Chapter 1

People say that words have no power, and they cannot hurt you. They lie. Words can cut you up, and make you wish you were dead. They have the power to hurt you to the point where it is like a kick to the gut, or a shot to the heart when they end relationships with people that thought they cared about them. Words have the power to embarrass you to the point where people call you names everywhere you walk like they did me. Saying I had slept around when that is not the case.

It can make people talk about you, so bad that you can feel so miserable you think about suicide. Or you have to switch schools so the people don’t know you, and wont know the nickname they call you. Like a nightmare the emotional scars can keep you up at night. Words can be bad enough to turn people against you, and make you have no friends. The people who do this have a name:Bullies!

It is not just words they use to hurt people. Sometimes they use physical abuse. Boyfriends hurt girlfriends and use physical violence to make their girlfriends obey them like mine tried to. Pushing you, and even spreading rumors to trash your reputation.

I went through hell in elementary, middle, and high school because of them. I have at least five of them do the worst they could to me. It did not turn me suicidal though it turned me homicidal. I want them dead with their heads on a platter.

All the things they put me through are nothing compared to the hell I am going to cause them. Luckily for me the bullies grew up, and did more horrible things then gossiping like immature childish teenagers…

They grew up and landed with criminal charges such as killing, raping, abusing animals, child molesting, and torturing. And all these activities they did made them all targets of The Killer Contract Agency.

The Killer Contract agency is the agency i work for that allows me to get my revenge. The only way to get in it or become an operative is to be bullied, and that is how I started working for them. That is how I became the famous Scarlet Nightshade.

It would have been longer, but I thought of a better first chapter which will be in the story since it gives the novel more of a punch. 

Until next time,

Wolfdreamer25 

Improvisation can be used in retail:

I have been taking theater courses like Introduction to Theater and Improvisation which is a theater technique that allows you to practice in the moment. . It has made me realize how it can be applied to working retail. It can be useful for putting everything your worried about on the back burner, and acting like problems don’t bother you. While you ring people up you also interact with them, and if you have a good attitude about you can also entertain them too. I have noticed applying some techniques on the floor can actually help instead of hinder you like you can act like a character from a foreign country. You can act over the top, and since they don’t know you they can be used when you need practice getting into a character if you need to learn how to integrate characters. It also allows you to practice the role of a salesman which I know I will need to learn in order to market my books. I love all the techniques too, and improvising allows you to think on the spot, and go with the flow more when it comes to a hectic work environment. It helps me get through the day to use my training when my mind is wandering to other places that I would not want to think about. Deep breathing before work helps too when I am getting my mindset on retail mode which is smile, be bubbly, and ask if they need help. It even helps me push everything aside and focus on my job instead of the million other things distracting me.

Have you ever used these techniques before?

As an update I on the paperback I am waiting to hear back from an editor to okay her for me to send her one group of stories, and then I have two other groups with critique partners and editors. I have been doing nothing but school work lately since I am graduating May 11^th which means I have only 3 weeks of school left. After that you will see more posts on this blog, and my other ones. I plan on doing a post comparing theater to writing since the two are very similar.

Until next Time,

Wolfdreamer25

The Leibster Award, and other good news:

I have been nominated for The Leibster Award by James A. West. I am very happy to receive it.

So what is the Leibster Award?

"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow." From fellow blogger Wayne who first gave the award to James.

11 Random facts about me:

1.    I have two cats and a guinea pig.

2.    I love Mello Yello, Voltage, and Mountain Dew

3.    I am addicted to caffeine.

4.    I love to play games on the Xbox 360

5.    I watch reality tv shows.

6.     I love technology, and I have two tablets, and about to buy a new laptop in August for VCU.

7.    I love to read and write sometimes not realizing it is 1 O’Clock in the morning.

8.    I am crazy, loud, and I love to cuss at traffic.

9.    I am a college student.

10.    I got in trouble for writing The Killer Contract Agency in high school, and it involved the police, psychologist, and idiot councillors.

11.    I have a green Kia Hatchback

My 11 questions and answers:

1.    What is something you have always wanted to do but haven't done yet?

I want to go traveling to Italy, Ireland, Scotland, France. I want to see the world.

2. If you were a Star Trek character, who would you be and why? If I were a Star Trek Character I would be Uhura because she can kick ass.

3. What is one of your favorite movie scenes, and why? One of my favorite movie scenes is from Kick-Ass, and it is the part at the end with Hit Girl killing the bad guys. I love it because of the guns, and she can really kick ass especially using her environment to her advantage.

4. Why did you choose writing? What drew you to it? I did not choose it, and it ended up choosing me. I was meant to be a writer the moment I did a fanfiction of the Mummy Returns.

5. What is your favorite book?

Many I love young adult books, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy

6. Besides writing, do you do any other art?

I do sometimes make jewelry in my spare time, and paint boxes.

7. What is one of your craziest travel stories?

I got lost in Maryland with Jason and his cousin, and we wound up on the wrong side of town.

8. Skiing or lounging on a beach?

Lounging on a beach

9. Coke or Pepsi?

Coke

10. Do you play a musical instrument? If so, which one? If not, do you want to?

I don’t play one, but I wish I could play guitar.

111.                      Do you have any new writing projects that you can share with us right now?

I have several besides the killer one, and there is the story of how Sapphire and Storm met. A story with a witch who can do magic in the Astral Realm. And many more to come.

My 11 Blogs I will pass on the award to:

1.     http://robinpwaldrop.blogspot.com/

2.  http://yelenacasale.blogspot.com/

3.http://sommermarsden.blogspot.com/?zx=8f0d59857f7081a9

4. http://thesubmissionprocess.blogspot.com/

5.http://www.startyournovel.com/

6. http://riseoftheslush.blogspot.com/

7.http://marthaemms.blogspot.com/

8. http://the-writing-bug.blogspot.com/

9. http://whatwomenwritetx.blogspot.com/

10.http://redsofaliterary.com/ 

11.http://byronsuggs.wordpress.com/

Here are the 11 questions:

1. What did you want to be besides a writer?

2. What is your happiest memory as of right now?

3. What is your latest book or project about?

4. Do you have a favorite soda?

5. Do you have any pets or pets you want to have?

6. Where would you go to if you had a free day and unlimited money?

7. How do you get rid of writers block?

8. What genre do you love to read?

9. What is your favorite food?

10. Do you have a process you write to?

11. How do you organize your novels and notes?

I also have good news about the next step in my journalism career. I got accepted to VCU! I found out Wednsday since I had an appointment with the VCU On-Site decision people. I am now a Mass Communications student and I am going for Journalism. 

I will let people know how it goes, and I will have a post as soon as I am done with school. I graduate May 11th.

Until Next Time,

Wolfdreamer25