The Ability to Let Things End

12/5/2017

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Over the past few years, when I could seriously sit down to work, I have rewrote, cut and edited "An Indigo Feather" into what is now known as "Calling of Blood." It's true what writers say about themselves, when they're being honest with themselves. We are our worst critics. There is nothing I am more self-conscience of, and yet so confident of, than my writing. Sure, I make errors and rereading and editing are still SUPER IMPORTANT, but I've never really told myself to give up, to find something else to.

Writing is, honestly, the only thing I feel I can do. I have to do. I like to write. I like to put down all of the ideas that pop into my head. I love when I create something I've been searching for in a bookstore because I have yet to find it.

But I need to learn to let things go. Stop editing and let a piece be.

And so, this post is to let everyone know that "Calling of Blood" is officially "abandoned." :) I've edited it as much as possible. I've cut as much as I dare. I sat for an hour or so putting in a linked up table of contents.

Finally, it's finished. As of now, it is available on Amazon through the Kindle Store. Look up Lale Baize.

I am super excited but also kind of terrified. I'll post more information soon but I just wanted to let everyone know who's been waiting for this that there is a copy up for sale.


*cross-posted on Tumblr.

Best Laid Plans and All That...

7/26/15

Hooo-boy! Did some stuff happen after my last post! Like, right after I posted. Like, that day went south real fast shortly after posting. There's a reason we have the story warning of counting one's chickens before they hatch. Just to sort of put it out there, my roommate of only three months decided to move out. Right then. Within the day she announced she was moving. Not gonna lie, it threw a massive wrench in a few things. But, I think I'm ironing everything back out pretty good.

Anyway, July has been insane.

COB is chugging along. I haven't worked on it as much as I wanted, but it's so close. So close to being where it needs to be. I'm actually looking for a few people (mayhaps two or three) to read the manuscript and tell me what they think before I get it all gussied up for Kindle. If anyone is passing by and is interested, let me know.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Calling of Blood (or its previous incarnation as An Indigo Feather) know it is a slow-burn Fantasy novel revolving around basically an M/M relationship. I say "basically" because the characters aren't human. They aren't male, more hermaphrodite, to be honest. The best way I can recommend this book is by saying, if you like Fantasy, if you can enjoy something like Storm Constantine's Wraeththu, than you might enjoy this.

Hit me up if interested!

*entry cross-posted on my tumblr account as well

Small Announcement

6/29/15

Hello, all!

The time for finding my works is once again nearing time. There are a few things going on right now. The Calling of Blood is on its final stages of edition. Steps for publication have been made for COB and future works. I have created a new name to publish under.

Sadly, I feel it is time to put away Coco Reed. One of the main names I will be publishing under now is Lale Baize (I think I'm sooooo clever. :P) Once COB is published, look for it and other titles under that name.

Taking Care of Business

1/8/15

It's been a while since I actually worked on a manuscript. Like, really worked on it. It's fun. I missed doing this. Mayhaps my soul is no longer constipated! Without starting on the serious business of cutting and chopping, I have about 100,000 words written. Probably more. I'm too scared to check. I'm looking to chop a few thousand from that once I bang out the rest of this part of the edition.

Yay for productivity!

7/7/7 Challenge

11/14/2014

7/7/7 Challenge. Post the seventh page and the seventh line and the following seven lines from a work-in-progress. 

Mine is from the Calling of Blood editions. Of course it is. :)

"'However, there is one condition.”

“Which is?”

“No sex between you and I, unless I seek you out.”

Monista’s smile faded, expression becoming serious. Now there was the true queen, not the harlot she let Lysander and Drumeria make her into. “I did what I must to secure some sort of an alliance, Dandel. Surely you have read that not all battles are won with force and steel.”

Dane bowed his head to her, tilting his glass as well in respect. “It seems Tonse made everyone fight for their survival.’"

Editing Monster

9/20/2014

I get to a point sometimes where I will make several editions of a work. I don't think this is a bad thing, personally. However, sometimes I start another edition in the middle of one. I'm basically rewriting Calling of Blood. For several reasons, but the main one is that I know there are holes in the story and some characters could be better. So that's what I'm doing right now. I was feeling stuck, though, and went back and read the new editions.

