Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

writing

How to publish 4 books + 1 audiobook in one year

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For years now, I have batted around the challenging prospect of upping my writing productivity. What would happen if I could publish two or more books every year? It’s a huge challenge, mostly due to the other commitments that I have in my life that are not writing-related! But, since September of 2021, I have published four books. This is a milestone, and the challenge for me is how to make that consistent.

Like most writers, I hold a day job that supports my family. I have a wife and five children, and our life is a constant shuffle of priorities. The number one priority for me is legacy, and my family is a big part of that. I want to raise children whom I enjoy, and who love God unabashedly. My writing needs to come second to them, because if it doesn’t then the creative well that I rely on will be spiritually dead. And of what good is a dry well of creativity to thirsty readers who don’t want stories that bore them until they snap the book shut?

I was inspired to push myself in publishing more titles by listening to writers such as Kevin J. Anderson and Steven Higgs. They, among others, focus on telling the stories they love. They are experts at ignoring their inner critic, and at not worrying about how their stories will be received. They simply enjoy the process, and I desire to have that same attitude.

My first step to releasing four books in a year was publishing the long-awaited fantasy epic and fifth book in The Sword of the Dragon series. This was accomplished in September 2021, and the readers’ reception has been stellar! I am truly humbled by how well that series resonates with the fans.

But the next steps were the most challenging, because I wanted to release my first non-fiction book and also another epic fantasy novel.

Using a combination of dictation through Word 365 on my iPhone (I know, it’s a bit weird, but it was effective) and typing up other content on my Freewrite Traveler, and the Macbook Air, I was able to finish and release The Soul of Story in January of this year. It was the first book that reached profitability in its first week after release!

I hired David Moody to redesign/update my website, and a big part of that was to have a New “reader magnet” that subscribers would receive when they signed onto my email list. This was a huge challenge at first, because I had started writing my next fantasy epic and didn’t want to distract too much time from working on it. So again I turned to dictation, and remarkably was able to write and edit an original novelette 10,000-words long, then published that as the reader magnet. I am thrilled with the result, the book The Swordmaster’s Glory.

For the last project in this year’s bonanza, I wanted to start the prequel series to The Sword of the Dragon series. I thought the end product would run a modest 80,000-words. Instead, Shards in Belial (The Sword of the Dragon Origins book 1) clocked in at 110,000-words. I used a combination of dictation and typing to achieve this rapid release. And, again, I’m thrilled with the result.

During this time I also recorded and published The Soul of Story in audiobook format. Granted, it was a shorter audiobook, but this is the second title to get the audio treatment.

I’m no expert at dictation. Not at this point in time. But I am learning it’s faster than typing, and I intend to get a lot more efficient at it. Right now, I run into the problem of external noises interrupting my dictation sessions. I cannot simply step outside on my lunch break at my day job and dictate into my Airpods, because external interference confuses the dictation software and makes the editing a nightmare afterwards. After some research, I found the answer to my dictation challenge is a piece of hardware. A particular microphone that will only pick up my voice and eliminates everything else: the SpeechWare FlexyMike and USB adapter… But it’s not cheap, so it goes on the top of my next hardware to-purchase list. A couple years ago I invested in the Freewrite Traveler, and that has paid off by tripling my word-counts.

Four books represents a lot of writing in one year… a lot of work… but progress is addicting. My final goal is to publish my juvenile illustrated chapter book Father Mouse before September this year. If that is accomplished, it’s a fifth notch in titles published in a single year!

Somehow, I doubt I’ll be able to match this next year… but maybe God has greater plans.

Q: What have you challenged yourself to accomplish this year?

Job layoff upside, publishing updates & audiobook preview

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Despite the craziness resulting from the worldwide spread of COVID-19, this has been a wonderfully productive season for my publishing efforts… and it is going to be extra productive these next couple of weeks! Why? Because my day job has laid me off due to the virus. The doors are closed and I will be home for at least two weeks. What does this mean for my writing, audio, and publishing efforts? An influx of creative time that equals writing and recording heaven for this introvert!

It is time to update you regarding the release of the new edition of Key Of Living Fire, building of my private audio recording studio, recording Swords Of The Six audiobook, and the updated edition of The Phantom’s Blade. Not only that, but having the series all re-released with their matching covers and updated content . . . puts me in position to write the next novels!

The new edition of Key of Living Fire is being published this week. It has been slightly expanded, and of course matches the new covers! Distribution is being set up through Ingram, so you will be able to buy the book anywhere books are sold, whether online or in a brick and mortar like Barnes & Noble. Also, this is being made available on Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and others.

The Phantom’s Blade is being released this month as well! There is no real content change to this title, only a redesign to bring it in line with the other books in the series. Like the others, this will become widely available in the next few months, both in print and in ebook formats.

