Sara King

Interesting Factoid:

On every major book I’ve written (read: every good one), there’s been a little switch that eventually trips in my head, where sleep no longer becomes an issue for me. Sometimes that switch trips on the first couple chapters, as with the After Earth series, or, as with Alaskan Fire, which was 1/2 of the way written before I once again picked it up (and ze switch hadn’t flipped back then, either), it wasn’t until about 105,000 words that everything kind of went BAM and a required 8.5-9 hours of sleep suddenly became 5 1/2.

Accompanying this switch flipping, I tend to have really complex and interesting dreams, like (for instance) the dream in which I was writing in front of two screens, one of which had the words and sentences as I wrote them (and yes, I understand the words perfectly–but since when did I use COURIER to write?!?!) and the other screen having the scene as it played out, movie-style. When something happened in the move that Sara didn’t like, Sara deleted a few paragraphs and the whole thing rewound, then she started again. That particular one was about gargoyles surviving in a major city. Interesting, but I don’t really have much experience in a major city, so I never did anything with it.

Also accompanying the switch-flipping is a distinct lack of need to eat. Oh, and the fact that if I spend much time doing ANYTHING but write the book, I totally fall into a huge depression spiral that ends in a minor nuclear meltdown. On the other hand, however, it almost feels like my brain got upgraded, and I can think of dialogue, action, and exposition without actually thinking about it. Just goes straight from the ether to the page, and I have fun reading it later. My ability to concentrate kind of amplifies, about the a dozen times the power of caffeine. The world becomes a super-sharp buzz, and there’s almost a ringing in my ears (hell, who’s kidding, my ears are humming right now). So, uh, yeah. Not sure if that’s a lack of sleep talking, but I find it interesting.

Current update: Am 123,866 words into Alaskan Fire. Am putting the finishing touches on the last major fight scene, after which there will be some wrap-up scenes, and then I gotta go back to the middle and massage it into submission. Forcasted ending is about 140k words, but I’m not opposed to going over.

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
kingnovel(at]gmail.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

Well, after brain-frying on Millennium Potion Book 2 for about 4 days and getting approximately 250 words on it in total, I switched gears and started work on finishing Alaskan Fire. And with just a tiny bit of tinkering, it is SO much better. I’m already at 96,908 words after (3? Gawd, time flies by when I’m working…) days of cutting/editing/writing. (Started with 84k, cut about 10k of that, then added 22k). In short, my Muse was telling me to screw off, it wanted to work on something else. Then the little bastard happily pulled up a seat beside me as I INSISTED on working on Millennium Potion Book 2 and idly cleaned his fingernails in between pointing and laughing. So I finally gave in to the nagging desire to write Alaskan Fire on Friday and ze little prick put his grooming kit away and crawled back up onto my shoulder. Took enormous restraint not to flick him off. The flighty, irresponsible little bastard is totally messing with The Plan.

So yes, my current project is figuring out how to get a misanthropic wereverine and a Woman of Unusual Size to kick ass against an army of sexually deprived werewolves. I’ve almost put the ending on it. (Another 15k words, it’s looking like). After that, I need to throw about 10-20k into the mid-beginning to increase tension and introduce the very real possibility of failure. Then I shall be sending THAT out to some first-readers, to see what y’all think.

If all goes well (and my flighty little curmudgeon doesn’t decide to screw off entirely), Alaskan Fire shall be published in electronic format in December or January. Will keep you updated on that development as our community-based epublisher gets closer to launch.

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
kingnovel@gmail.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

All righty, folks. Here’s the deal. I just spent an hour scanning through my mailing-list trying to find people whom I knew to be good first-readers, the names going fuzzier and fuzzier in my head as time went on. So I finally just grabbed those I could readily recognize and then hit Send. The final version of Millennium Potion should be in your inboxes now, if you were on The List. If I missed you, it’s because my brain was about to explode, not because you are somehow inadequate. Email me and I will rectify the situation.

