A Burning Question: To Kindle Vella or Not to Kindle Vella

Amazon is launching their new Kindle Vella program, a monetized serial fiction platform like Wattpad.

Wattpad does not pay authors and is free for readers, free to use, and has gained attention for some authors for some books - 1% of Wattpad authors gain recognition and publishing contracts. I've used it to develop projects (Liftoff). The benefit of Wattpad is the reader interaction, and the interaction between authors.

Kindle Vella promises the same kind of interaction, but the reader has to pay and the writer gets paid via token. From my understanding, authors get approx. 2 cents per token. However, an author can charge several tokens for each segment of the story, and readers by the tokens in batches of 100 for $1.99.

*So, the big question is, is it worth it?

Then, there are the small questions under that umbrella:

* Is it any different than Wattpad, really?

*Does having the reader pay change the experience and possibly change the interactions in the comment section (is this going to be troll land)?

I just opened up the latest newsletter from NYT Bestseller Beth Revis, and she is going to put out a book on Kindle Vella, with the first ten chapters already written and the next chapters created with reader input.

Beth makes it look cool, and it sounds like she really knows how to make it work well - using reader input to create her novel could be an awesome way to gain interest in her work and to create a unique author-reader connection.

The big difference for Beth Revis, of course, is she's already a bestselling author. She has a large audience already.

*Can a not-bestselling, indie author like me actually have any success/traction/benefit from the program?

Originally, I thought I wouldn't take part, but I'm considering it. I have about 15 starts on various novel projects wasting away in my files.

*Would it be worth it to take one of those and develop it?

What would you do? And, are you considering Kindle Vella an an author or a reader?

BTW - if the resounding response I get is positive, I'll be putting out a poll for which project you think I should try, with a choice of three options.

April #IWSG: Risky Writing Adventures, Quarancon, and News

 

Many thanks to founder Alex J. Cavanaugh and the co-hosts for April: PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton!

OPTIONAL QUESTION FOR APRIL:

Are you a risk-taker when writing? 

Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

I'm going to tackle this question sideways...

As many of you know, I accidentally answered this last month. I'm not sure how I was a month off, but it made me realize how overwhelmed I have felt lately with social media. 

 For the rest of 2021, I'll be posting only twice a month here at my blog, for IWSG and Author Insights Interviews. I'm also cutting back a huge amount on Facebook and some on Instagram.

Where my time is going: Book writing. Editing professionally part-time. Tutoring and teaching homeschool students part-time. Helping my parents with some property management part-time. Teaching a few classes for online events part-time. 

Volunteering. Creating podcasts for my church.

Life.

If you noticed, nearly everything I do is part-time, but all of the transitions between tasks are a little time-consuming. I have lists upon lists, folders cascaded with other folders. It's the only way I can keep it all going. I use an individual song (chosen each day) to give me a re-focus break between tasks. 

I am terrible at doing the same repetitive tasks every day, which is why I have so many different projects going. The same thing every day just sends me to sleep, or sends me into a restless procrastination zone. I may not have an official ADHD diagnosis, but articles I've read on the subject and free online tests seem to indicate the way I function is strongly indicative of ADHD. 

As a kid, I was always struggling with daydreaming. I hyper-focused on reading books in the library and didn't hear the school bell, which is a flip-side indication of ADHD. I either blocked sound out, got distracted by it, or dove into it with singing. I coped in school. I took notes, made up questions in my head, tightened my stomach muscles to "fidget" without getting caught (hence, in trouble), and to this day, I rarely allow myself to read in public spaces where I might get into a hyper-focus zone and lose awareness of my surroundings, which can feel unsettling when I'm startled back into awareness of the world around me. 

There's nothing quite like realizing that you've been writing/reading in a coffee shop for two to three hours, the sun is going down, the baristas want to leave, and someone you know has just waved their hand in front of your face to get your attention...after they've called your name three or four times. You feel slightly dizzy, as if you've come up from a dream, and you don't feel like any time passed since you sat down at your laptop, except your back is cramped. And suddenly, you are hungry/tired/need to use the restroom. 

