Monday, December 8, 2014

RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus – the Experience! Plus Writing Habits, BOTB Results, and Ninja News

I am visiting the incredibly talented, successful, and uber-resourceful Elizabeth S. Craig today. I’m discussing the ultimate in networking opportunities and the new IWSG book. Please stop by!

RiffTrax Live – Santa Claus!

Last week the RiffTrax crew – Mike, Bill, and Kevin – took on a film for the holidays: Santa Claus.

It was no ordinary holiday movie, though. This Mexican film was directed by someone who grew up in the carny business – and it shows in the weirdness of the story. What little story exists, anyway. The devil sends his minion Pitch to thwart Santa’s plans, but fortunately Santa has senile old Merlin and creepy mechanical reindeer to help him. (Folks, you can’t make this stuff up unless you’re on some really good drugs.)

As always, it was hilarious, and Mike, Bill, and Kevin had no trouble making fun of the film. If you’ve never seen a broadcast of the show, you need to catch the next one!

Blogger buddy Susan Kane got to go see the show as well last Thursday, which was her birthday!



Before the show, they present a series of slides. Here are some for your enjoyment! 




Ninja News

At the A to Z Blog today is Cat Starr from Astral Traveller and her theme of travels around the world.

This Wednesday, the IWSG site welcomes the amazing Sylvia Ney as she discusses the benefits of writing for small markets.

For her IWSG post last week, Chrys Fey wrote the most awesome and hilarious poem, ‘Twas the Night Before IWSG Day!

Thanks to everyone who downloaded the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond!
And it's finally free on Amazon!

And thanks to MJ Joachim who review the IWSG book last week.


New Releases

Blogvengers, Zombies with Powers
By Pat Hatt
Pat has been featuring this twisted tale of cats, zombies, Darzin, and his blogging buddies (including me) on his site for the past few weeks – and it’s hilarious! Pick it up on Amazon

Digging In, second in the Trench Raiders series
By Sean McLachlan
Pick it up on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords

Out today!
Claudia Must Die
By TB Markinson
Amazon and Goodreads

Battle of the Bands

The results of last week’s Battle of the Bands and the song Cars, with my vote going to Fear Factory:

Gary Numan - 21
Fear Factory (featuring Gary Numan) – 12

Gary Numan beat… Gary Numan. Ironic, huh?

Writing Habits – Before and After

Last week, Rachna Chhabria posted about not having enough time to write. She noted ‘I read somewhere that a writer gets the maximum amount of time to write their first book, after that there are sundry things occupying a writer’s life space: book tours, book signing events, author interactive sessions etc.’

That got me to thinking about the way I write now as opposed to pre-publication. It took me almost a year to write my first book. (Not counting edits.) The three books since that time have taken two to four months for the first draft.

And of course now, I do have author duties and an online presence that takes a chunk of my time.

Looking back, I realized that first book was written in sporadic, stolen chunks of time. The other three were written during dedicated blocks of time. The big difference, despite the extra demands on my time, was my focus. I knew I had to get them done and set aside three-five hours to write every single night no matter what.

So, that’s how my writing habits have changed. Have yours changed?

Anyone else catch RiffTrax last week? (Or had the misfortune of seeing that film without RiffTrax’s help?) Catch Chrys’ post? Downloaded the IWSG book? Getting some new books? And have your writing habits changed?

Don’t forget to visit Elizabeth S. Craig!

And not posting again until next Monday, so see you then. 

And - switched to embedded comments to get rid of stupid word verification.

138 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Love the idea of a Santa Claus film with a carny flavor!

Thanks so much for being my guest today!

More focus is good! My writing habits have become more set in stone since my kids have gotten older (and a little less flexible, since I'm not usually interrupted now).

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - been across to Elizabeth, will do the IWSG theme post .. and interesting to read Rachna's writing habits adaptions; Delighted with the IWSG guide .. Cheers Hilary

kaykuala said...

Seen the IWSG guide. It is great as those were written on empirical efforts and should be very accurate and very useful. Interesting to see that there ought to be change of writing habits and discipline if one expects to be really productive.
Thanks Alex!

Hank

TBM said...

Hopefully Amazon fixes the price problem soon. That must be frustrating. The Santa movie sounds entertaining, in an odd way. I like odd. thanks so much for featuring Claudia today!

Rhonda Albom said...

Movie sounds fun. And I love what Rachna had to say. For me, still editing my first book, I find my time to be sporadic, stolen chunks of time.

