The NaNo Post, a Shameless Plug and a Plea for Advice

dI guess it's not that time of year again yet, but August is always the time when NaNoWriMo is foremost in my mind. I didn't participate last year and I've been regretting it for 10 months. This year, I'm definitely going to take part.

My problem, as ever, is deciding which story I want to write. With Aigaion Girl, I picked the story that I thought was least-marketable, which I liked least of all the appropriate-length* ideas, which I still thought was worth writing.

This time, the story I've picked (or at least mostly picked) a story that is actually among my favourites (of stories I haven't started, at least). It's (loosely) based on my own experience, and I think I've got two of the three main characters nailed down. The only reason I'm not sure about it is because it promises to be a research-intensive story and the library here would fit in my living room at home - so I'm not sure how much help it will be. I'm writing this while at work; that should give you an idea of the situation with the Internet at my apartment (non-existent). It's mostly a drama, with a touch of the supernatural (of course) and a bit of romance (double of course). Also, I've decided to go with a style that's a bit different, and switch between 3rd Person Omniscient and 1st Person... um, nonomniscient.

I'm not sure if I'll post this one up on FictionPress. Part of me wants to, just to keep people reading my stuff, but I think (*knock on wood*) that I might actually have a chance of getting this published through an actual publishing house and having it available for free would severely reduce my chances of that.

*as in, which would, once complete, be an appropriate length for the contest.

Now, as for my plea for advice... I really wanted to have a book signing/release party for Aigaion in the fall, but there was no way I could get the money together for that at the time. Even though it would have been better for me to do it right after the book came out, it's not like it's famous, or like most people would have any idea that it existed before this party anyway. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead with that for sometime in the winter, in my home town, and maybe have a similar sort of thing here, sometime around my birthday.

What I wanted to ask you guys is, what are your thoughts on blog tours? I don't know how many people actually go searching for book reviews online before buying a book. Is this common, do you think, or do people just buy based on word of mouth, bookstore displays and TV? Basically, my marketing budget is approaching $0, and I want to spend it as wisely as possible.

I think that's everything for now, except another friendly reminder to invite all the writers you know to check out Devereaux Court, and to join if they're interested :)

XD!!!

I never see that as a face. I always just see it as an X and a D, and in my mind, it's a short form for eXciteD.

I finished Aigaion Girl. I had a long and fun day involving floating down the river on an air mattress, came home, napped, then wrote for nearly four hours straight. And I'm done!!!!!! I haven't posted it on FictionPress yet because I have to write my Author's Notes still and because I'm a bit of an attention whore, so I want to post it at a time that will maximize new readers. If you're just dying to find out how it ends, though, you can read it on its blog.

I'm sort of horribly tempted to start editing tomorrow, but I think that might rank among the top of dumb ideas I've had lately, so I'm going to stick to my original plan and wait until July before I look at it again.

Anyway, that's all from me for now. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep.

PS, the rain cloud has nothing to do with anything; I just thought it would look cute. (XD)

Ugh.

I've been trying to write the last chapter of Aigaion Girl for ten days now, and I'm completely blocked. I even started writing a numberless chapterette, so my fictionpress readers would have something to read while I'm getting out of this funk - and even that is giving me trouble.

I think it's just because of the build up. I've written things this long before, and I've written for fictionpress, with next-to-live updates, but I've never written anything that I worked on and updated so consistantly - or anything that's gotten as many good reactions from people - or anything that I myself have liked this much. I feel an inordinant amount of pressure to get the ending perfect, and I'm terrified it won't live up to anyone's (including my own) expectations.

I honestly am not sure what to do about it. I've written the whole thing thus far gin-free, and it would be a shame to start relying on my trusted writing aid now - but at the same time, if I don't post the last chapter for ever and ever, I'm going to lose the interest this story has generated, not to mention delay editing it for publication.

Anyway, I don't mean to whine. I guess it will come to me when it comes to me and until then, about all I can do is keep my mind fresh and clear. That being said, if anyone has any advice, I'd be more than happy to hear it.

That's it for me. Time to go work out (*ambivalent aski face*)