Musings about writing and other things
A Fatal Family Secret (The Morphosis.me Files, Book #1) by Samantha Marks is currently free on Kindle. (affiliate link)
I don’t read many books in the Young Adult Fantasy genre, but something about the cover of this eBook drew me in. I was not disappointed. The diverse and enjoyable ensemble cast of characters and the plot – a mix of Irish mythology with up to the minute teen-focused consumer technology – came together to make a page-turner of a novel.
For your reading pleasure this weekend, I’d like to share several articles I’ve read this week and found useful, thought-provoking, and otherwise helpful. It’s been a busy week both in terms of the beta read for my novel The Gideon Effect, and in terms of my numerous research projects as I figure out the next steps on the route to eventually publishing the novel. Last week I realized there may be some value for others in collating the articles I find useful as I go through the process.
I have only recently branched out from baking all-wheat sourdough breads to adding other grains. It all started with a reconstructed recipe for 2000-year-old Pompeiian bread. For this recipe, I used a variety of grains available to the inhabitants of Pompeii, including rye and spelt as well as whole wheat flour. The bread had a rich flavor and hearty consistency. And I had a pantry full of flours with which to explore new recipes. My very next loaf of bread was a sourdough rye bread recipe I found on Breadtopia. Almost as interesting as the recipe itself were the videos that Eric had prepared to demonstrate the recipe techniques. I was quite taken by the Romertopf clay baker he used to baked the rye bread, and vowed to acquire one for myself before attempting the recipe.
I was in luck – one of the thrift stores nearby actually had a clay baker on the shelves. Though there wasn’t as much luck involved as you would imagine: Romertopf and other clay bakers are perennial favorites at wedding showers and such. Usually, the poor recipient has no idea what to do with it, and it’s put away on an out-of-the-way shelf. Eventually, it may wind up on eBay or in a thrift store. Since buying mine, I’ve seen several for sale in various states from cracked to pristine. The one I bought was nicely seasoned and in perfect condition. If you price them online, you’ll find that new clay bakers run upwards of $60.
If you decide you’d like to try baking bread in a clay baker, you probably won’t have to shell out $60 or more if you have second-hand shopping available. And you’ll give a marvelous piece of cooking equipment a second chance and a new home.
I could write my goals and progress on a scrap of paper, or even in a nice leatherbound planner, but what would be the fun in that? Who would laugh at me or poke at me for not hitting my targets? That’s correct: nobody but me, and I’m not nearly hard enough on myself.
My goals for the next few months are ambitious. I would like to complete the beta reading/re-revising process for The Gideon Effect by the end of June. Earlier would be great, but I’m not sure how fast to expect the beta readers to read and critique each chapter. I’ve scheduled a week per chapter. Concurrent with the beta reading, I’m educating myself on the next steps in the publication process. I have some significant decisions ahead:
The terms “writer” and “author” are used nearly interchangeably, so why choose to call oneself one over the other?
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.
– Robert A. Heinlein
For me, it comes down to this: Writing is something you do. You pour words out on your keyboard to form stories, essays, articles, poems, etc. Writing is active, forward-looking, and a writer is something you cease to be when you stop writing. Authoring is something you have done – It’s backward-looking, an accomplishment, a legacy. You have something in print or e-print, with your name or nom de plume on the cover. You will be an author forever, long after you stop writing, should you do so.
I am a writer.