Natalie Aguirre said...

That's so interesting how being focused help you write quicker. I'm struggling to find the time with all the other things like work and my daughter that take up my time. Hoping to start writing some on the weekends after the first of the year.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Those are funny. You know, I think there really was a Star Wars holiday TV special.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Congrats to all those with new releases!

My first books required a lot of rewriting and multiple drafts. I still do a lot of rewriting, but I'm deliberately trying to reduce the number of drafts I do on any one project so I can publish them more quickly. Besides, I should have a better sense of what I'm doing now, right? ;)

Jemi Fraser said...

Sounds like a really crazy movie! Bet the Riff folks made it memorable :)
Off to visit Elizabeth!

Unknown said...

Dedicated time and focus is the key for me too! I will visit Elizabeth! Have a great week, Alex!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, thank you for having me.

TB, you're welcome!

Donna, and it was awful!

Sandra, right! My first drafts are certainly cleaner now.

Christine Rains said...

Hilarious! I remember that horrible movie. And I love the holiday tips! My writing time does sometimes get overpowered by marketing. It's tough balancing the two. And having a child does cut into the time too! Have a great week. :)

P.S. Just started your new book. Amazing first line!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

"Yuletide Facts" cracked me up! And I loved that poem Chrys created! :)

mshatch said...

I wish I could write a whole first draft in a few months but it never seems to happen.

Love the Yuletide facts - especially the one about the custody suit. Ha!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

LOL - a branch with Groot written on it.

I don't think I write much differently now then I did before publication. Maybe a little faster.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Time is always a challenge. This book (that you're reviewing) took years to write because I didn't know what I was doing until a few years into the work - kept shifting theme/focus....I'm hopeful it'll get faster, not slower.

Be well, Alex. xo

Jo said...

I have never figured out how you do any of the things you achieve.

Jay Noel said...

Okay, the movie has always freaked me out a little. So many head-scratching moments. It's weird, yet entertaining.

I knew Gary Numan would win!!!

Anonymous said...

Loved the Christmas factoids! I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, from a custody battle?? I'll never look at that song the same. :)

Luanne G. Smith said...

Wow, even a year to write a novel sounds fast to me these days. :P

And I once met Gary Numan in an airport. On purpose. My friends and I had inside information on his whereabouts and went there to get his autograph. Fair to say, he was a little freaked out. :D

Hart Johnson said...

RaffTrax does look pretty funny and I love the slides... always good to keep a little humor in the mix.

Sarah Ahiers said...

in general it takes me 2-3 months to write a draft, but this last one took me almost a whole year. I know that's because of all the other stuff going on though

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Christine, awesome! Thanks.

Madeline, she did awesome with that poem.

Jo - clones. I keep telling you, clones!

LG, that's hilarious.

~Sia McKye~ said...

Focused writing. Yah, you need that time.
I don't think I'd watch the rifftrax movie.

I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is a fun song who knew it's background?

I have my own copy of IWSG book. Very cool.

Unknown said...

Yes, reading through the book, but at this writing business for many years, but there is always something I can learn.

Unknown said...

heading to Elizabeth's now! My writing habits have changed! I'm so slow with it. When I have a deadline I move at lightning speed, but with the holidays I have to force myself to write!

Shell Flower said...

Sounds like Riff Trax saved the Santa movie. Thanks again for the IWSG book--it's getting me ready to finish formatting my book to upload. Some great advice in there. Writing with purpose does seem to be a good thing that comes with experience and other demands on your time. Have a great week.

Leovi said...

Yes, Gary Numan fantastic !!!

Heather M. Gardner said...

Good Monday morning, Alex!!!

I do like the slide about finding out your Secret Santa. Very funny.

My writing practices have changed. It became more of a job than for fun, but now I know people want to read stuff, so I have to apply myself more.

Have a good week!

I see your word verification is still on, too. Thanks for telling me. Not sure why that is happening.

Heather

Sarah Foster said...

I loved Chrys' post! Very funny.
I finally gave up waiting for Amazon for the IWSG Guide and went to Smashwords since you can just download a Kindle version through them.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Santa, the devil, and Merlin? That is an unexpected combo!!

My writing habits are different for revision and first drafts. For first drafts, I need dedicated time -- usually late at night.

For revision, I can write any time of day, for ten minutes or hours.