  • HOME RECORDING STUDIO

The other bit of news is no less exciting. After many hours of careful planning and hard work, I have finally built an audio recording booth. It is tucked in the closet in my office, which makes it easy to record away from the busyness of home life. After all, I have five kids from the ages of two to nine. The recording booth allows me to shut out exterior sounds, keeping the audio clear of interference. It is a simple setup. Just a folding chair and a Blue Yeti microphone on the shelf made for it. Of course, you can see that I have a pop filter set up as well. My greatest challenge is keeping my kids out of it when they are supposed to. They think this is the biggest thing since dark chocolate!

While I am on the subject of audio recording, I have the first three chapters of Swords Of The Six recorded. I thought it would be nice to provide you with a sample, so here it is!

“The Beginning of Things” from SWORDS OF THE SIX

What’s next? With the original novels in The Sword of the Dragon series back in circulation, it is time for me to buckle down and write book five, In Search of Dragons. There are a couple of other writing projects I cannot wait to dig into, including the standalone fantasy novel The Dragon’s Eye Diamond . . .. But I am getting ahead of myself and the first project is In Search of Dragons.

Expect updates from me more frequently this month.

Due to my being home for a couple of weeks (maybe longer) I will be applying many extra hours to 1) publishing Key of Living Fire 2) publishing The Phantom’s Blade 3) recording Swords of the Six audiobook, and 4) finally delving fully into writing In Search of Dragons (The Sword of the Dragon book 5).

Q: Which project are you most looking forward to?

When stories understand their audience

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Expectations. We are people of expectations whether we want to admit it or not. When we go to read a book or watch a movie we have an expectation of the story that must be made if we are going to positively reinforce it to people that we know.

When I started off my writing career I did my best to craft a story that would resonate with a broader audience. But truth be told I didn’t understand how to do that, and now I understand that you should not do that. The story doesn’t necessarily need to be divisive but it should be thought-provoking and challenging to folks of a different world view.

Someone who picks up a harlequin romance is going to have a different expectation than one who is looking for a Christian Amish romance. On the one hand a conservative reader might appreciate the lack of physical description and sexuality in an Amish romance. But on the other hand another reader might have an expectation of realism. To them the Amish romance is rediculously tame, to the point that they find it unrealistic and cannot enjoy the story.

Reader expectation is everything.

For those of you who have watched the first Maze Runner movie, you will appreciate what I’m about to say. If you thought that it was a dystopian along the lines of the Hunger Games, as I did, then when movie two came out you were severely disappointed when it turned into a zombie apocalypse. Your expectations were let down and you felt deceived.

Amidst the muck of politically-charged media-driven fiction, a few stories highlight what’s beautiful.

When I say muck, I am referring to that moment when I was watching a show with my kids, in this particular case it was the show Voltron, when the last episode introduced a gay couple wedding. I am referring to the Netflix original series the dragon prince, which had a great story going for it but in the second season decided to introduce a prominent lesbian couple. In the absence of strong traditional male-female romantic interests these pointedly emphasized relationships reek of political correctness. Thankfully there have also been some examples recently of stories that do themselves service by understanding their audience and delivering a story that their audience loves because it resonates with their values.

As a parent, I find it increasingly frustrating when I cannot simply enjoy the show without worrying that a politically charged message is going to be thrown in my kids’ faces.

This post is not a rant. It is not even a disparagement to those types of stories that I find offensive to my kids. Although I will note that my kids were the first to find it confusing and offensive because it went against their very nature. It is interesting that in the simple thinking of children is often found the greatest truth.

As a writer I have often struggled to understand my own audience. Even now as I am re-writing my first novel I have struggled with some elements of the story that could’ve been crafted in a mature fashion, but instead I wrote in a simplistic way so as not to offend certain readers. I have experimented with re-writing some of those sections of the story in a more adult manner, and in some respects the story is far better for it. But I will let the readers be the judge. My job is to make people think without breaking down their sense of morality. If my stories are successful than they encourage my readers in the ideals that they strive to live out.

I think that the recent Toy Story 4 was a fantastic example of a creative team who understood their audience. I saw an interview on the BBC where someone was complaining about the “lack of diversity” in the characters. Her complaint was laughable really, because it centers around a bunch of toys! But I found it interesting that she complained about one toy that didn’t seem as strong to the feminist perspective. In my opinion that element of the story was what made the film as great as it was. And you know what? My kids absolutely loved it.

When a creative team understands the audience that they are appealing to, then the story resonates and impacts the audience’s soul. If, instead, the creative team seeks to placate a critic, then the story loses its punch.