Now, because my head feels like it’s been run through a cheese shredder, I’m off to take a walk. Should be starting Millennium Potion Book 2 here in the next day or two, brainstormers willing.

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
email: kingnovel [at} gmail :dot: com.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1328478709
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

Okay, whoops, sorry for this, but I still have about 38 pages left to edit. Yesterday was not as fruitful as I had hoped. Total wordcount: 147,076. That’s 39k added since beginning the work. (There was a lot of writing involved in the last couple days, which slowed ze edit immensely.)

So yes, I didn’t meet my deadline. Save ze spoons. I’m still working on it…

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

…And 237 pgs out of 290 of the Millennium Potion edit. I’ve added 35k new words (the novel was only 108k words to start the edit), bringing the total wordcount to 143,005. I’ve rearranged most paragraphs and added detail and emphasis, but I am finding that my bare-bones slap-it-to-the-page-and-keep-going style is very easy to work with… Just as long as you don’t try to change anything.

Very early on, I learned changing = bad. You know what the Butterfly Effect is? Well, because the ENTIRE story is Butterfly Effect (rather than carefully-plotted outlines with cleverly crafted climaxes and diverging storylines), I literally change ONE thing, and the entire story goes wonky and I have to change EVERYTHING after it. And, what is worse, the more determined I get to change something and the deeper I go into ‘fixing’ that point, the more EVERYTHING ELSE gets thrown COMPLETELY OFF, until the story is no longer taking place in the same bar, or on the same ship, oh, and by the way, that character’s got the wrong name, and this one over here is dead, and the universe just imploded. Wait. Novel? What novel? I thought you were writing a short story. Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. Well, that sucks. You need a beer? And when are we getting more cakemix? You KNOW I am totally useless without cakemix…

So, instead of changing stuff (i.e., taking anything out), I am adding stuff (but careful not to add anything important…), and that 35k words has totally enriched the experience of the novel 10-fold even though nothing has changed. Please tell me that makes sense, because my brain hurts.

I should be starting Millennium Potion Book 2 on the 8th. Tomorrow night, I will be sending out emails to some first-readers, to see if they’re interested in reading the edit. If you are on the first-reader list, be praised, for you have proven your awesomeness through exquisitely good taste. If you feel that you SHOULD have been on the first-reader list and your pet author is a total turdy butthead for not sending you an email invitation, feel free to rant at me in a note entitled TURDY BUTTHEAD AUTHOR BEWARE OF SPOON! That should get my attention.

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

Well, I’ve been out at the lodge for exactly one week, and I am pleased to announce that I’ve ascertained beyond a shadow of a doubt that a can of Spam and half a large bottle of green tabasco do not a meal make. (You know, the Costco bottles??)

Sara likes hot food. Sara has decided she does not like hot Spam.

Moving on.

As soon as I got out here, it became a whirlwind of writing. I’ve put about 15k words on the old version of Millennium Potion, and am solidly 106 pages into the edit. (Out of 254.) So yes, we have determined that sitting all alone at my computer out in the middle of nowhere in the Alaskan Bush is more conducive to writing than sitting in my mother’s house, listening to her giggle with her boyfriend in the next room. (Just kidding, Mother…)

But seriously.

Moving on.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I’m right on schedule. Should be done with the final edit of MP here in a week, at which point I will ship it out to a SELECT few to comb through for typos. (Sorry, guys, but with the publishing date coming up, I’ve been told I gotta keep this one under wraps until it hits the storefront. I will make it up to you with more novels. And cookies. Can’t forget the cookies…) After that, I am launching myself immediately into Millennium Potion Book 2, which as of yet has no name (speaking of which, we might have to change the name of MP Book 1, since it’s a series… More on that later, as it develops.)

All in all, it’s been an extremely productive seven days. It looks like I also figured out my knee problem, too, so that’s also helping. (For those of you who were unaware, sitting anywhere for any amount of time was quite uncomfortable for me, and highly distracting.) Soooo glad to have figured that one out.

