To the blog of speculative fiction author Karen Miller, who also writes as K E Mills.

First of all, thanks for dropping by. If you can remember to, please sign in or at least sign your post if you don't have a regular LJ account. I do allow anon comments but I like to know who to say hello and thanks to!

I do try to stay current and up to date here, but my workload this year is off the charts el stupido and sometimes I get a bit behind. So please bear with me -- I mostly manage to catch up! And in the meantime, please don't be shy in chatting to each other.

My friending policy is simple: friend away! No need to ask if it's okay.

Ciao!

Softly, softly, catchee monkey. Or rewrite book. Or something!

I'm on target, which is gratifying. I'm still enjoying the story, which is a relief. *g* And so the work continues ...

11 / 20 words. 55% done!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

No new stuff yesterday, just consolidating the first bunch of chapters so the story really sinks into my brain, plus tidying and polishing and so forth.

And now here's where I'm up to!

7 / 20 words. 35% done!

Keeping on keeping on ...

To all you lovely, lovely people on the other side of the world in the good ole USA. Be safe, be happy, and eat some pumpkin pie for me!




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A good day, this! I like good days. Especially when I know the back-end of this ms awaits, lurking like a tiger. Sigh.

So here we go.

5 / 20 words. 25% done!

And so yes, another countdown! Are you sick of them yet???? *g*

Today, after tackling a couple of other things that needed to be squared away, I got started on the final Star Wars novel rewrite. This is another down and dirty, full laser focus job, which is good because it stops me thinking about Reluctant Mage, which needs a little bit more time to settle into the back brain before I tackle the rewrite on it.

I'm not doing words on this count, I'm doing chapters. And since I know the back end needs more work, I might well increase the number of chapters even though I'll be nipping and tucking as I go to tighten the narrative, which in turn will give me more space for the missing scenes at the end. I always have missing scenes at the end of a first draft because by the time I hit the home stretch I'm just frantic to get to the end so I've got something completed to work with. You know, there are some writers who can maintain a steady, measured pace all the way along and who don't at all need to bury themselves alive in an unfolding story to get it all down. I think I envy those writers.

But! Enough rabbiting! Here we go ...

2 / 20 words. 10% done!

Also? My level of fitness right now ...


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And because I'm a Kung Fu fan ...


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So, first of all, many thanks to everyone for their kind words upon the completion of Reluctant Mage, round 1. I was too wiped out to thank everyone individually, but the support is massively appreciated. You guys rock!

Now it's a case of hunkering down to do the rewrite on the final Star Wars novel, Siege, before going back to RM and doing the big rewrite on that. Can't tell you how excited I am about both of these. I love rewriting.

But yet again it means I'll be a bit nose-to-the-grindstone for next few weeks. I'll be doing my best to catch up on backlogged mail during the next few weeks. So if you're holding out to hear from me, please know I'll come back to you asap.

In the meantime ... on with the work!

So, Prodigal Mage got reviewed in British SFX magazine. It's not a review of unrelenting praise, the reviewer had some issues with the book. And since reviewing is always about a personal response to any text, I have no problems with that. I'm appreciative that the magazine (which is so high profile) has taken the time to read me and respond in what is, I feel, a fair and balanced take on the story.

But I am going to crow just a little bit, because the reviewer said something that I really, really, really appreciate.

'Miller is clearly a very talented writer: her characterisation is a masterclass in nuance and sensitivity, and she has a visceral way with action.'

After what has been a tough year, workwise, that's a really great thing to hear. For me, first and foremost, story is about character. So it's a huge relief to hear that someone feels I'm getting that right. And since I do struggle with action sequences, because they don't come naturally and I often end up banging my head against the wall, gnashing my teeth, it's especially comforting to know that someone thinks the hard work's paying off.

So for anyone out there who's working their way through their writing journey, who doubts and worries and wonders about elements of their craft, I am here to tell you: if you can identify your weak spots and work on strengthening them, you can improve. You can actually turn them into strengths. But it does require you to let go of hurt feelings and bruised ego and open yourself to the possibility that you haven't mastered all facets of the writing game just yet.

I'm still on a learning curve. Every book I tackle teaches me something. Every response to every book teaches me something else. Sometimes the best thing that can happen is that a reader or a reviewer raises an eyebrow at you and gives you a B+ for your latest effort.

It's too easy, in this terribly confronting game, in which the writer is so naked and vulnerable, to get a knock or a criticism and curl into a defensive ball, where you fall back on the easy reaction of: Screw that )(*)(#)(!!)U, what would that idiot know about good writing? But you know what? As a rule, reviewers don't have agendas to destroy you. Often, a critical review arises out of a reviewer's disappointment or frustration that you didn't do a better job. That you didn't feed their soul the way they wanted or needed. Now sometimes that's because they wanted you to write a different book -- a book that was never going to exist. Not much you can do about that. But other times it's because you fell short of what was possible. And they noticed, and they've called you on it.

I think any artist owes it to herself or himself to sit in a still, quiet place and think hard about what people have said about the work. Yes, comfort yourself with the praise (I'll be remembering that lovely quote whenever the doubt gremlins come knocking) but then take a deep breath and square up to the 'buts' that are usually a part of a review. Be honest. If the reviewer has misread the story, or if they are operating on an agenda, or if they're simply the wrong person to be reviewing the book (and that can happen) then shrug and let it go. But if they have made a valid point, don't turn away from it. Acknowledge the pain, accept the pain, and then grow from it.

