There are 5 weeks in June, August, and November this year. Which means my four week schedule is interrupted because of dead Caesars. Which means this week is a FREE FOR ALL! So this week, I've decided to do an Ask the Author. I occasionally answer questions on Goodreads and have reenacted them here. I think they are very good answers worth taking a look at. They range from process to what I read. So if you're interested in the life of an author, keep reading! What books are on your summer reading list this year?SOFT WEAR by Marilyn Lakewood HUSBAND FOR HIRE by Patricia A. Knight CHIEF by Kris Michaels STORM RUNNERS by Nara Malone The whole EROGENOUS ZONE series by Brandi Evans What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?My books are an extension of my life. Things I've encountered or experienced are within the stories I write. But a mystery in my own life? Fortunately, I have no murder mysteries to speak of. But I could tell you about the mystery of the lost keys, or the mystery of the lost $20 bill. They'd be a whirlwind romance that would end in HEA. Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?As of March, 2017, the most recent book idea was Marilyn Lakewood's challenge to write a dragon story. I'm writing this one for her. :) Love you Marilyn! How do you get inspired to write?Inspired? Seriously? No, no, no, when you have murderous creatures in your head whispering they want their story out in the wild, it's not inspiration, it's survival. What are you currently working on?My friend, Marilyn Lakewood, challenged me to a dragon story. I accepted. I'm writing that now :) What’s your advice for aspiring writers?I really wish I could help them understand that, while plagiarism is out there, it's no excuse not to show your work, not collaborate or not share. You're story is awesome, I'm sure, but it's not what I want to write. I want to write my own stories. And my stories will be exactly the way I want them. So why would I copy yours? What’s the best thing about being a writer?Being able to shut-up these people in my head. How do you deal with writer’s block?Ahhh...writer's block. The nemesis. Writer's block can be a bane, but I've found there are 3 different types of writer's block. Not all of them bad. At least for me. Empty, Buzzed and Plot Problems. Let me explain. EMPTY - This is when I've written and written and written and there's just nothing left. This happens to me when I've finished a book, look around for the next one to write and...nothing. Nada. Zilch. I've got bupkis. SOLUTION: Nothing. I don't write. I take a break. I watch movies. Read books. Let my mind rest because the creative process does not just run on coffee and see's candies. Blasphemy! Yes, I know, but imagine your heart bleeding out all its desires, fears, wants and dreams. Once all of that is purged into a book, why would you think there was anything left? Take a nap. Don't be afraid. The muse will come back. BUZZED - This is when I've been writing and writing and my head is so fuzzy I'm not sure where to go next. I don't feel empty, I feel buzzed. Like a little drunk, and swimming. This happens because BICHOK. But-In-Chair-Hands-On-Keyboard. I've been thinking and thinking and I just can't think anymore. SOLUTION: Take a walk, a drive, talk to friends on the phone. I get my mind out of the game of writing. Take a nap. Anything to stop thinking. I allow the unconscious mind to work it out. I've even been known to start another project and come back to that one because my mind needs time to work it out. PLOT PROBLEMS - This happens when I'm working away and then I peter out. Like I get the characters somewhere and things come to a screeching, brick wall halt. THAT is my unconscious mind saying YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION. This happens most, when I don't make a complete outline. This is the tough writer's block and the one most people are asking about when they say, "How do you deal with writer's block?" What writer's are really asking is, "How do I finish this book without doing an outline?" 99% of every writer I've known who asks the get rid of writer's block question has not completed their outline for the story. Shoot me, call yourself a pantser, but the truth is, no outline means meandering. I am a notorious pantser. I will start an outline, get excited, start the book before finishing the outline because all the wonderful scenes are coming and then...where do we go from here? Yes, I'm just as bad. But the good news is I have suggestions if you're just stuck and can't even get working on the outline. Or most likely, don't want to. Don't ask me how I know. SOLUTION: I have many solutions and find that each book gives me a challenge on how to fix it so, I'll tell you what I've done in the past. #1 - A solution I do, which I don't recommend, is reading what I have. This allows me to find things in the story that a reader might have questions on. That in turn jars something loose and lets me work on it. #2 - I have been known to write a different POV in the same story. #3 - I have chosen a manga and emulated it, making it subject to my world and characters. If I'm writing a fantasy, I draw on the characters inspirations. For instance when writing Dr. Vampyre, the main characters were modeled after real people. I observed those real people and took sections of their life and applied it to the story. I didn't copy what happened. I took a facet of their life, twisted it and figured out how my characters would solve the problem. #4 - What has been most effective has been a simple question. "What is the worst thing that could happen to my characters in the situation they are in now?" Is it a meteor hitting the earth? Is it them breaking up? Is it one dying? Write that. I don't always include that situation in the book, but I no longer have writer's block. #5 - When all else fails, I take a nap. Fresh and awake, I try to work on the outline. Hope this helps! Until next time!
