writing

Steve’s Update 4/30/2017

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)

Let’s get to my weekly  Scrum style standups – and this is a pretty big milestone!

So for a month I’ve been using a lot more Scrum/Agile techniques, and that includes these weekly reports.  Now I can assess how it went!

The answer?  Pretty damn good.

More done, less stress, better sense of what I’m doing, more adaptability.  There’s a lot of blog posts about to come on this (which is also good as my blogging is erratic and I want to fix that).  These posts should also help you get up to speed as well, and after I tweak my methods I’ll probably do a roundup.

Major goals of this month:

  • Get Way With Worlds Minibook #1 back from editor.
  • Write at least 30 more questions for Minibook #5 and/or #6.
  • Start and write first chapter of my fiction piece “A Bridge To The Quiet Planet.”
  • Attend Fanime and speak (probably one day as Professor Oobleck)
  • Some general writing.
  • Experiment with Amazon Ads.

But hey it’s the end of one Sprint and the start of a new, so let’s get to status!

So what have I done the last week?

  • Way With Worlds Minibook #1: This is not late exactly as I had no deadline, but clearly have to check with my editor.
  • Way With Worlds Marketing: The newly printed bookmarks come today.  So yay!
  • Publicity: I’ve wanted to reach out to comic shops to speak at.  So far it’s kind of 50/50 on possible results – one not interested, one interested but noncommittal, two interested.
  • Seventh Sanctum Spotlight: Got people responding so I will probably start that this week!
  • General: A few social events here and there, nothing much out of the ordinary.

What am I going to do this week:

  • Way With Worlds Minibook #5:  Write at least five more questions.  I may need to accelerate these.
  • Seventh Sanctum Spotlight: Post my first entry.
  • Professional: I have two professional events coming up,this week.
  • Social: I also have a Bad Movie Event with some friends and my girlfriend.  Thinking this week might not be the most productive.
  • “A Bridge To The Silent Planet:” I’m going to plot this in one go or so over the weekend.  It’ll actually involve an experiment in writing organization.

Challenges and blockers:

  • Fanime may or may not have me do a third panel.  If they do, then I have to spend time to polish it.  I’ve budgeted time.

– Steve

Way With Worlds Book 2: Prereaders needed!

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, www.SeventhSanctum.com, and Steve’s Tumblr)

After plenty of interruptions, Way With Worlds Book 2 is ready for pre-readers!  So go on, get a preview, get a chance for feedback and contact me!

This one is a shift from the first book.  The first book focused on a roughly linear set of advice on worldbuilding across various subjects.  THis one is a series of collected deep dives on various issues, arranged a bit more freeform from the specific to the general.  It covers conflicts, viewpoints, worldbuilding tools, and team effort – among other diverse subjects.  It’s definitely a companion book to #1.

So give me a write, let me know if you want a PDF copy and let’s see what you think!

– Steve

Her Eternal Moonlight Is Here!

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)

“Her Eternal Moonlight,” the look at female fans of Sailor Moon that my co-author Bonnie have been working on for 16 months is out. Available in both ebook and physical format! You’ve been hearing about it – now it’s done and it’s something I’m proud of!  Seriously, take a look at this cover by the amazing Jennifer Cox.

sm-hem-full

Yes, it’s finished! After interviews, writing, rewriting, editing, and more this “psychological travelogue” of how Sailor Moon affected her female fans in North America is finished. So now it’s time to let the world know (and by the way, you can help with that, start sharing the links)

This was a pretty amazing experience; interviewing people, understanding their stories, looking for patterns, weaving it into a whole. It was also a humbling one as the Sailor Moon media phenomena changed lives – and the whole 90’s DiC dub was far more life-altering than I’d expected. Doing a book on how a TV show changed others changed me, to be frank.

So it’s done. Bonnie and I will be looking to speak on it at various events, depending on our schedules – and we’ve already got an idea for another pop culture impact book. We just won’t start that one until 2017 because we’ve got this one, and I kinda need a rest . . .

– Steve