Argh! I'm not sure I can read the Captcha below ... let me get my bifocals.

Robyn Campbell said...

Hehehe, I love Chrys! I'll head over.

That yuletide fact shocked me. WOW. I had NO idea. How did you find this out? Can you imagine having a song like that after a part of your life.

RiffTrax Live Santa Claus sounds like my kind of movie.

But that branch with Groot written on it was too funny. *snort*

Sherry Ellis said...

I guess when you have deadlines, you'll find the time to write, even if it takes time out of your sleep time (which is exactly what I have to do to get anything significant done).

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Beth, that's why I need NaNo to prod me into action.

Shell, awesome it helped you!

Heather! I can't turn it off. Damn them.

Sarah, that's what we've been telling people. But just found out it's free now!

Dianne, sorry - everyone's is on.

Robyn, the Groot branch was my favorite.

Pat Hatt said...

haha the groot branch was great. Oh yeah writing has changed as I have a little less time then before with all the other online stuff, but oh well. Thanks for the shout too. And dumb WV seems to be switched on everywhere today, including here.

Stephen Tremp said...

I haven't seen Riff Traxx alhhough it was playing close by. Just too many things overlapping at once. But I'll check out the Web site in more detail and see what's available from past episodes t o view.

I'll check out Pat Hatt's book as we have a common theme of cats going on.

And yes I downloaded the IWSG book and scanned through it. Will start reading it today.

Mason Canyon said...

The Santa movie sounds funny and the slides are hilarious. Congrats to all who have new releases.

Bish Denham said...

That movie sounds absolutely crazy, totally worthy of being spoofed.

I do tend to get more writing done when under a deadline, but I've always been sporadic.

And is there a reason I'm seeing so many bloggers with the "please prove you're not a robot" verification thingy? Is this something I need to look into?

mail4rosey said...

The Groot gift is actually funny. I can see the kids faces if I did that, and it made me laugh out loud. :)

A Beer for the Shower said...

I actually looked up Rifftrax because I wanted to see this... the nearest theater that has this is over 30 minutes away. What the hell, Denver? I may still trek out there one day. This sounded hilarious.

Also, what Bish said. I'm noticing captcha suddenly on a ton of blogs today (including this one)... was this an auto update that people aren't aware of, or is everyone just that passionate about spam blocking?

L.G. Keltner said...

Riff Trax rocks! They can make any bad movie enjoyable. That one slide also made me eager to watch their treatment of the Star Wars Holiday Special. It's certainly the time of year for it!

Holy Ghost Writer said...

The more we write the more promo work we have to do. It can cut into the time

Anonymous said...

seen the IWSG GUIDE thought it great,
everyone seems to be having catcha do you know the reason>

Enjoyed the post, trying to catch up with my comments.

Yvonne.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Who knew all that about Santa? What fun.
Congratulations to all the new books.
I have the IWSG book and hope to read it soon. Advice is always welcome.
Have a great week.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure how my writing time has changed in terms of being published now. I do know that non-writing things are the biggest culprits that eat my writing time. Not much I can do there, sometimes life gets too hectic and I have to focus on that. =(

Fundy Blue said...

Hey Alex! I read all of the chapters of Blogavengers that Pat posted, so I'll be sure to download the book. I'm currently reading his wild and fun Max Blizzard novel. And I did catch Chrys's hilarious poem last Wednesday. Rachna Chhabria's post was spot on. I am much more productive on a schedule, but it's fallen by the wayside during this holiday season ~ maybe a shorter schedule right now. Are you thinking about book five??? Have a great week!

Belle Wong said...

Those slides are hilarious! And interesting to see how your writing habits have changed, too. Me, I just have to get into a writing habit, period. :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I loved Chrys' poem. It was funny. Focus is the big difference for me in being productive during my writing time. I've even started turning off the music.
What the heck is up with word verification today. It's been active on every blog I visited today.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Pat, you're welcome. And I know! I can't shut it off.

Bish, everyone's is turned on. Sorry!

Rosey, I would laugh.

Brandon and Bryan, go!! And everyone's is turned on with no way to turn it off.

Yvonne, no idea why.

Fundy, no book five at the moment!

Susan, it's annoying...

Anonymous said...

Your bit about giving yourself a few hours to write each day makes a lot of sense. Writing, blogging, life etc. are all time consuming. I suppose it's about setting priorities and making things happen. If we want it bad enough, it will happen no matter what. If it doesn't, we have no one to blame but ourselves. No worries about captcha - I've seen it on a few blogs today from bloggers I know don't use it, so it must be some sort of a glitch.