Happy reading! ~ Stephy LOOKING FOR |
Now that I'm working on another project, letting the first draft of Seducing Sensei rest, it's time to put together other elements like... the cover. Since Zoe did the illustrations for the trailer, I thought, why not have her do the illustration for the cover. But, I have a few reservations about an illustrated cover. First, I didn't want the book to look like a comic or manga. But I've seen other book covers for M/M do this type of style. Not that I'm copying them because I think I'll have the success they do, but because I think an illustrated cover will set the right mood. Second, I didn't want an illustrated cover that might draw the wrong reader. This isn't a children's book. Look at the excerpts. Tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead. I'll wait. Look at the excerpts. Oh...they are found here and here. |
Third, I'm not sure an illustrated cover would convey the right tone. (Note: tone and mood are not the same thing.) Both set your expectation, but this story was written with yaoi in mind so an illustrated cover sets that up.
Ultimately, I chose to go with an illustrated cover because of branding. The cover, book trailer and teasers will all have the illustrations Zoe created. It's just makes sense with that point of view. I'll go with Zoe again when I make the next books so I have an all around brand with the Notice Me Sempai series.
You can see from Zoe's first attempts it doesn't give any impression that this is an all male menage. At least not really. The above picture is adorable. They look like they're posing for the year book. But the cover says this could be a story about three humorous friends, their lives, their differences and how they relate. That's not this story.
This cover on the right looks like it could be about a humorous story, but again that's not this story. In a perfect world, we could show all the characters faces because all three "heroes" are main characters. All three are vital to the story. These past illustrations are not the cover. None of the characters traits are shown. Yes, Mori is a teacher, but he's a flawed person weak to physical contact. Itsuma is a bigger than life character whose ego fills the room before he even steps inside. Scott is the lovable dude that everyone can't help but protect--even if he is way taller, way beefier and just larger in every way. | This cover to the left is suggestive, but I wanted blatant. I wanted readers to understand this has got sex in it. What we have to the left is sweet. It gets a message across, sort-of, but I'm not sure that the message warns readers about how sexually graphic this particular story will become. * Separate note * I love Mori's eyes in this one. He's adorable both in the book and the illustration Zoe created. Mori is very flawed, but I've tried to make him as likeable as possible. I think looking at him and his mannerisms help relate to him. We'll see what beta readers say. |
It shows Mori's weakness, it shows Itsuma taking the lead like he always does, and it shows Scott's eager but gentle way. Those are my characters. Oh, for those who don't know the order from left to right is Itsuma, Mori, Scott. The best character illustrations of them are found here.
So Zoe's got the okay from me and I've got a rough sketch. The next time you see the cover will be for the cover reveal. For now, try to use your imagination for detail, color and shading. Until next time!
XOXO ~ Stephy
Seducing Sensei is now available at your favorite retailer! |
Here's what we have so far:
- Music
- Artwork
- A title.
Combine my 87 images to the music and we'll have a trailer. Holy hell it's been fun. I think Zoe made the process awesome. She kept feeding me images every week. After panel 40, my face was turning red and I was a total fan girl...
Hire someone to put these all together. This YouTube video is what I'm going for:
(MALE ON MALE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS)
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
DON'T CLICK UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE THIS
So all this work and still no video, yet. But there will be!
As for the rest of the book. I've penned the last word of the first draft and have put it in the drawer to simmer. Don't freak...I'll leave it in there for a few weeks, bring it out, edit it over a week, then send it out to the betas!!
But as soon as I shelved it and could think about something else, my paranormal, fantasy, dragon story reared its sexy legs up and...it too is an all male menage. Hell if I know what's going on with the inner workings of my head but there you have it. I don't even know what genre to call this one other than all male menage dragon story. It's been in my head since 2014 and it's never let go. So...I'll be posting about that one until I have more news about Seducing Sensei. I'll send out an email to all my peeps so if you want to be apart of my crew, scroll to the top and sign up for my readers group list. You'll get a free story too--just to see if we're compatible. If not, no worries!
