I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it I'm sure time with family and friends was just as relaxing. Today I finally went through with making a Facebook author page. This page will be specifically related to anything that happens to me writing/book related. News about book signings, upcoming releases, and information on already published work will be shared. I will still remain active on the Cursed With Power Facebook page --and post all materials related to the Magicians series there. More on that and all information on future projects will be on my author page. This will help me stay more organized and keep you up to date with what's happening next.
So if you haven't already, please stop by and like my author page. Feel free to leave suggestions on what you'd like to see on the page below in the comments. Thus far I've set up the basics, but I can't wait to share more about Clara and Claire, and also just talking about my writing in general.
As far as how often I'll be posting, I'll post every time there is a new blog post as well as whenever I write --to let you know how much I wrote for the day. This will be an even easier way to see how much more is left before I finish the draft of Clara and Claire.
The support so far is greatly appreciated, and I can't wait to share more about the book and my writing with you.
Looks like this post is much shorter than I expected, but hey I think I've covered the basics. I'm going to try to finish this chapter I'm stuck on and reach my word count goal for today. Have a great evening everyone! Lindsey Richardson
Finally reached over 61k today, and I'm feeling better than I did previously. I'll be honest, this month was not my strongest -despite what I had hoped. I wanted to finish Clara and Claire this month, but writing another 24k right after Christmas might be challenging. I am not altogether saying it's impossible and I won't try, but if I can't do it I also won't beat myself up for it. I want this novel to be my best work yet, and in order for it to I can't be rushing myself with deadlines. The deadlines after all are ones I set for myself to stay on track. If I'm a month behind it simply means more thought and time is going into the novel. And even on nights where I can't decide what to write I'm thinking a lot about this novel.
It is very motivating to see myself at 61k now, though. I remember hitting 50k and thinking "oh no, I've fallen so behind with my schedule. Will I ever catch up?" Some nights the chapters have been challenging. It's not that I don't know what to write; it's getting the papers down on paper that can be the real challenge. Sometimes I use music as a muse, other nights I have to sit in complete silence (like tonight). I'm not by any means accepting defeat with what I've accomplished this month, but rather I'm looking at what I accomplished by still pushing forward. So far this novel is the first I've written in years where the narrator has never once changed. I've been working one on one with Clara these last few months. And let me tell you it isn't easy having just finished a series where narration switched from time to time.
One of the other big changes with this novel has been the stronger focus on mystery over magic. The Magicians series was all about the magic. It was what made the characters who they were, but here... it's totally different. I'm dealing with mages who live by rules and use magic all throughout their life. Magic is something that people stop and ask you about, but rather it's a crucial part of life (like breathing). I have a lot of work to do next year when I edit this novel and need to crunch down on the details of the magic system, but for now I'm building a structure.
Structure... that's the word I've been throwing around for months now. So long as I have a structure to build off of I'm golden. That's the whole goal with pushing forward in this novel, no matter how many times I think I can go back and fix something. Unless it's something major it's being saved for the editing process. The book needs to be complete, and then I can look at what I have and what I don't.
This is going to be my fifth published book, and along with that title comes responsibilities. I have a lot of expectations of what this book can be, as I expect you to as well. I want to please my readers and also welcome new ones. Like I said... I still have so much work ahead of me, but I'm willing to put forth the time.
Now with all of that said, I do have a little project I worked on today. One of my favorite past times when not writing is designing mock covers. Today I made a new one for Clara and Claire -three actually because I couldn't decide on my favorite at first.
This one's my favorite
The primary difference between the first two is just the tagline at the bottom with "author of the Magicians series." The one with this tagline was the one I posted on my social media because I felt like it fit the best. Since I also used my new name on the cover I wanted to remind people how else they might know me.
Lastly there's this final one I did with a blue filter. I couldn't decide if I liked this filter or just the natural lighting of the original photo. But this was also an option I had considered. Again these are just mock cover photos, so it's nothing too serious to waste time worrying about.
Leave a comment below and tell me which cover is your favorite. Or do you prefer the old cover I made a few months ago?