Elephant's Child said...

Santa Claus with a carny flavour? Creepy - and fun. Which works for me.

Angela Brown said...

Word verification has been popping up on a number of blogs, and the owners are still working to get it off of their blog comments.

I haven't visited the Rifftrax team. Looks like I need to :-)

cleemckenzie said...

Everybody's got word ver. on today. I believe we have gremlins afoot. Saw Chrys' post and love it! Already have IWSG book in my Kindle and reading it a bit at a time.

Thanks for the laughs in that series of slides!

Carrie-Anne said...

It depends how long and involved a book is. I've poured out super-long first drafts in just a couple of months, and taken only a month or so for my much-shorter books, while other books can take a year or more. My handwritten magnum opus has been in the works for over 20 years now, and that's just the first draft. I haven't even started transcribing it and doing my planned radical revisions and restructurings of the earlier parts.

Jenni said...

Interesting how your work habits changed. I haven't published a book yet, but I am getting faster with each book. My first book took me years to write, but I also had babies at the time. Now it usually takes me about 3 months to write a first draft and up to a year to edit it, depending on the feedback I receive from betas.
I've been enjoying reading the IWSG book!

Elephant's Child said...

I think that if you change your comment settings to 'embedded' you will get rid of the dreaded WV. Those blogs I have visited with this feature don't have it...

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Focus and dedication will see you through in achieving your dream. I would have loved to have been in the audience with you. Santa Claus with a Carny Viewpoint!

Donna McDine said...

Can't stand the word verification. I took it off mine quite some time ago. LOL slides. I've downloaded the IWSG book and I'm enjoying it. I'm over the moon to be included!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'm making all my men a Groot. As nerds, they will totally love it.

It is easier to block chunks of writing time once you have a book in print- having evidence that you're not totally just playing is helpful.

I visited Elizabeth's and had an idea for an IWSG post- foods to cook that take less than twenty minutes. That way the IWSG can cook us dinner too!

I like embedded comments and hate word verification.

Julie Flanders said...

Haven't had a chance to get the IWSG guide yet but I need to get myself in gear and get over to Amazon. Love the Yuletide Facts LOL.
Have a great week, Alex.

farawayeyes said...

Well at least I voted for one winner in last weeks BOTB.

I have got to go and download the IWSG Book right now before I forget. Thanks for the reminder.

Suzanne Furness said...

Only just caught Chrys's poem, what a great read. I'm sure a deadline helps to maintain focus.

Empty Nest Insider said...

I'll have to check out Chrys' poem! I'll also be on the lookout for RiffTrax. The IWSG Guide looks great, and is a wonderful resource for all of us! It's amazing how your writing habits have changed Alex, and you're more driven than ever! Congrats to all of the authors!

Julie

Stephanie Faris said...

So fun! I meant to check into that. I'm off to Elizabeth's blog now.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

I just downloaded the IWSG book for Kindle. Looking forward to reading it!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jenni, awesome!

Elephant's Child, I did and that seemed to help.

Donna, we appreciate you contributing!

Elizabeth, that made me chuckle.

The Happy Whisk said...

Hope you have a great week, Alex. Cya 'round cyberspace.

Andrew Leon said...

My biggest change is that I now have more than one project going, which I kind of hate but don't really know how to get away from, right now.

J E Oneil said...

Something about Christmas just inspires people to make bad movies.

I think I write all my books differently. At least that's consistent.

Birgit said...

It's neat to look back and see how you have changed your writing and it seems to be working well! Love those slides-too funny

Cherie Reich said...

Having a devoted amount of time is probably the key to getting things done. I used to be better about such things, and I'm hoping to get back on track this coming year.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

The Groot slide is hilarious! I watched Guardians again the other night and still love it.
I've been a bit sporadic with my writing, but then a lot has been going on for me at the moment.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I think I set aside time differently now. I did try to do something super-crazy though with my third book and it backfired a bit on me - I tried to do a mega-outline for it (gasp), not my style. After an attempt to write a rough draft from that, I had to back up, pare down the outline and start over. Now, it's almost done . . . but it has taken me longer than book 2. Agh. Oh well. I'm still learning, and I'll still be learning years from now.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I am still having trouble with that darn word verification even though I embedded my comments on my blog~!

dolorah said...

