Update 8/30/2015

Quick note –  I won’t be speaking at Kraken-Con.  They’ve got limited space – but this September they actually landed Zach Callison.  Yes, Steven Universe. As a Steven, I recommend you go see him.  I may not be there (September is very crazy anyway) but trust me these cons are fantastic – and they do them twice a year.

Way With Worlds

Almost done with my latest editing sweep.  I’m doing one more in September, then it goes to my pre-readers for awhile.  I can say there’s a lot of good advice, but damn did some of it need a rewrite.  There’s also things I added or expanded on.

The format looks good, and I plan to send out  a sneak peak with my newsletter in the near future.  Don’t forget to sign up – plus beyond the free updates, you get my LinkedIn Guide.

There is a sequel of a sort planned, but it’s going to be a far different format.  I can’t say much about it as I’ve only gotten so far in its design and let’s be honest, I have two books to work on.  I should have more insights spring of next year.

Sailor Moon Book

Bonnie and I have a meeting this Labor Day Weekend to deep dive into the work we have and plan the next steps.  We’ve got enough to structure the book, but need/want more interviews.  I’ll consider it officially “back on track” if it goes well.

We’re also going to add extra time to our research post-interview to just read up on the history of Sailor Moon.  There’s a lot we need/want for context and reference, so the idea is we’ll add an extra month to the project and deep dive on the research.  That means that the book is still out late summer/early fall 2016 unless our editing sessions go really well.  Then again, Bonnie is a professional in publication so she might make up for my somewhat limited editing skills.

Other Projects

There’s a new ebook in the works, but that’s staying under wraps for now.  In fact, there’s several!  But no spoilers yet . . .

My Activities For the Civic Geek over at Informotron is going well – and I’m going to release it as a free e-book once the series is done.  That’s months away, but let’s just say it’s not the only past work I’m considering bookifying for free, so stay tuned . .
Respectfully,

– Steven Savage
http://www.informotron.com/
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

Steve’s Update 8/30/2015

So a lot’s going on, and here’s what’s up!

First, sadly, I won’t be speaking at Kraken-Con.  They’ve got an incredible slate of people there and limited room, so there wasn’t space – I’d normally be disappointed, but this September is pretty insane.  They do it twice a year and I say go to both if you can because they’re aswesome – this September they actually landed Zach Callison.  Yes, Steven Universe. As a Steven, I recommend you go see him.

All my schedule still up to date.

Plot Twist Generator

Now let’s talk the Plot Twist Generator which is now in early Beta.  OK, I’m not entirely sure what early Alpha and early Beta are in reality since most people have broad ideas, but my take is “it’s now vaguely kind of useful”  I’ve managed to do enough research and get enough feedback that I have a lot of ideas to put in – and once I get there it’ll be close to done.  Now I have to do them.

This one is far, far harder than I expected.  Twists can be general or specific, tropes or unique, simple or complex.  I figured there’d be some archetypes and patterns to mess with, dump a bunch of data on it, and it’d work – but instead there’s a lot more complexity and potential complexity.  So, lesson learned.

I will probably need a break after the next update in a week or so.

Way With Worlds

Almost done with my latest editing sweep.  I’m doing one more in September, then it goes to my pre-readers for awhile.  I can say there’s a lot of good advice, but damn did some of it need a rewrite.  There’s also things I added or expanded on.

The format looks good, and I plan to send out  a sneak peak with my newsletter in the near future.  Don’t forget to sign up – plus beyond the free updates, you get my LinkedIn Guide.

I already have the sequels planned, as mentioned.  Let’s just say they’ll be different, they’ll be fun, and they’ll be helpful in a different way.

Sailor Moon Book

Bonnie and I have a meeting this Labor Day Weekend to deep dive into the work we have and plan the next steps.  We’ve got enough to structure the book, but need/want more interviews.  I’ll consider it officially “back on track” if it goes well.

We’re also going to add extra time to our research post-interview to just read up on the history of Sailor Moon.  There’s a lot we need/want for context and reference, so the idea is we’ll add an extra month to the project and deep dive on the research.  That means that the book is still out late summer/early fall 2016 unless our editing sessions go really well.  Then again, Bonnie is a professional in publication so she might make up for my somewhat limited editing skills.

Other Projects

There’s a new ebook in the works, but that’s staying under wraps for now.  In fact, there’s several.

My Activities For the Civic Geek over at Informotron is going well – and I’m going to release it as a free e-book once the series is done.  That’s months away, but let’s just say it’s not the only past work I’m considering bookifying for free, so stay tuned . .

I just need the time.
Respectfully,

– Steven Savage
http://www.informotron.com/
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

Activities For The Civic Geek: Promote Literacy With Comics

If comics are your thing, why not specifically promote literacy with your favorite medium.

Comic books were probably one of the first forms of literature many of us picked up. From newspapers to comic books to manga, it’s one of the earliest experience many of us have of reading. It’s still a favorite of many – and a way to teach literacy because they’re so beloved and accessible.

It wouldn’t be too hard to rally your fellow comic fans, clubs, groups, and stores to organize to donate comics, time, or money to the right organizations. There’s a lot of history and a lot of community to build on – and there’s comics-oriented literacy organizations who need your help below.

Resources

  • Comics For Kids – Collects and donates comics to kids, with a focus on literacy and developing creativity.
  • Reading with Pictures – Promotes literacy with the use of comics in the classroom. Heavily oriented towards ways to get involved!