More stories to come!

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08

I have to go caretake the grandparents’ place for a few weeks, and am hoping to get some serious work done whilst I’m out there. For all of you who have been frustrated that I’ve been half-assing stories for the last 5 years, Aidan made me a list. A To Do list, with a capital T and D, and the subtext of, “if I catch you doing anything else until it’s finished, you will lose all chicken privileges, permanently.” Mutter mutter mutter mutter.

The List goes something like this:

Workload/Working Title(if one)/Deadline
Millennium Potion 1 / Millennium Potion / 10/7/11
Millennium Potion 2 / 11/18/11
Millennium Potion 3 / 12/23/11
Daytona Dae 1 / Daytona Dae and the D Day Device / 2/10/12
Outer Bounds 1 / Outer Bounds / 3/23/12
Outer Bounds 2 / 5/4/12
Outer Bounds 3 / Lords of Fortune / 6/15/12
Daytona Dae 2 / 8/10/12
Sheet Charmer 1 / Sheet Charmer / 9/21/12
Sheet Charmer 2 / 11/2/12
Sheet Charmer 3 / 12/14/12
Daytona Dae 3 / 2/8/13
Form and Function 1 / Form and Function / 3/22/13
Form and Function 2 / 5/3/13
Form and Function 3 / 6/14/13
Daytona Dae 4 / 8/9/13
Faceless Wars 1 / Faceless Wars / 9/20/13
Faceless Wars 2 / 11/1/13
Faceless Wars 3 / 12/13/13
Daytona Dae 5 / 2/14/14
Alaskan Fyre 1 / Alaskan Fyre / 3/28/14
Alaskan Fyre 2 / 5/9/14
Alaskan Fyre 3 / 6/20/14
Daytona Dae 6 / 8/15/14
After Earth 1 / The Congie / 9/26/14
After Earth 2 / The Team / 11/7/14
After Earth 3 / After Earth / 12/19/14
Daytona Dae 7 / 2/13/15
Anfyn Glen 1 / Anfyn Glen / 3/27/15
Anfyn Glen 2 / Anfyn Rim / 5/8/15
Anfyn Glen 3 / Droghaer Isles / 6/19/15
Daytona Dae 8 / 8/14/15
Forgotten 1 / Forgotten / 9/25/15
Forgotten 2 / 11/6/15
Forgotten 3 / 12/18/15
Daytona Dae 9 / 2/12/16

And yes, you did read that right… I have my creative life planned out for me until 2016. And that doesn’t even include stuff like Earthseeker, Derek’s Dragon, my Alaskan Apocalyptics, Sleeping Lady Lodge, One in a Billion, etc. /facedesk. But yeah, I should finally be getting these big series projects done and out. He’s giving me 6 weeks for new novels, 2-3 weeks for edits, with a short break in summer and a short break at holidays. If I have the time and inclination, I’ll try to finish other projects in the interim.

What changed, aside from the rabid, 6’10 ape who suddenly decided he was no longer putting up with my crap? Well, we’re working on making a community-based e-publisher. I figured I threw a little over 4 years at agents (more, if you count all the time it took to snag one), so I might as well throw 5 years at an epublishing venture. I think that traditional publishing is dying, anyway, and it definitely doesn’t have the best reputation for treating its new authors well, so why not create something that will put more money and power in the hands of the people who actually create the work? Morally, I think the whole of publishing has been drifting from that practice for the last sixty years, instead doing its best to turn an author into a number that can be given a very specific place in the machine of production, a cog in the wheel of the system that is notorious for giving as little as it can get away with, while taking everything it can. Everyone knows this, but every author I’ve met is also utterly afraid to say as much out loud, because they don’t want to be blacklisted by those same huge publishing conglomerates in the hopes that someday they might be able to find a place in that machine.

Pfft. There’s a better way.

-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ’08