I used to do marathon writing sessions; now I fit it in whenever I can, but I am more focused and know what I need to accomplish during a dedicated time.

G. B. Miller said...

Thanks for the tip in regards to changing the comment box to embedded, I will give that a try.

As for changes in writing, most definitely. First draft of first book took about 2 months, with the remaining edits taking the remaining 8 months of the year (started in February). The others I have on deck have taken on average about 6 months to write (novellas) with about that same length of time for edits, etc.

Father Nature's Corner

The Armchair Squid said...

Some friends and I went to see RiffTrax: Godzilla this summer. Those guys are great.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lynda, understood!

Roland, sorry!

GB. interesting...

Squid, they are awesome.

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats to everyone on new releases. Anxious to read IWSG. What a wonderful undertaking.

Karen Lange said...

Lots happening! As always, thanks for keeping us in the loop. Don't know what we'd do without you. :)

Author Joshua Hoyt said...

Time. What's that :) I think that for me its so important to stick to a schedule. I need chunks of time to write so I can get into the story and get lost.

Helena said...

Darn, I missed the RiffTrax--I'll try to catch it somewhere. I LOVED the slides for their show. I'm gonna buy the IWSG book tomorrow (I still haven't figured out why my Amazon account is easier to access on my work computer compared to my home one).

Congrats to the writers with this week's releases! May their books sell like crazy.

Anonymous said...

Chrys' poem was great. I read T.B.'s book and enjoyed it a lot. I also enjoyed the IWSG anthology.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to read it took a year to write your book not including edits - that makes me feel a bit better for taking so long with my book. It's not the initial part that takes so long, it's those blasted edits! The evil cat released yet another book?! Geez Louise!! He never stops.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Joshua, I need those chunks as well.

Helena, it's now free on Amazon!

Elsie, no worries how long it takes.

Melissa said...

I agree. Writing time vs. duties does change. It took me 2 1/2 years to write and polish Come Back. I should finish the next one in less than a year, but I'm having trouble finding big chunks of writing time.

Those screen shots are funny. :)

Trisha said...

I am definitely writing way less right now than I have at points in the past. But I don't have the excuse of having been published, getting in the way. ;) I blame the cats! ha.

Leandra Wallace said...

The book I'm querying now took me four years to write- I never want to do that again! And there were computer problems, burnout, pregnancy, and then a baby that compounded it all. Really looking forward to reading that ISWG post tomorrow!

Unknown said...

I'd say my habits have changed as a writer- I make writing more of a priority than I used to, but marketing and promotion also takes a huge chunk of time, so my waking and sleeping hours have changed to fit the needs of myself as well as all my other obligations. It's a hard balance, one that might get easier overtime, but will also be ever changing as parts of my life ebb and flow.

ilima said...

My writing has changed the same way. I also think that as I learn to write better and become familiar with the process, the story comes out quicker as well.

Cathrina Constantine said...

Yes, my writing has also changed. My first book took years to develop. It's gotten somewhat easier as I've been learning more and how to manage time. Although, I never feel the editing is every over. That's when you have to say enough is enough!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Finding time to write is tough this fall because of book promo and my work on the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Blog. I have a manuscript I want to wrap up before the end of the month, so I have no choice but to set aside those blocks of time you talked about, Alex. I'm starting Sunday, right after my "one big booksigning and party" is over.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Yes, my writing has changed, maybe I am not focussing enough. I need to take a leaf out of your book and focus and dedicate atleast three to five hours everyday, that way I may finish the book fast. Though I feel I am writing faster now, but there are always other things vying for my time. So the writing time is getting reduced.
Btw, I saw Interstellar on Sunday, what did you think of the movie? I loved it.

Chrys Fey said...

Thank you for mentioning my IWSG poem! I'm glad you enjoyed it, but you spelled my last name wrong. ;) Finding time to write now is tough. It was easier when I first started out and was writing with the goal of being published without actually being published. Once I started blogging and published Hurricane Crimes my writing time has diminished. And that's for a short story! Not even a book in print that requires book signings!

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Visited Elizabeth - not sure I'll ever publish anything but may download the information.(I can always use help).
"Prolonged interrogation - legal threats- Secret Santa" I'm in trouble!
I plan to get Pat's book as my gift from me to me for Christmas. He is so funny!
Thank you visiting my blog home. Enjoy your time away!

DMS said...