Still looking for a gift for the book lovers in your life? I am selling copies of the Magicians series this week in Maryland. If you're in the MD area and are interested, contact me and let me know. I'm sure we could work something out! I'll be placing my orders on the 17th, so be sure to order before that date. As always, if you buy directly from me you'll also receive a discounted price. If I have any extra copies I'll be giving them away randomly after the 17th. I still have a lot of copies of Cursed With Power --the other books I have to order. So please do not hesitate to ask!
A photo posted by Lindsey Richardson (@lindseysablowski) on
And speaking of the holiday season, what would you guys like to see before Christmas? Last year I shared a collage of quotes from Bloodline Inheritance (since at the time it was an upcoming release). The year before that I wrote up a Christmas scene about Leal and Nicia's holidays together. This year I would love to do something in honor of the holidays too, but I need your input! I'll be posting this question out on Twitter too. What do you have in mind? Here's so options -but I'm open to others if you throw them out.
Another holiday scene with characters from the Magicians series (maybe vote on which ones?)
A different type of sneak peek into Clara and Claire
Other -comment your suggests
That's all I have off the top of my head, but I'm eager to hear what you think. Leave your vote in the comments or contact me on social media. If no one votes I'll just be picking one at random -and will most likely be doing the one about Clara and Claire. But I would much rather hear what you want to read about in time for the holidays. Not everyone does posts like these, but I like to share the holiday feeling on the blog as well.
Well, it's past 9 and I need to get back into my writing schedule. In the meantime, make sure to vote because it really does count!
I'm a little later than I wanted to be on my December post, but it's here nonetheless! Our Christmas tree is up, and today we'll be fixing it up so we can take a picture. December has turned out to be another busy month. I should have all of my shopping done by next week, and then I can really focus on my writing. To be honest, I have a lot of catching up to do if I want to finish the book this month. It won't be easy, but we'll see where I am at the end of the month.
December is an exciting time. We have the holidays to look forward to, and it also means we survived another year. I find myself already looking forward to what next year holds. But at the same time it's bittersweet to know that this year has flown by so quickly. Maybe it was the wedding that makes it seem this way for me, but it feels like the year was short.
Regardless I have plans and goals I want to meet in December. It might be the holiday season and the end of the year, but that's no excuse. My top priority is to finish Clara and Claire, and if I don't feel it's finished this month I should be able to in January. There are times where I rethink some of what I've written in the book -and it's so tempting to go back and edit. But first I want to finish writing the entire story. Anything that needs to be fixed or added comes after that. I bought a new journal this weekend -cat themed!- and I'm hoping that will spark new inspiration.
Also with it being around the holidays, I will be ordering copies of my books. They'll be arriving next week, and if you're in the MD area you can buy them from me personally. If you think you'd like to buy them from me personally we can work something out together -just let me know. The Magicians series comes at a discounted price when you buy it in person, and for my online shoppers I'll try to offer a discount as well. The holidays are a great time to buy books, and I say that as a book lover and author. Your support would mean so much, and it would also allow me to do even more with promotions and giveaways.
Hope everyone has a great December planned. I'll be back for more about Clara and Claire, and when my books arrive I'll post more about that too!
Hello everyone! I've been back for a week now, but I've been extremely busy with catching up. And now at last I can catch up with you. I am extremely happy to announce that I am a married woman now! I've dealt with all the paperwork to have my name changed, so if you see Richardson on my social media that's why. As for the blog, I have to decide what I want to do. I may discuss it with some fellow authors and ask them for their thoughts. But don't you worry, whatever changes are on the way they're positive!
As for the wedding, it was a beautiful event! We had a small ceremony and then a reception afterwards, and both turned out great. My dress was actually more comfortable than I thought it would be. If you've been following along on instagram I've been posting lots of pictures.
Marriage is a new adventure in many ways. It has me thinking a lot about marriage and romance for my current and future books. Up until this month I hadn't known what it was like to be married. How something as simple as your last name changing can be hard to get used to. How something like marrying the person you love brings new joy into your life. So now when I write about weddings and marriage in my books I can add more to it than I ever could before. I don't have to imagine or judge off of what I know. I have the experience to back it up too.