It's all pretty embarrassing. And yet, there is something special about those hyper-focused moments - I get a lot of writing done and I have a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes, I think I need to record the sounds of a coffee shop on my phone/pc and then replay that when I want to sink into a hyper-focused writing zone at home, where it's more comfortable to have my husband touch my shoulder and bring me back to the real world. 

I never planned to write about neuro-divergent characters, or characters who have physical disabilities or chronic illness, but I have begun to do so because of my own experiences and the experiences of family and friends. I feel like this is a risky area. I want to write about it well, so it's authentic, but I also don't want it to take over the stories I am writing, which are primarily SFF.

What risks to do you take in your writing, if any?

NEWS

Quarancon is coming in April! I'm one of the online panelists for a panel on Disabilities in SFF on April 11th. Quarancon is based in the UK, so times indicated at the website are based there.

Check out Quarancon HERE.

Writing Interactive, Vivid Settings is a class I'm teaching on May 15th online via Creative Colloquy. Remember class times for this are for Pacific Daylight Savings Time (Seattle/LA) Zone. So, if it's happening here at 6:30, then that's a NYC time of 9:30, and so on. Find out more at the Creative Colloquy Workshop Series page HERE.

One Hundred Essential Bible Podcasts is a current ministry of One Hope Church, and I'm contributing some of the podcasts. If you want to check it out, you can go to the Summary Page to listen to all of them, or just scroll to find one of mine. I am contributing once every other week. In case you didn't know, I have read the Bible as a whole 10 times, and have read the NT 17 times, so...I'm still learning and I don't take this lightly. 

If you want to hear some slightly different insights, read an author highlight, or get a little free fiction, check out my newsletter HERE.

Author Insight March 2021 with Cathrina Constantine and The Upside Down of Nora Gaines

 

Cathrina Constantine has eight novels published with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, a small independent press, and has received Literary Classics Gold and Silver Awards, the New Apple Medal Award, Reader's Favorite International Awards, and recently, Top Shelf 1st Place award for YA/Mystery. The Upside Down of Nora Gaines is her first attempt of self-publishing her own work. 

Author Insights Interview with Cathrina Constantine

1.     Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I believe the most important advice I can offer aspiring writers is perseverance! Persevere in honing your craft, whatever best practices works for you. Read. Read. And read, is a no-brainer. If you are lucky enough to land a publishing contract within a couple of months I applaud you, but typically it takes a writer endless months, if not years of rejections, and with those rejections the need to develop a skin of armor. That's where perseverance comes into play. If you have a polished, wonderful story, remember, it only takes one Yes! 

2.     Tell us about yourself. (like what you do for a living, hobbies, etc..)

At this point in my life I am babysitting grandbabies most of the week, which is a blessing. Besides writing and reading, my other hobbies are baking, cooking, hand-quilting, crocheting, cross-stitching, and gardening. 

3.     What is your writing process? (A special place or how you outline, or do you just jump into it. Or, what you need before you sit down to write: coffee, tea, cookies)

I like to sit near a window with a cup of coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon, a cookie is essential. I wish I could outline, I can't. I am a true pantser! So I guess, I just jump in IF something, an idea pops into my head. I finished editing a new fantasy story, and since then nothing new has popped. At present, my writing is lacking. I have been mulling over an idea of making this fantasy into a duology because the end does sort of hint at more to come...

4.     From start to finish, how long does it take for you to complete a novel?

I am a turtle writer. It amazes me when I see authors pumping out books every couple of months. I never took creative writing classes. I learned by endless reading, the art of grammar, dialogue and so forth. In the beginning it took a year or two of reworking and revising before completing my first draft. However, I can now have a first draft completed within 6 months time, and then the real work begins. 

Cathrina's Social Media Links:

Amazon Author's Page

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/wickedly333

Blog: http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com

Twitter: @cathconstantine

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179953.Cathrina_Constantine     

The Upside Down of Nora Gaines

Nora has visions of horrific things. Things that lurk in the shadows and feast on bones. After moving with her mother into an old farmhouse, Nora discovers a blank journal that fills itself with an ominous warning. A cursed beast is coming for her and time is running out. When the blood moon rises, so shall the beast.