My writing has changed too. I do find it harder to get the solid chunks of time in that I need- especially when I get home from work and am tired. I still try to put my butt in the seat and write, but sometimes I don't get very far. I am hoping in the new year to get a schedule going. :)
~Jess

Robin said...

You've actually brought up one of my biggest writing fears. I feel like this first novel has taken FOREVER, but I want it to be just right. (Actually, it's not my "first," but that one was put in the drawer a while ago.) Anyway, I'm struggling with my idea thread for the second book in my series. I know that I need to have a handle on it soon. If this book actually gains traction, then the need to write faster will become an imperative. What if the idea well just dries up while the pressure to write from outside sources bears down???? I think that anxiety will diminish, somewhat, once I know that I can write that second book. I guess I know what my next IWSG post is about...

Leovi said...

Fun RiffTrax!!

Chemist Ken said...

I write more quickly now that I have an idea what I'm doing. Still a pretty slow writer, though.

Lisa said...

Too funny on those screen cards! Yes, got my book. Yes, checked out Cat on A to Z. She rocks and I wish I'd been almost everywhere she's been. Yes my writing habits have changed. I liked it when all I had to do was write. I like blogging, but other than that, I wish all I had to do was write! But I am taking on the challenge of marketing and think I might be making progress. Great post, as usual!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Leandra, the next will be better.

Cathrina, yes you do!

Patricia, you can do it.

Rachna, I thought it was really good although a bit depressing.

Chrys - crap! I'll fix it.

Robin, welcome to my fears...

Nigel G Mitchell said...

I love MST3K, so Riff Trax sounds right up my alley. Congratulations on all those new releases

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I had a whole lot to say, really... but by the time I reached the end of the line, I couldn't remember. Oh, right, I saw Chrys' poem. It was so awesome. I had more to say, but like I said... I can't remember what I was going to say.

Brian Miller said...

hello, i am trying to steal those chunks of time more and more to write...
that ridd trax sounds fun...i am totally going to make the sharpie stick groot
lol....

Michelle Wallace said...

Just returned from Elizabeth's place...
Congrats to everyone on their new book releases!

Catch Chrys’ post? Yes. It's super-creative!
Downloaded the IWSG book? Definitely. Will post a review within the next week.
Getting some new books? I have a TON of new books, thanks to the16 e-books and $65 in Amazon gift cards that I won during October/November.
And have your writing habits changed? Yes. I've discovered that I'm writing more words per session. So there's some hope for that 'elusive novella/novelette'...LOL

Mason T. Matchak said...

I think the biggest thing that's changed about my writing habits over the years is figuring out when I do my best work and how to prepare to sit down and write. Having a sort of pre-writing ritual helps a lot, as it gets me into the same mental space every time I'm about to start. ^_^

Annalisa Crawford said...

My writing habits haven't changed at all... Now I'm worried I'm doing it wrong :-)

Um, I'm hesitant to point this out, because I'll look like such a cheapskate, but the book isn't free on Amazon UK. It's 77p. (Oh, it actually sounds worse written down than it did in my head.)

Loni Townsend said...

Hehehe, those RiffTrax are great. :)

My writing habits have changed, but not for the better. I steal any moment I can now, but I wouldn't change that...much. My children consume more time, but I love them and wouldn't trade them for all the writing time in the world. :) Hopefully when they get older, I'll have a bit more time though.

kjmckendry said...

Loved your post on Elizabeth's site! I guess I'll have to check out those RiffTrax, they sound hilarious.
I have tried to make solid time for my writing but it hasn't happened and I end up squeezing writing/blogging/social media all into one time slot. I'm determined to change that for 2015!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Joylene, sorry. Blame the embedded comment box.

Brian, let me know how well that goes over.

Michelle, that's a lot of books.

Annalisa, tell them about a cheaper price!

Kathryn, make it happen!

Cherie Colyer said...

My writing habits have changed since my pre-publication days too. For one, I don't work on my novel everyday. Sometimes it's because I have emails to answer, or marketing plans to work on, blog post, etc. Other times it's because the day job has just zapped all my energy. When I do write, the time is well spent.

Thanks for sharing the slides. I'm off to check out your guest post.

M Pax said...

I'm trying to talk Husband Unit into watching Santa Claus vs. the Martians. He's less than enthused. I may have to watch it alone.

My writing habits have changed. I found ways to change my schedule to devote more time to it and it multiple projects at once (deadline permitting).

