Workflows

I stumbled over a few improvements to my various workflows.  So far, they seem to be working out.

One is using my iPad to write my first draft.  Up till now, I've been chained to my desk to write a draft.  That's not always practical and since I'm trying to cobble together my third novel, it is important to keep writing (daily if possible).  The iPad makes this really easy.  The only issue is I like to know my word count and the app I'm using (QuickOffice) does not support this.  

The great thing about this approach is I can type fast and get my ideas out almost in real time.  Later I will transfer the file to my desktop computer and refine the story.

In terms of blogging, it turns out that the Blogger app does work better than I thought.  So I have an optional variant workflow when I want it.  I'm sure what cause the first blog post I wrote with the app to vanish but I tried it again and it worked just fine.

For my second novel I am changing the workflow for the release process I follow.  For Aure, the Topaz (book 1), I floundered all over the place because I was learning as I went.  I knew that and it was okay because I promised myself whatever lessons I learned I would apply to the next novel.  

Now fast forward to the present.  One of the things I could never do for book 1 was have it reviewed before I released it.  For book 2 (Vorn, the Onyx), I need to change that so I know if the book is good and solid or if not, where I need to revise and rewrite.  And once I learned about a service to help books get reviewed, BookRooster, I knew I had to try it once.  They will see that the book is reviewed by 10 people, if I understand their process correctly.  

I hope it works as well as I want it to.  It was a risk, however, because I don't know what I'm opening myself up to.  But, on the other hand, Aure is waiting for the publisher to start reading for 2013.  And assuming she takes it I'll submit Vorn to her as well.  Might as well take the time to make the book as good as I can.  And getting feedback will help me do that.

So it's busy here like the downtown intersection at rush hour.  More changes are coming too, I'm sure.  I just don't know what they are yet.