This is in some ways a continuation post to an earlier post I wrote about being written into a corner. With the recent release of the Rise of Skywalker trailer, I think we need to talk about something. Specifically, I think we need to talk about The Last Jedi.
Written in a Corner
As I'm working on the Fo'Fonas series, I've made the decision that I'm going to write rough drafts of every novel in the series before I will seek to publish even the first one. I think this will improve the strength of all of the novels, since I'll be able to better tie everything together and generally make for a tighter story. It will also make my job as a writer easier, because I won't be stuck with an immutable origin when I get to later parts of the series.
Outlining
With most of my writing, I tend to be a post-outliner. I'll discovery write my way through a piece, and then go back and outline it in detail before embarking on the revision process. Ever since I did a massive outline for a world and then had no story to tell in it, I've found … Continue reading Outlining
Front Matter, Back Matter, Does it Matter?
You probably don't think about it - I hadn't given it more than cursory consideration - but there is a lot that goes into a book beyond the simple writing of the story. Front and back covers have to be designed. ISBNs have to be purchased. Copyrights have to be obtained. Fonts have to be chosen, and sizes: page sizes, font sizes, margin sizes. Pages have to be numbered, prefaces and acknowledgements have to be written...I could go on.
A Place to Start
Maybe, if I were some kind of amazing author, a writing protege, with nothing to do but labor lovingly over my works of fiction, I could think about doing this the "normal" way, if such a thing even exists. There's something attractive about traditional publishing, mostly that the publisher usually takes care of all of the logistics, advertising, and social media outreach. In other words, the traditional publishing route (at least as I imagine it) would allow me to hide in a cave and write, without worrying about all of this publicity and business.