Liz Blocker said...

Yikes. That's not encouraging, since I barely had time to write my first book - and I write slower than molasses. Oh boy, I'm in trouble...

klahanie said...

Hi Alex,

This has had to be a whirlwind visit. I'm running terribly behind. I have no writing habits. I just write when I get the urge. Although, during a life-changing situation, my writing has gone way into the background. Then again, something to write about.

It looks like I'm going to have to revert to this style of commenting on my blog. I changed it so folks wouldn't have to scroll so far down. Now with that unasked for word verification, it seems I must change back.

All the best, good sir.

Al Penwasser said...

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Ahhhhh, nothing says the holiday like Yuletide Adultery!

Unknown said...

Glad Amazon fixed up their prices for IWSG Guide To Publishing.

Leovi said...

Very interesting blog Starrl Cat !! really wonderful!

Suzanne said...

So nicking the Groot stick idea for Jeff's stocking! xx

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mary, you might have to watch the MST3K version of that one.

Gary, the word verification is annoying.

LD Masterson said...

Heading over to Elizabeth's. I also switched to embedded. Thanks for the tip.

Nicola said...

I get up at ridiculous o'clock every morning (except Sundays) to write before the distractions of the day take over. It's taken me about ten months to tease out my first novel. I'm looking forward to seeing how my writing days change once published. Happy holidays to all and wishing you continued successes throughout the new year.

Unknown said...

Congrats to Pat, Sean, and TB on their releases! Woohoo!

Very interesting to read about how Rachna's writing time is different now from her first book. Go Rachna!

Please bring back the pop-up box. Scrolling up and down so I don't miss mentioning different parts of your post is a pain.

cleemckenzie said...

I'm really changing my habits--writing and otherwise. I never try to do that in a New Year's Resolution, so now's the time. Hope you have a good break. We need those, especially this time of year. See you next Monday! P.S. I'm enjoying the articles in IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond! Also I'll pop in to say hi at Elizabeth's blog.

Susan Kane said...

gulump, gulump, gulump--fine moments by a fine actor.

Blue Grumpster said...

I need one of those creepy mechanical reindeers. You know, to scare some of my colleagues. (Don't ask.) While you're at it, could I get an online presence that would take a chunk of my time, too? (Say no.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nicola, my brain doesn't work before noon unfortunately...

Lee, that's good to hear!

Blue, but I could! You want mine?

kimlajevardi.com said...

It makes sense that you have tme before you're published. Multiple demands once publication happens sounds intimidating, but I can see how focused writing chunks can make it possible. I hope to have the chance to find out sooner rather than later. ;)

Toi Thomas said...

I need to get a handle on my writing time, just trying to find a balance.
The RiffTrax slides are great. Sounds like the whole experience was pretty cool.

Leovi said...

I think the reasoning Rachna Chhabria can serve for writers of success!

Carrie Butler said...

My fourth book is taking a lot longer than my first. Then again, it wraps up the series, so there's a lot more to keep track of!

Denise Covey said...

I must get across and read Rachna's secrets to writing!

Alex, I wish you and yours a very blessed Christmas time and all the best for 2015!

Denise :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kim, I hope you do.

Toi, it was hilarious.

Same to you, Denise!

Anonymous said...

Claudia Must Die is a great read -- enjoyed it.

Unknown said...

Interesting fact about the I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa slide. And now I am on way to grab Blogvengers (sounds like a must have from Pat Hat) :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Alex, regarding your question on my blog as to what name did my editor give the watchman's cat in my story, she gave it the name Imarti (a traditional name).

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Alex,

I just downloaded my copy of the IWSG Guide. SOOOOO happy to have it. Hopefully 2015 will be my year for publication. So much has happened this year for me with design work, selling my condo, and finally moving. CRAZY. My offer for the NY COOP I wanted to buy has just been accepted...YAY! I'll be HOME for next Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am so happy just thinking about it. Another year in Chicago is fine. LOVE my new place and I finally got it put together this weekend. Perhaps now I can visit everyone.... It's amazing how time consuming moving is.

I am also psyched about attending the SBCWI Conference in NYC. in February. It will be an awesome week, with the conference AND closing on my coop..... THINGS are looking up! HURRAY for 2015!!!!!!

Leovi said...

I wish you a happy 2015 !

Dixie@dcrelief said...

A very Happy New Year, Alex. Thank you for visiting me in 2014!
Blessing to you and your family :)