Openings for clients

Are you looking to have your short story or novel professionally edited? I am opening up limited slots at prices that can’t be beat for both content editing (get input on characters/plot/other story mechanics, plus feedback on any specific questions you might have) and copyediting (grammar and style). I am open to different genres, though I am most fond of speculative fiction and historical fiction. I am, however, not overly keen on novels that focus solely on romance and sacrifice plot.

Prices for my introductory month, ending April 30, will be $16 per hour for copyediting and $19 per hour for content editing. This is well below the average for these services as listed in both the “2015 Writer’s Market” and on the Editorial Freelancers Association’s website.

Services will be paid through PayPal, and I will require a partial upfront payment, which will be determined by the project (whether it is a short story or novel, or if it will be copyedited or content edited); the remainder will then be invoiced and due after services have been rendered. To learn more about these services, utilize the form below to start the conversation; we will then work out the fine details via email. Initially, I ask that you include information about your project — summary, genre, word count, and target audience — and what you are looking for.

If you have ever wanted to have your work professionally edited, don’t miss out on this opportunity; you will not find lower prices, so take advantage of them!

About Me

I am a 2009 graduate of Purdue University, where I majored in professional writing. Currently, I am employed by The Papers Inc. Through this company, I serve as a staff writer, copy editor and editor. I started as the copy editor of “The Municipal” magazine approximately three years ago before moving on to also copyediting “Home Indoor Outdoor Living,” prior to it moving out of office, and several of the company’s other publications. A year ago I was named as the editor of “Michiana House and Home.” I’m very familiar with both AP Style and the Chicago Manual of Style. In the past, I have also edited others’ short stories and novels/excerpts.

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A reflection on character relationships

I believe writers have quirks that appear across the broad body of their works — little nuggets of ourselves that we can’t help but deposit. Whether it is reoccurring themes or just elements of our life experiences, they appear in the black and white of our prose. And as I continue editing my Scifi novel, I found myself reflecting on one thing that seems to span the majority of my works, one commonality if you would: My characters are greatly impacted by their family units, but they lack in the friendship department.

There are no Frodos and Samwises, no Harrys and Hermiones (Ron gets excluded because there were several times he was just a lousy friend), no Dowager Countesses or Mrs. Crawleys — the list goes on and on — in the vast majority of my works. Continue reading “A reflection on character relationships”

Beta reading continues

“Heritage Lost,” the working title of my SciFi novel, is currently out to three beta readers, and the response has been very favorable so far. It’s always good to hear comments like “This will be a quick sell” or “I found myself wishing these characters were real.” Not only that, but two are stating they would recommend it to people that they know who like science fiction — that in particular is a relief since “Heritage Lost” is my first foray into the genre, and I won’t lie, I found it to be very challenging. In fact, my one reader has her mother, a big Trekkie, chomping at the bit to read it!

This time around, with the beta reading process, I have two “removed” readers who knew very little or nothing about the novel beforehand and one reader who knows a little bit more about the nuts and bolts of the piece, but not too much. In the past, I’ve usually had one or two readers who were more informed with the piece, so the final outcome of having only “outsiders” look at the piece will be interesting. To top off the experience, I think all three are going to have very different views and likes — always nice to have in a beta reading setting since final product readers will always have differing options. So far, it’s definitely been fascinating to see how different my two further along readers (or guinea pigs) react to scenes and characters differently. It’s also been a good reminder that I’m writing for multiple readers, not just one.

One approach for in-depth feedback that I did this time around was purchase my local/first-to-finish beta reader a coffee and then sit down with her to get her thoughts on the manuscript. Our originally intended meet up place turned out to close early on Saturdays … same case with our second destination. With options limited, we ended up at McDonald’s. But there was still coffee so all was well. Once seated with our coffee, I went through this wonderful beta reader worksheet with her and sat and listened — scribbling down notes with my handy-dandy notebook — as she provided feedback.