I Am Not Happy Still. At all. 

So very tempted to rewrite the first few chapters (these have very little editing to begin with and now I wish I would have scrapped them in the first place.) But. But. One step at a time.

This is just another delay, but I need to finish the rewrite first. And then, apparently, start back over. Just the first few chapters and I know what I'll do instead. So that part will be cake. Just need to finish this edition is all. :D

Editions and What Not

2/16/14

If anyone noticed: I did have an excerpt posted from some of the new edition of COB. I left it up for an appropriate, I think, amount of time before taking it down. If anyone actually read it, hope you enjoyed. If you missed it, sorry.

Also, I have been doing a lot of rewriting. A lot. Like whole new chapters. I was getting a bit worried that I was branching too far off from the original story (but so much had to be included to fill in glaring plot holes!) Then I decided on doing something with the narrative, a kind of experiment if you will, that will hopefully work as a sort of detour. We'll still be pacing with the original story, and see some new things on the way, but eventually meet back up at a certain point that doesn't need as much fleshing out.

I'm actually quite excited about this as it was worrying me and causing a bit of a delay in chapter out-put.

Just another bump overcome in the great process that has become Calling of Blood.

Out.

Well, Hello There!

01/04/14

Yes, yes. I know. It has been a bit since I last wrote.

Many a thing has happened within the silence. Most of it not so exciting. Anyway--

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday and a great beginning to the new year. My holiday was good, my new year not so much. Some personal things happened. We experienced a death in my family. All we can do is help each other grieve and remember our loved ones. I am not an overly superstitious person, but I am worried that this will be a flavor of the coming year. All I can do is keep, keepin' on.

I am getting back into the swing of things again. I know, I say that a lot. Finished another chapter just a few hours ago. I can't wait to get this all finished so I can cut all the fat.

Hope to see you all around!

Possibly a Snippet to Come

11/13/13

Hello, all!

Whoa my goodness, it's been a bit since I last checked in! Know that COB has been being worked on in the time I've been silent (and a few other things too!) I received a comment on the last entry asking about the progress of COB and a possible date on when it will be finished.

While I can't give a precise date, know that this will be finished. It is technically a finished story, but I don't want to release it for possible publication without filling plotholes and tightening the writing. It doesn't sit well with me the idea of trying to sell something a few people read and enjoyed for free. That's not how I roll.

Also, I've been fighting with myself about posting a piece of the new story on here. Just a snippet. A scene. I'm liking the idea more and more but have yet to decide on what to post. That might be the next entry. We'll see.

Thank you, Anon who wrote me on the last entry. It's nice to be reminded that there are people interested in Dane and Spooky, who want to hear their story. Sometimes I forget. That gave me a nice good push when I wanted to slack off. And it made me smile.

Out.

Greetings!

8/28/13

And exactly one month since the last time, I am updating. Woo! That takes some sort of talent to do that without trying.

So I don't know why I got it into my head that the COB manuscript needed to be less than 100k words, but I have been dreading having to cut once I'm done with the second edition. I've been trying to think what could go, where the extra fat is. Well, I am pleased to say that there isn't actually a maximum. It has to be 15k or more. I'll still edit the crap out of it ('cause I actually think that part is fun) but now I can write to my heart's content, add all the plot I've thought up to flesh things out. So far, so good. I want to post a snippet but I can't decide which passage to choose.

Nothing else of mine has seen much light, that's going to be published anyway. And that's where I'm at. On writing the new Chapter Fourteen and at around 103-thousand-some words.

Out.

Foreshadowing

4/8/13

What I wouldn't give for a writing circle right now! I know someone out there reads this, and you still can be all quiet lurker on me ;) but just so you know I flicked the "anonymous" switch on commenting, so please feel free to come by. Onto what I need to know...