I am fascinated by this. The closer we get to strongly-set morals, and the closer we get to a familiarity in the story that challenges us and makes us stronger or encourages us, the more impact that story has on us.

For some people that set of morals is going to look entirely different than it does for another audience. But that’s okay. Not all stories are made for all people. Neither should they be.

Controversy generates hype. Similarities create relationships. Relationships are built on trust, and relationships only grow deeper the longer they last.

Q: What expectations have you recently enjoyed or found disappointing?

Death in life: a writer’s perspective

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This year I have seen three elderly family members pass on. Two of my great aunts and also my grandfather on my mother’s side. Last year it was my grandmother . . . I realize that in the midst of life, there is a constant flow of death, but I think the focus is typically on life in death. As in, life after death. Stopping to consider the value of death itself puts an interesting perspective on life.

When someone we know and love dies, the world around them is either greatly impacted through their absence, or not. Personally, I find this to be the primary concern where death is considered.

When we die, what sort of hole will we leave behind? Will it be a poisonous well, or a spring of blessings to our families and our society?

I suppose you can add a third alternative, which of course is to leave behind nothing. To not be missed. To have made no lasting impact. To be really and utterly forgotten. A sad condition. Not only for the departed soul but for those who are left behind.

Legacy is everything. Our children will die. Their children will die. Unless you are an Alexander the Great, a Leonardo DaVinci, a Joan of Arc, or a master of Psalms like David, or a renowned man of wisdom like Solomon, the following generations will not remember you.

While it is true that legacy is also passed through our children (I consider my children to be such) it is also less about me and more about my values. The values pass generation to generation with proper teaching and strong love.

But, profoundly, we cannot speak with our loved ones when we have died. Death is the impenetrable barrier. It is only after one is dead that we miss being able to converse with them. Fascinating isn’t it?

There is one blessed group of people for whom this is not true. While the rest of the world dies and is heard from no more, the artists continue to speak. Their paintings stir up conversations and their writings speak for them long after they are dead.

This is what writing is for me. My words to the generations that will follow. My perceptions to make them consider, my convictions to challenge them, and my love to strengthen them. When I die I will have a legacy that I cannot put a price tag on.

This is the value of Death in Life. We live and we see death, and death reminds us to make a lasting impact on those who will follow us.

Q: What are your thoughts on death? Does it motivate you to leave a legacy?

The “boring” verbs?

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I am writing this article from my iPhone. Isn’t technology amazing? Only a decade ago I never would’ve dreamed of using one of these devices to accomplish my writing needs. You might think that I am off topic, if I am talking about verbs, but give me a second and I will get back around to the point.

One of my favorite Star Wars novels is titled Traitor and it was written by Mathew Stover. It was a fantastic read and I remember going back to it again and again to study the writing technique. Both the story and the dialogue felt exceedingly natural. Smooth as butter to read. Something that every writer strives to achieve, but does not always succeed in doing, when creating a novel.

I have seen interviews with some authors who no longer type out their stories, rather they will take a walk or a hike and dictate their books. Personally I find this fascinating. We can talk so much faster than we can type, but my fear is that going back and editing all of those pages of dictation will require too much work. But sitting here now, dictating to my iPhone for this article I am honestly astounded at where technology has come.

There is a learning curve to everything and I wonder where the next phase of writing will take us.

Most recently I have been finishing the rework of my first novel. It is turning out so well, and it is very satisfying to feel this way about it. But an odd thing has happened in the editing process. Odd to me anyway!

Over a decade ago when I first entered the book publishing world, I was instructed by several editors and a couple of respected writers to eliminate a lot of simple verbs in my stories. Verbs such as was, were, did, had, etc. The result was that I chose many substitutes for the simple verbs, opting for active verbs instead. Looking back now I am not so sure that was the right choice.

In the past few months I have read novels like Ender’s Game by Orson Scott card, and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Their use of verbs is far more similar to my first instincts on writing. I find this fascinating! And so in the reworking of Swords of the Six I have rewritten large portions, bringing it back to the more literary style that I have enjoyed in books I’ve read.

The truest form of storytelling is verbal narrative, And I feel that the best written stories read as if someone is telling you the story. Perhaps we have reached a point where the rules of writing are destroying the art of writing. And perhaps the technology that we now possess is capable of liberating us from the tyranny of what is acceptable to the gatekeepers. In part, at least, this is true.

 

An ultra portable writing device

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Having the right tools makes any job a lot easier and more enjoyable. I was reminded of this over the past couple of weeks because I got a new writing machine. It is the ultraportable Microsoft Surface Go and it goes (pun intended) everywhere with me.

Up until now I have lugged my gaming laptop, a Toshiba Qosmio, whenever I want to write away from home. Although it is a fantastic machine, being so heavy and large I cannot easily pull it out and put it away again for short writing sessions. It has suffered more than a few drops as a result of getting left on my bed or being carted around.