Local teen, Rebel, has his own trepidations about the house. His parents, both paranormal scientists, were investigating it when they died under mysterious circumstances. His growing feelings for Nora motivate him to battle the ghosts of his past, if it means keeping her safe.

Allies to turn to enemies. Fiction turns to fact. The past and the present collide. All in an epic battle to claim unfathomable power. Can Nora unlock the secrets buried within the farmhouse in time to save herself and those dear to her from a grisly fate?

The Upside Down of Nora Gaines Link

Thanks for stopping by for an Author Insight Interview, Cathrina!

If you're visiting this blog and you haven't read any of Cathrina's books yet, I recommend them! 

Also, if you haven't connected with me via my monthly newsletter, you can check out the March Edition Here.

IWSG March: Risk Taking in Writing and Author Bio Question

 

It's IWSG Blog Hop Day! A time to consider our writing, to share our insecurities, and to encourage one another! Many thanks to found Alex J. Cavanaugh, the whole volunteer admin team, and the co-hosts this month:  Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!

OPTIONAL QUESTION FOR MARCH - Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

(Eek, I have the wrong question up! Sorry. It's actually about reading. Okay, so is this the question for next month? Idk. Oy.) Well, here's the answer for the question I asked myself, I guess. 

In brief, I am a risk taker in my short fiction and poetry. I've tried writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd POV for short fiction and poetry. I've tried experimental fiction forms and poetry forms I didn't know existed ten years ago. I've written in present and past tense. I like experimenting with short fiction and poems.

When I write anything longer than 5,000 words, I fall into a pattern of third person point of view in past tense. I tried to write a first person novel in present tense and somewhere between the second and third chapter in my rough draft, I switched back to third person in past tense. I tried rewriting the chapters, and reverted again. I ended up with a mess. So, for now, I am a third person POV writer who experiments in first and second person only in short stories.

AUTHOR BIOS

I have always struggled with author bios. I have said too little, too much, and written things oddly in a way that raised a few eyebrows like in one bio when I described my family and used the phrase: multitalented husband. I didn't mean it the way it was taken, but yes, it was commented on, my daughters were embarrassed, and my husband had a few chuckles.

Here are a few of the bios I've used, and one more at the end. If you have time, please let me know which one you think I should use and why in the comments.

1. The longest one is actually a page on my blog and I decided not to rewrite it here. Let's just say I plan not to go with it in the future.

2. I love words. I love the shape and taste of them. I find refuge in words and stories. I don’t always get it “right,” but I write anyway. It’s in my bones. – Tyrean Martinson

3. Tyrean Martinson lives near Gig Harbor, has a BA in English Education from WWU, works as a property manager and tutor, enjoys walking, and has recently taking up kickboxing. She’s the mom of two college-age daughters who are both into engineering and who don’t like Star Wars or Shakespeare, which means their mom didn’t brainwash them enough, although she really tried. Tyrean is an indie author of several books, both fiction and non-fiction, and has had over 100 short works published. She’s an admin for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and a member of the SCBWI. She’s on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and has a blog at https://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/

4. Tyrean Martinson, lifelong SFF fan, fenced foil and saber in college, once acted in plays, and then became a teacher and writing tutor, which gives her plenty of opportunity to use Star Wars and Marvel movies as examples, and gesture theatrically when she makes a point.

5. Tyrean Martinson (she/her) changes her bio nearly every time she submits a story. Why can’t she decide on the best one? Because decisions are hard. Life is too full of possibilities and wonder. Tyrean writes science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, terrible poetry, devotions, and any idea that feels shiny with wonder. Her newest novella, Liftoff, was something she wrote to entertain herself during early quarantine, a “popcorn movie” style YA novella she hopes will be fun for readers, too.