Between now and the new year I have a lot of work to get through -- still. The hardest part of this year is over, but I still have stuff to do. And I'll be thinking about this SFX review, and hopefully I'll have learned from it and can take those lessons forward into the next book I write.

And if my work in the future is better than the work that's now behind me, it'll be in part thanks to every reader and reviewer who's raised an eyebrow at me and challenged me to lift my game.

So, huge congrats to Stan Walker. What an amazing young guy. Fabulous voice, beautiful spirit. I hope he goes ballistic internationally. It's a funny business, Idol. But I think that with Stan, and with Jessica Mauboy (another fabulous Australian, great pipes and a genuinely special human being) we've found some major talent.

If you're not in Oz, maybe you can track down some of Stan's work in this season of Idol via the internet. He really is something quite special.

Heeeee!

And yes, I'm back on the air!




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And this one, because it's just LOL!


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Holy guacamole, Batman.

It's done.

Well, you know, not done done. It's up for a rewrite next, after I've rewritten Siege. But it's done, it's a book, it's a lot of words with more to come. It'll end up about the same length or a smidgin longer than Prodigal Mage. But that story is told now. And I think I'm reasonably happy.

I have written 5 novels this year. There were times when I seriously doubted I could do it. But I've done it. As I said, I have 2 to rewrite between now and the new year. That's not a problem. Rewriting is playtime. Rewriting is the reward for the utter agony that is the first draft.

When I'm less utterly brain dead (running on about 9 hours sleep total over the last 3 days -- God bless caffeine and adrenaline) I'll talk a bit about what this process has been like and how this year has changed me. Aside from making me fatter from sitting on my arse all day every day in front of a computer.

Shit. I did it. I can't believe it.

131909 / 131909 words. 100% done!


Now, I'm going to be off the air for a couple of days. Everyone please be careful, take good care, and I'll be back!

And here's another one. Now I'm going to take a break, have a nap, then dive into the finishing stretch.

123150 / 130000 words. 95% done!


And because at no time have I needed a giggle more ...




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So I have this airbed thing. It's brilliant. It's got a power pump to blow it up. Right now it's on my living room floor. I catch a couple of hours sleep, write till I can't keep my eyes open, nap again, start writing. So far it seems to be working.

Ah, yes, the glamorous life of a novelist. *g*

Here's the progress:

117801 / 130000 words. 91% done!

Keep lighting those candles for me!

And let us cue 48 hours of upcoming hell, shall we?



Here we go.

112395 / 130000 words. 86% done!

Now that the globetrotting parents have returned (Vietnam this time) I've palmed Wilson off onto my poor mother for a few days so I can hunker down and get to the finishing line on this sucker. I've got some momentum going. It's pretty bare bonesy but the shape is basically there.

Here we are:

106972 / 130000 words. 82% done!

And again, I'll take an hour's break and get back to it to maybe get another half chapter done tonight.

Oh yes ... and this is exactly why I sent Wilson to grandma ...



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Well, we're now officially into zombie territory. That would be me. Sigh.

101388 / 130000 words. 78% done!

As ever, thank you for the encouragement. You guys rool.

Word just in ... no changes to the status quo with the Oz publishing scene. So while there was panic, there was also much constructive work by many people to see that the insanity of buggering around with a system that was working perfectly well for everyone wasn't tampered with.

Hats off to the great people who got involved and helped educate the Government. Now I have to go have a Bex and a lie down, because for once the Government listened to the people whose lives would be most affected by the decision.

So I'm closing on the home stretch. My deadline for finishing this is utterly immutable. Sunday night. So oddly I find myself in a strangely zen place. I know it's coming in short. I know I'm short changing sequences and scenes just so I can get the basic shape and structure nailed into place. I even know I've moved on from sections that if I weren't in my current position I'd have stopped the momentum for, gone back over, and rewritten before getting to the end. I can't do that this time and again ... I'm so terribly zen about it. Because I have to be. I have no other choice.

As I've mentioned before in passing, this is a totally insane year. But amidst the insanity -- and because of it -- I have learned some immensely valuable lessons. When I've had time to reflect I'll share them. Hell, when I have time I'll share them!

In the meantime, I'll share this ...

95995 / 130000 words. 74% done!

Poking my head above the parapet to say this ...

Anyone (and I absolutely include myself in this) who puts something out into the world for public consumption had better not do it unless they're prepared to accept all the feedback -- negative as well as positive.

Seriously, people. Seriously? When did snarking at someone for not liking your deathless prose (or its filmic equivalent) ever make you look like anything other than a wanker?

My answer is never.

Some people are going to love your work. Some people are going to not. And sometimes some of the people in the not camp are making very, very valid observations.  And I say this as one who has been notted and learned some really good things from that.

Why do I say this? Well, go here and be amazed.

And if you're in the public eye, putting stuff out there for consumption? Get a grip. There's no law that says anyone owes you nothing but unmitigated praise.

I wish I had the time to rabbit on about a bunch of other stuff but I don't, so I guess it'll have to wait!

In the meantime, as ever, thanks for the rah rahs from the sidelines and here's today's progress:

90197 / 130000 words. 69% done!