It was a fun experience, and I would recommend doing it if your beta readers are local (and do it one-on-one, too many voices at once could get overwhelming, at least for an severe introvert like myself). For the non-local ones, besides taking their Word critiques, talk with them over the phone or Skype with them, because sometimes they will think of different critiques while talking with you directly. I have personally received many great critiques by directly speaking with a reader and asking different questions, which in return sparked ideas from the reader.

While I’ve received very favorable feedback with “Heritage Lost” so far, there is still work to be done on the manuscript — as is to be expected. Starting today, I’m hoping to start fixing the grammatical errors that have been caught and maybe start tweaking some areas of the story. Hopefully, by the time the tweaks are finished, all my beta readers will be done on their reads, leaving me only to finish final revisions, write a synopsis and then submit.

Ein Haiku

So February so happens to National Haiku Month, or so I’ve been gathering on Twitter. Seriously, check out the hashtag #NaHaiWriMo; you will not be disappointed! There are tons of talented poets who are sharing their daily Haikus using that tag, and I’ve been enjoying every single one that I’ve come across. In that spirit, I decided to give it a shot after not having wrote a Haiku in Lord knows how many years. To further put a wrench into the works, I wrote it in German, a language that I minored in at Purdue but have let become rusty. I’ve been brushing up on it and used the haiku for further practice — so this short diddy might be laden with errors.

Zeit vergeht langsam (Time passes slowly)

Gemainsamkeit verschwindet (Commonality disappears)

Freunde zerlegen (Friends part)

Don’t fence me in

Since my dad was a fan of the old westerns, I'm very familiar with song "Don't Fence Me In."
Since my dad was a fan of the old westerns, I’m very familiar with song “Don’t Fence Me In.” Whether you’re a cowboy or a writer, no one wants to be fenced in.

Much like actors, I think writers often worry about being typecasted, so they carefully select a genre and stick with it. I’ve not really had that mindset. I like reading various genres and have aspirations to write in quite a few, particularly several branches of speculative fiction, historical fiction and perhaps even a western or mystery. Each of these genres offers something new and fun for me; after all, they require very different tones, characters and styles. What’s not to love? With multiple genres, writers get to spice things up and challenge themselves.

However, not many writers choose to do this. And it’s not necessarily because they fear that they are/will be typecasted. Instead, especially when you are just starting out, writing multiple genres is just not feasible in today’s market, at least not at first. If you go the traditional route,  your agent won’t be fond of having to approach a lot of companies right out of the gate on your behalf. Additionally, your publisher will want you stick with them (most publishers have set genres that they publish) and build an audience. Jumping between genres is not a good means for building an audience, which is why sticking to one genre increases your odds of making a decent living from writing.Continue reading “Don’t fence me in”

Final thoughts on Evernote

evernote_ipad_wallpaperPreviously, I had given a brief overview of Evernote and what it offers at a time when I was just playing around with it, promising to delve more into my experiences after I got serious with the program. That day has come, and I just have to say: I’m in love. Evernote is not just a lifesaver, but a time saver, particularly when you work on multiple devices. Though I have not used the software for this purpose, I can also see it being incredibly useful for collaborative purposes — and while I would love to test it (I am interested in giving co-authorship a try), I don’t foresee the opportunity arising anytime soon, but I am interested in hearing others’ experiences on using Evernote for this purpose.

Continue reading “Final thoughts on Evernote”

The Quest for the Holy Something or Other

indexToday I’m sharing a dear friend’s recently published book — one of which I have had the privilege of being able to witness a small portion of its growth to its current state.

Available in both paperback and ebook via Amazon and other booksellers, “The Quest for the Holy Something or Other” is a humorous read that follows the antics of the ever-innocent/rose-tinted-glasses-wearing Pig and her reluctant knight, Sir Kay, as they hunt for the Holy Bread Box. If you enjoy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” you will love this comedic parody of King Arthur’s court as they fight themselves and the inevitable march of … change.

Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of this novel for me is the characters, which are all memorable and one-of-a-kind — a true feat in the expansive realm of Arthurian legend. My favorite is perhaps Kylie’s Lancelot, because what can I say, I’m a sucker for antagonists. Merlin is also a personal favorite of mine, and you just can’t bring yourself to not like Pig (if you don’t, it’s akin to kicking a puppy).