6. Tyrean Martinson writes for her old self: the child who found refuge in the library, who found hope in stories, especially those which showed evil defeated by the roar of a lion, a small hobbit with a sword, a faithful friend, a bar of chocolate, or a band of unlikely heroes. Writing is in her soul and her bones, a part of who God created her to be as a daydreamer, creator, teacher, and believer. Tyrean is a member of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, a critique group, and the SCBWI. Tyrean has written and published The Champion Trilogy, Liftoff, Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry, Dragonfold and Other Stories, A Pocket-Sized Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts, 5…4…3…2…1…Write: Speculative Fiction Prompts; Light Reflections (a poetry chapbook), and Dynamic Writing curriculum. She has also had over 100 short works of short fiction and poetry published in various magazines, ezines, and anthologies. Tyrean has a BA in English Education with additional teaching certificates in social studies and humanities. She has certificates from the Commercial Fiction Class of 2000, and the Advanced Commercial Fiction Class of 2001 from the University of Washington continuing education program. She also continues to take classes and teach classes in creative writing.

*Tyrean pronounces her name with a hard “e” sound in the second syllable. Her parents created this name for her, and only later discovered it was out there in the world already, with other pronunciations.  

What do you think? Are any of them useable? The last one just feels way too long for me. Do I take out some of the specific titles? And, do I include a pronunciation guide or is that a nerdy/rude thing to do?

In addition to these options, there's one where I tried to include that I'm the daughter of an amputee and someone with mental health issues, and have a multi-racial extended family. I was trying to give reasons for writing a story with an amputee and diverse characters, but it all felt wrong and awkward.

Please help, otherwise, this is me, running between options, probably way more confused than The Weekend in this gif:

via GIPHY

Writing, Faith, and the Daily Grind: What I've Learned to Live a Self-Started, Creative Life

 

As a writer, as a small business owner, and as a Christian, I have every reason to wake up with a smile, but there are days when the day seems to yawn open with a mountain of to-do lists and no end in sight for lengthy projects.

It can feel daunting to do the dailies. I feel the need to hurry through my lists, to cram in more "should-do-this-too." This all stresses me, and I find myself getting less done.

I discovered I need to change my attitude and my daily practice of work, writing, and faith.

There's one method that's been working.

I start my day slower, with prayer, and a plan for self-care and re-energizing moments.

I schedule in self-care moments throughout my day's schedule, in-between writing, work, and life events. 

Examples of self-care: journal writing, prayer, essential oils, massaging my feet and Achilles tendon (actually physical therapy), physical therapy exercises, dance breaks, singing breaks, getting outside for five minutes with my dog, petting my cat and my dog, drinking water, checking my planner and using stars instead of checkmarks to highlight my progress (this is tiny, but it makes a difference to me), creating affirmation lists and "finished" lists, photography, idea generation/dreaming up new ideas (I know I don't need more, but this fills me with joy), conversations with friends, conversations with my daughters, date night with hubs (even though this mainly includes playing cribbage or watching a movie at home, it is good to have it on the schedule), stretching, chair yoga, regular yoga, time on the exercise bike in 5-10 minute spurts, doing the dishes while dancing to music (I know this doesn't sound like self-care, but it is), and creating healthy meals also while dancing to music, writing down 1-5 things I am thankful for, taking a drum break on the ancient drum set in our garage, sending a "thinking of you" text/email to a friend, creating a collage for a vision board, and listening to music. (Did I mention music enough times?) 

I end my day with more self-care by writing prayers in my journal.

Somehow, when I take the time to practice self-care, I actually expand my horizons. I still have the same amount of time, but when I am more relaxed and more hope-filled, I can actually achieve my goals. Self-care helps me regain the energy and attitude I need for a self-started, creative life.

Maybe this seems obvious, but I had to learn it. Heck, I am still learning it. 

How do you handle the daily grind - especially if you are working from home and everyone in your household is?

Highlights from February for me:

• Zoom celebration for Creative Colloquy, Volume 7.
• Writing poetry and song lyrics.
• Podcasts from One Hope Church - Listening daily M-F has boosted my Bible study, and I created two entries of the ongoing series so far.
• Words on the page. 
• Labyrinth revision progress.
• Physical therapy for my Achilles is going well again. (I had a bad plateau moment and had to have a cortisone shot that really hurt a few weeks ago.)
• Conversations with my daughters.
• Idea generation in my journal has motivated my "regular" writing.
• Editing the novel of a new author - his enthusiasm is contagious!
• #365gratitude - I don't always post my entries, but I have been writing them down. When I do post, it's fun to read everyone else's posts.