Two years’ worth of researching various devices narrowed my choices to the iPad with keyboard, a cheap 11-inch laptop, or the Surface Go with typepad. I settled on the Surface Go because of its premium build and full Windows capability. Full Windows capability is essential because I already own MS Word and I don’t want to pay subscription for Office 365. Also, I prefer working offline.

I’m a bit of a minimalist. I don’t like a complicated setup for writing. The fewer distractions on the device the better.

The impact on my writing of having this portability has been greater than I’d anticipated. In every spare moment that inspiration strikes I am able to set the device up and type immediately. It adjusts easily on my lap, a table, or even in bed. Fantastic! Also, the battery is sufficiently efficient allowing a full day’s use (for my limited purposes) without worrying about looking for a power outlet.

I have been stuck in my writing for a couple of years. Time, I thought, was my great enemy. Truth is, distractions were my greatest obstacle. Legitimate and good distractions. I have never mastered maximizing small bits of time to accomplish large projects, but with this device I have.

Swords of the Six is taking new shape, expanding and becoming a much better novel than I first wrote a decade ago. We learn a lot when we study our craft for years, and I am loving the process of improving the original.

If you are stuck in your creative process, consider what tools you need. I wish I had acquired a Surface Go a couple of years ago.

Words beyond the grave

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We all feel lonely at times, even when surrounded by people.

Writing is lonely always, or so it often seems. The horror and the beauty of this is that it makes that time more precious, it feels like being pulled out of reality into a spiritual realm. Suddenly the world of possibility seems not so hard to reach and the hope that burned as a mere ember is a blaze of starlight.

If you feel creative with words or art, then you know of what I speak.

Doesn’t the world seem a limiting place? We hear of limitations. We see restrictions on imagination. But in our imagination the brick walls crumble, giving place to a utopia. Life is all we could ever wish it to be. Every beautiful possibility is ours for the taking . . . because the fear of following those possibilities is in a distant, alien place. A place called the “real world.”

If you feel creative with words or art, then you know of what I speak.

So crumble those walls between your fists. After all, your fists are as powerful as your mind wants them to become. That hero or heroine that you wish to be? You can be them. Limits? Limits are for the undecided, the ever-wary, those whose names will be forgotten in a hundred years.

If you feel creative with words or art, your name can live beyond your life. Your words can be carried from one generation to the next with life-changing, spiritual power.

Q: How do you want your creativity to spread your messages beyond the grave?

How to write a satisfying story

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Recently I read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card for the first time. Truly it is a fantastic read. Deep characters that stick with you from page to page, interactions that keep you hooked, and concepts that are epic on a galactic scale. But other than thoroughly enjoying the story, I recognized something about the writing that was instructional for me as an author. Orson Scott Card crafted such a complex set of characters and events that it would have been easy for him to leave some story threads hanging… instead he managed to satisfy all threads, leaving me fully sated and eager to pick up his other books.

Many editors and writers refer to loose story threads as cliff hangers. It is the tendency of fresh out-of-the-gate writers to use cliff hangers at the end of every chapter, sometimes almost every scene. I’ve even heard that recommendation made on stage by professionals, and I’ve read it in some well-meaning books and on some blogs.

Don’t get me wrong! Cliff hangers are a powerful story tool. However, it is taxing on the reader’s brain to leave a million story threads unfinished. The trick is to leave enough threads hanging that it sucks the reader deeper into the story when you are writing a series of novels, while also wrapping up enough threads to satisfy them.

My recommendation is to treat the story as a mixture of completed threads and of loose ones. This way the reader is pulled in, finishes the first couple of chapters, feels satisfied and intrigued, and is able to go to sleep without that frustration of, “But why did this part of the story happen? It was the middle of a scene! Shucks, now I can’t sleep.”

Have you noticed that television series of today rely on serialized storytelling instead of the older Twilight Zone type of stand-alone episodes? Television is (many often forget) written before it is produced, making it worthwhile to compare not only books but also television and movies. While it is wonderful that series like Stranger Things can develop such well-written stories that leave you on the edge of your seat, I personally find it exhausting. I want to know the end, so I have often binged on the series I enjoy. But the result is this lasting angst that it took that many hours of my time to understand all of the threads in the story.

If you ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation you will understand the power of episodes that contain a satisfying story arc. They still carried you on to the next episode, but they did not require a cliff-hanger to do it. Instead they relied on great characters whose lives you wanted to follow. They didn’t force incomplete stories on the audience because they were confident of the mood, message, and concepts.

Q: Which books, movies, or television series leave you feeling uplifted and most satisfied?