So now, whip-lash back to S.S. (Seducing Sensei) I'm putting all the updates of SS in chronological order for posterity purposes for later. One day, we'll look back and smile.
http://www.snmckibben.com/a-dirty-blog/good-luck-finding-a-book-trailer
http://www.snmckibben.com/a-dirty-blog/storytelling-vs-genre-writing
http://www.snmckibben.com/a-dirty-blog/current-events-notice-me-sempai
http://www.snmckibben.com/a-dirty-blog/seducing-sensei-update
- Cover
- Beta Readers/Crit Partners
- Line Editor
- Marketing Plan
Until next week!!
XOXO ~ Stephy
Seducing Sensei is now available at your favorite retailer! |
When people said they couldn't do something that didn't resonate with them, I got it. You can't make someone do anything. Put a gun to an artist's head and they're more likely to say kill me, than make whatever it is you want them to create.
But the artist's soul thing? Well, now I truly get it...
But I've come to an impasse.
I can no longer write for other people. I can write for readers. I can write the stories that I want my name on. But I can no longer inspire myself to write for other writers that want to take my words and use them as their own.
Ghost writing is different from editing and I still am excited to edit. Especially if they are my author. But I can see that being troublesome to do as a job for money as well. Here's the kicker...I still have projects to finish for clients. I'm in the middle of a paranormal romance and a contemporary romance. But I just can't do it. Not by myself. So I've decided, to get these projects out to my clients on time, I have to contract the rest of the stories out.
I'll edit them to my voice and give them to my clients. But as for ghostwriting myself...I'm done.
After 2 years I'm simply unable, not unwilling, to ghost write. I have an artists soul. I can no longer create things that don't interest me. Maybe I'm fickle. Perhaps I'm thinking about this in the wrong way. But I never want to sit down for 7 hours day after day and try to eek out a paragraph.
This is not simply writer's block.
When I go to write Seducing Sensei, reams of words come out. I go back to writing for others and my "ink" dries up. I write my outline for the next story and my pen overfloweth. I go back to write for others and...nada. I write for a blog post or newsletter and the Iliad is completed with 45 minutes. I go back to ghostwriting and I can't even eek out a word count of 1K.
My artist's soul refuses to work for others.
And now an interlude inside my head...If you substitute "writing" in place of "women" and "they" below, this is what I'm thinking.
I write my stories for me and I hope to god that my readers like them. Because I'm screwed if they don't. But at least I'm authentic!
Until next week!
XOXO ~ Stephy
Still chugging along with Seducing Sensei. I've got about 60 panels out of the 90 or so expected. We've gotten very perverted after panel 40...it's awesome. But I thought I'd have the first draft finished by June and we've gone over the deadline. Partially from other work--wait, no, because of other work and responsibilities. But I've given you another teaser so I can be inspired to complete this story... |
Excerpt
Thank god. I was given time to recuperate. “You’re a damn animal.” Scott pointed at me, but glared at his friend. “Look, you’re scaring the crap out of him.” “Oh bullshit.” Itsuma spit. “You saw him the other day. Stop projecting.” “Itsuma!” Now that I had half my wits about me I could say what I wanted. “What?” Itsuma crossed his arms and looked at me. “If you do this, are you willing to face the consequences?” Crap. That didn’t come out right. “I want to help you.” My Prince raked lascivious eyes up and down my body. “I bet you do.” His eyes landed on my middle and he smirked. I looked down. Holy shit. My cock was hanging out and waving a stiff salute. I quickly buried my eager weasel back into my jeans. The kid would have me undressed in a nanosecond if he hadn’t stopped. I couldn’t really say I resisted all that much. “No, I mean, what you do for fun…it’s dangerous.” “So you think this is a gag?” Itsuma puffed out his chest. Scott’s eyes widened. “Mr. Reis, we don’t do that. I mean you’re the first.” The first to pin down and give a blow-job? My heart went pitter-patter. So I was the only one they’d teased. Good. Itsuma’s face filled my vision. “You don’t take me seriously at all, do you?” I narrowed my eyes. “A little hard to when all you do is play games.” “Only because you’re a snob.” “Excuse me?” I might be privileged, but I worked hard. How he could rile me up was annoying. “You wouldn’t lower yourself for someone like Scott, right?” “He’s a student,” I said. “So are you.” Itsuma leaned a hand on the pillar behind me, blocking my escape. “Just so you know, we’ve already talked about it.” “We?” Talked about what? “Scott and I,” Itsuma said. “We know the consequences. But we want you, so we don’t care.” What’s with the ‘we’? Made sense though. Itsuma was the talkative one. Scott was more like the quiet mastermind type. I was just trying to figure out where all this was going. |
XOXO ~ Stephy
Seducing Sensei is now available at your favorite retailer! |
The format and subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey.
You've now been sufficiently forewarned, happy reading!
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