For those that have read "An Indigo Feather" and now "Calling of Blood"--or also for those who are good at hypotheticals: how allowable is foreshadowing? I have this new, awesome, conversation happening between Spooky and Dane. I mean, there's a lot of Spooky peeking into the wonderful and terrifying place that is Dane's mind and his reasoning for some of the monstrous things he does. Let's just say that Spooky asks a question that those that have read will know hits frighteningly close to home later in the story. My question is, should this moment exist at all? Is the risk of foreshadowing, though I swear I tried not to bash readers over the head, worth it?

I may post the exchange and see what readers think? Is that cool? If I hear static I'll just keep it to myself. No worries. I'll eventually work something out, it'd just go along swifter and smoother if I had a practice group.

What to do...

2/7/13

I almost wrote myself into a corner. Still contemplating if I just cut some of the last pages written or not. Or forget about some of the things I was going to add to keep from having to insert entirely new chapters. I can do either one,  but not sure if I'm actually adding for the sake of the story, or falling into the ego of the story--"Of course this needs to be added! Everything I'm putting in is necessary!"--bullshit.

I don't know... Something's just not gelling. I would have liked to write on it a lot more than I have but this is tripping me up. I'll probably have to write some more in-depth outlines, compare them and then see what works better. Poo. That's never as fun as just writing the chapter and being done with it.

Oh well. The first step to getting any of it done is just starting it. So, with that in mind:

Out.

All the Leaves are Brown--All the Leaves are Broooooooown!

11/1/12

Whoa, Tylonal PM don't joke around. I'm gonna make this quick before I start drooling all over my keyboard.

It's official. Calling of Blood, aka An Indigo Feather, reached 100,000 words.

I am so excited and happy about that, you don't even know. Granted, I am still editing, so I will be cutting, but I am adding as well so it's gonna be still over 100k by the time it's Ready For Real.

Gah. Yeah. I am happy.

Runnin' Just as Fast as We Can

8/23/2012

So I've been looking over COB and it appears I have added nearly 4,000 words of new content. More should be coming along soon. Recently I've just been chopping and spell-checking. It's moving smoothly along though. Can't wait to get it all done and ready for query. Part of me is also impatient and wants to share, but I got to stop posting full manuscripts on the net. Speaking of, AIF should be coming down soon on AFF. Just, you know, a warning. I told ya last time and I still got a few emails asking where it was on Fic Press. Let that be a warning to you cupcakes*. If you want to read it, hurry it up. :)

I will say that I am also playing around with some ideas, just for fun, and those might totally show up on Coco's profiles. Keep a look-out, if you are so inclined.

Out.

*No. No I wasn't watching Adventure Time while updating this...

Happy May!

5/1/12

Hey!

So some of you may, or may not, have noticed AIF is down from Fiction Press. It's been a long time coming. The story is still up on AFF.net but probably not for much longer. I've been playing around with some ideas for little stories set between book one and two. I'll post these on one of the sites, most likely AFF.net. Perhaps I'll even post a snippet of COB. I was thinking one of the new scenes with Lu'Bella. She has more to do in the story, more depth I think.

Out

What's Up, Good-Lookin'?

4/21/2012

Finishing COB? Yeah... I'll do it on the night... Oh! But I did take care of that pesky hetero-impotence! You won't believe it, but I totally got back into that vibe by basically writing fan fiction. *accomplished grin* I think it was because I didn't have to try and get into the head of an original character. I already knew their motivations and what now. Not wasting brain power made it easier to play with emotions and scenarios.

I have done a bit more with COB. It's been awesome adding and cutting. I feel good about the changes. I was thinking sometime I'll put a snippet of a new scene up here and show you guys.

I've thought of some awesome ideas. And when I say that, I mean awe-some. Hopefully I can write up some scenarios soon that go along with it.

This was just to check in. 

Out.

We're Moving Right Along

2/7/12

As far as COB goes, it's going rather well. I've written close to 1000 words of new content, cut and changed  certain details. I'm only 100 pages or so into the novel, so many great things are still to come. There's even a new character thrown in, not a main character, he supplements a few things that needed to be addressed but were forgotten the first time around.

I am also working on a new short story, just for fun. It's practically writing itself so it might even be done today. If so, it'll be on Coco Reed's accounts. Look for "No King for the Crown" if you want something new to read and you're not one of those weird people that has an aversion to hetero stories...