Now that I've been away for so long I am so eager to start writing more for Clara and Claire. Tonight it looks like I'll get an earlier start than usual. I have a lot of new ideas, but first I need to refresh my mind on what I wrote before the wedding. I'm currently at 53k, and if I want to finish this novel by the end of December I have a lot of work ahead of me.
In regards to the holidays quickly approaching, you'll be hearing a lot more about the Magicians series. I want to do an ebook giveaway in December, as well as offer a discount on my books. If you live in the Maryland area you can purchase the books directly from me at a discounted price. The honest truth is books make wonderful gifts. I loved waking up on Christmas morning and having books to open. And I know many of you have friends and family who are like this too. And if you're struggling with finances this holiday season let's talk it out --who knows maybe Santa will surprise you! Either way, I want to give back to the reading community. I'll be sharing more info at the start of December.
Before I return to writing, I also want to congratulate all the Nano winners out there this year! You did it -50k in a month! While I couldn't participate I can't wait to join in on the fun next year. In the meantime I have a lot of writing to catch up on.
Today I have cleaned, done laundry, packed, and even managed to write another 1k. (Total word count is at 53k now!) I wanted to post again today as a reminder of the time period I will be gone. My wedding is tomorrow (23 hours to go!), and for the remainder of this weekend I'll be very busy. There's the reception, and then the honeymoon starts on Sunday. So unfortunately I won't be posting until I come back. I also won't be writing while I'm away (unless there's something I think of and jot down) until I return. This is why I've been saying December will be my catch up month.
So from tomorrow, November 13th, to Monday, November 23rd, I will be away from the blog. When I return I promise to post and share some pictures, but until then I'll be away. I also won't be posting on social media during this time either --we won't have access to the internet on our honeymoon. You can of course leave comments on the blog or email me, and I'll respond as quickly as I can to everything once I come back.
Thank you so much to everyone for understanding. It's a very exciting weekend, and I am looking forward to sharing the wonderful memories with you. Also can't wait to finish Clara and Claire when I come back, but more on that later.
Enjoy your weekends -this is the last you'll hear from me until I return! :)
(And when I return... I'll have a new last name too! Lots of changes, but all for the best.) Lindsey R. Sablowski
I'm a little late on posting this on the blog, but I reached 50k three days ago. One of the first big milestones I wanted to reach with Clara and Claire was 50k, and it's rewarding to see that I made it there and am going further.
While it is NaNoWriMo month I haven't been able to participate officially. November is already flying by for me, and it is going to be a very busy month. I'll be away for the next week --I leave on Sunday. I'm trying to sneak at least 1k today and tomorrow before this weekend starts.
So while 50k isn't my 85k end goal, it's progress. I've been working hard to get back on schedule after falling off of it for a while. My writing app (originally called WritingJournal), Wordly, has been helping tremendously. I use it every day with each time that I write, and I've been tracking my progress. Hopefully at the end of this novel I can share some of that data with you guys.
I might not be at the word count I had wanted to be at last month (which was around 60k), but I'm closing in on it. If I can stick with my schedule I'm certain I can finish the entire novel in December. Currently I am writing chapter 20, and I have a lot of ideas as I near in on the (last) remaining 20k (or more). If there's a lot left to tell in the story, I'm not afraid to go past the 85k. The most important part is just finishing the novel, then I'll worry about revisions and how ready it is for publication.
Unfortunately this is shorter than I usually would like my posts to be. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know where I am in the novel before my time away. I plan to share more details about the novel and the creation process upon my return. I'll also be posting once more tomorrow before the start of the weekend. That post will just be a reminder of the time period of which I'll be away on the cruise. When I return I'll share lots of pictures and get to work on finishing out the novel.
In the meantime as always if you want more daily updates visit my Instagram page. Also, I'm thinking of starting an author page on Facebook, so I can post daily on there as well. Sadly I can't post anything relating to Clara and Claire on CWP's Facebook page. Who knows, though, with the holidays coming up maybe I'll do a mash up between the two novels just for fun.
Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support. I know waiting on an author to write the novel isn't nearly as exciting as publication day. Or just the publication process in general. But don't worry we'll get there with this book too. Lindsey R. Sablowski
Why write a novel in 30 days? The idea of writing an entire novel (or at least 50k of it) in 30 days sounds crazy. You might be a little crazy just thinking about it. October has been a hectic month for me, and now with my wedding two weeks away, time is even going by quicker. Despite time working against me (when it comes to blogging and writing as of late), I didn't want to miss out on writing this post before the start of November.
I'm here to tell you why I think writing a novel in 30 days could be the best decision you've made. And if you've already made the decision, I'm here to remind you why.
A photo posted by Lindsey Sablowski (@lindseysablowski) on
For nearly 7 years now I've participated in NaNo. Every November I've decided on a novel, announced it, and dedicated the entire month to it. Many times, especially in my early years, I failed terribly. 50k seemed like so much! I wondered if it was impossible for me to accomplish, and it was something only truly experienced writers could do. That's not the case. NaNo is actually the perfect exercise for your brain and your writing craft. The past four years of NaNo my novels have consisted of everything following Cursed With Power. Shadows and Embers was titled "Punished With Destiny" at the time when I wrote it for NaNo, and Thicker Than Blood was never "officially" completed in time because I submitted the novel past midnight. (Serves me right for not setting myself multiple reminders.) Last year, in 2014 I finally officially won with Bloodline Inheritance. I had already written some of the novel before the challenge, and NaNo helped me finish. After November I focused on edits and revisions. It was what finally pushed me to the edge and reminded me why I needed to finish my novel. I think it was honestly what helped me release the book in the normal timeframe that I do.
I've heard a lot of different ideas about NaNo. Some writers are against it; they think it forces too much out of a writer. And I can understand their view on that. Honestly I think the starting years of NaNo are the hardest. They challenge you in a way you're not used to, and the only person you have to hold yourself accountable is... yourself. It's scary, and 30 days feels like 2 days by the time you're finished. I say this because I'm the kind of writer that doesn't push myself to the extreme every day. I write at night, usually very late. The most I've done lately is nearly 5k in one night. I'm happy just to reach 10k in a week. And I consider this schedule I have for myself and the word count I manage to accomplish to be actually very forgiving compared to what my other writing friends do. Some writers can crank out 20k in a day. I just don't have the energy or time for that when I cannot write full-time. Nights or days when I'm off of work are my time to catch up.
You're right to think that NaNo isn't for everyone. For some it will be too demanding and frustrating. However, I will say I think you should give it a chance. I've done it every year for the past six years, and I don't regret anything. My very first year I wrote my entire novel on a typewriter -oh, what a mistake! But it's a learning process, and it's a challenge that has a lot to offer if you can stay dedicated to your goals. There are so many ways to succeed, and there's so many people, blogs, and advice on the internet to help you. There's word count charts of how many words you need to write each day to make it to 50k. It's not impossible, and even if you fail your first year or for a couple years... It's not winning that matters. Winning is to share with your friends and family, to show them that for 30 days you dedicated yourself completely to your novel. It's something to share and be proud of, and you have every right. It's something to learn from and to help others with in the future. What you take from this experience can help others in future years. It might not change the type of writer you are instantly, but it will help you grow. It will help you weed out the bad novel ideas and find the good ones. It will make you thankful for the other months in the year where there's no time limit.
I've written novels in 30 days because I love the stories behind NaNo and the writers making it a success. Through the failures and successes, everyone comes out in December a little different from where they were in November.
As I've mentioned previously I won't officially be doing NaNo this year due to my wedding and honeymoon. October hasn't been as successful as I wanted it to be, but December will be my NaNo month. I still have my own deadlines to work with, and by the end of December I do want to be finished with the first draft of Clara and Claire. But don't worry November is still a month I plan on writing as much as I can before November 13th (wedding day!). I'll be sharing my progress and cheering for those of you joining in on the madness this year.
So if you're doing NaNo this year, tell me, what's your novel? Share below in the comments; I can't wait to hear your ideas!