“Quest” is also a quick read, in the manner, that it encourages you to keep flipping pages in order to see what befalls our heroes next, or to see what other antics Lancelot and the rest of the FCC try to pull. The book various comedic scenes — some featuring the most delightful, absurd sequence of events — during which Kylie is truly displaying her sense of humor, and I know it had me chuckling out loud to myself on several occasions. It is definitely worth a read.

I’ve included the full summary below:

Enter the Realm of Camelot, home of famous legends: King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Merlin—but this isn’t their story. Meet Pig, a humble gong farmer who dreams of the glories of Camelot. Her dreams become reality–or so she thinks–when she becomes Sir Kay’s page. What starts off as a joke soon becomes the adventure of Pig’s life when Merlin sends the knights on a quest for the Holy Gift Box–er–Bread Basket–whatever it is! On their quest, they face many knight-worthy, and some not-so-knight-worthy, foes: an insane pond dweller, several greedy salespeople, and an overzealous cache seeker, all the while fighting against time, mostly each other, and the most infamous villain of all—change. The Quest for the Holy Something or Other is a fresh and funny take on a well-known legend, with engaging characters, some rather good jokes, and something that starts with S, but it isn’t important.

Bonus: The Cats Review …

When I brought Kylie’s book home, the cats displayed great deal of interest in it. They each had pretty unique thoughts on the book.

Tatiana, my calico, thought it smelled very interesting, worth a 1 or so sniff — impressive for an easily distracted cat.

Jazzlyn, the tiger-striped calico, concurred with Tatiana that it had a unique, pleasant smell.

Marinus, the grey and white tabby, thought after two licks that it tasted funky, albeit in a good way.

Ichabod, the leopard-spotted tabby, paid it no heed.

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Hrmm… dis smell interesting. Iz eatz itz?

So purchase this book for a read that will have you in stitches, or purchase it for your cats — three out of four cats can’t be wrong! Either way, you will not regret having this book on your bookshelf.

So it’s a new year

gc-2015So it’s 2015 and it’s time to get back on the grid as it were. The end of 2014 was busy with NaNoWriMo and then the holidays, which is why I kind of disappeared. That and I’ve been grappling with depression again for whatever reason: could be the shorter days, diet, too much sedimentary living, lack of a support system, work, the coming anniversary of my mom’s passing and her birthday, worries about finances, or maybe even a combo of everything just catching up with me.

But I am trying to make good changes to hopefully perk up from exercising daily and just keeping a more optimistic outlook. And in all honesty 2015 can be a good year; it just depends on how the chips fall, and I have no control over that, so why worry? For the most part, 2014 set me up for all sorts of possibilities:

NaNoWriMo/SciFi Novel

In the strict sense of NaNoWriMo, I didn’t win; however, I did finally finish my SciFi Novel and that was all the victory I was going for. That novel is now deep into revision work; I hope to have my first round of revisions (what I’m calling my electronic revisions) done by the end of January. I will then move onto print-out revisions, which I intend to finish by mid-February, before immediately submitting the novel to publishers. With any luck, it will be picked up. I’m favoring the SciFi novel to go first before “Passage,” my fantasy novel, since I think it is more marketable in the current climate.

I’ve also finally been able to map out this book’s sequel after finding my character’s third option, one that she would not be opposed to.

“Passage”

I still plan to submit “Passage” though it will be playing second fiddle in my queue. I once again need to tweak the novel (and the drafts of its sequels) and the map that goes with it. It is a decision I agonized over (not for copyright issues), because after more than 10 years and six books, you kind of get attached to a name. It had special meaning to me since it was a nod to my first full-length novel (that will never see the light of day, lol), namely it was the last name of several of my main characters. However, I decided I needed to let go, rather than brood. But not going to lie: It’s going to be a pain in the butt to change all its mentions and the map. I think it is the most mentioned city in my world.

Work

I actually received recognition for my work at the Hoosier State Press Association seminar and awards banquet. I got third place for a series of photos that I took to accompany my story about a local high school’s building trades program. It was the work highlight of the year.

Looking Ahead

Now looking ahead, I hope to keep the writing and editing momentum going. I also hope to keep my blog as active as possible throughout 2015. Here’s hoping!

Cheers everyone, and I hope you had wonderful holidays.

Coming Soon

I am in the process of launching a freelance writing and editing business to supplement my income, especially since I’m anticipating some hefty expenses in the near future. In the beginning, I will largely offer press releases in AP Style, in addition to editorial content, which will be open to both Web and print. There will also be limited slots for editing or workshops — depending on client’s choice — on short stories or opening chapters.

I find myself struggling to name my business, which in turn is preventing be from starting a business PayPal account and separate website. But I do anticipate getting the ball rolling this month with special introductory rates. Let’s just say, odds are good that you won’t find cheaper rates!

If you have a book, album, event, etc. that you would like a press release for go ahead and get in touch with me, and we can at least get a dialogue started. Press releases will be $30 (most go anywhere from $70 to $100) and $25 for verified nonprofits. Or if you would like to snag one of the limited slots for editing or short story/opening chapter(s) — dependent on chapter size — workshops, feel free to drop me a note, too. For editing, I will mainly focus on grammar. The workshops will encompass detailed critique, plus a chance for the client to speak directly with me over Skype or messenger and ask specific questions or concerns that they have about their short story or opening chapter(s).

I will post again when my business’ site goes live.

App Review: Google Keep

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Let Google Keep take care of your notes, photos and provide a method of creating lists and checking off tasks.
I was recently forced to get a new phone after my old phone decided it could no longer make or take calls. On the old phone, I used Astrid Tasks, but since it’s now defunct, I couldn’t download it onto my new one. While looking through the preloaded apps on my android phone, I came across Google Keep and decided to launch it. I was greeted by a series of example posted notes, including one that contained a checklist. I figured, oh why not.

So here I am testing it out and really enjoying it for what it is. It is very much Google’s version of Evernote; I’d call it Evernote lite. It’s good for jotting down quick notes, checklists, voice-recorded notes and photos. It lacks many of the perks of Evernote, which include utilizing a web clipper, creating different notebooks, organizing things via tags and so much more. But even so, it is a fine app for what it is.

I can see myself utilizing it at work to jot down quick writing ideas that pop into my head. I could also use it to scribble down to-do lists or my grocery list. It lacks a lot of the features that the Evernote Android app has, but for me that is a bit of a perk. It’s quicker to jot down the little things for Keep since there are less bonuses to wade through. However, Keep will not be replacing Evernote in my writing arsenal. Evernote will continue to be reserved for in-depth notes, research and book development — at least, the electronic variety since my old-fashioned notebooks usually get the bulk of my notes. Nothing beats the feeling of a pen and paper.

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A screenshot of my Keep notes.

As I’ve mentioned, Keep is very lean, and its interface is very simple. You simply click one of four options: the note button, the checklist button, the voice recorder or the photo button (which in return gives you the option to take a photo or to pull one from the photos on your phone). From there you can give your note a title and then jump to the body. You also have the option to give notes different colors, giving users the change to color-coordinate them. As can be seen by screenshot, I just picked whatever colors I wanted to without really giving thought to coordination.

If you are interested in Keep for the purpose of creating checklists and to-do lists, there is a reminder feature that will keep you on track to succeed at whatever deadlines you give yourself. Of course, you don’t have to use the checklist note to use the reminder feature. You can set it on any type of note.

So what do you do if you need to clear up space in your notes? Well, you don’t have the option to create additional notebooks, so instead you have two choice: You can archive completed notes in case you need them in the future, or you can delete them, sending them to Davy Jones’ locker, as it were.

So is it worth the download? That really depends on you and if you have use for it. If you use Evernote, Keep is going to fall short. It just lacks too many useful features that Evernote has in abundance. However, if you need something more simple or quicker to work than Evernote, this app just might be for you — especially if you are just looking for a checklist for your grocery shopping needs.

Besides using the Android app (Keep is probably also on iTunes, but since I have no Apple products, I’m not certain if it is), Keep can be accessed using your Web browser and Google account, much like Google Docs, etc.