C. M. Skiera's Blog

I know this is shocking (not!), but February is not my favorite month (sorry Valentine's Day). Seems between back-to-back flu bugs and a myriad of other distractions, my writing (including blogging) is crawling through a deepening mud bog. The good news is I've managed to power through the first draft of the yet untitled Volume II of The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy. The bad news is that the novel is still under 60,000 words, so I've been debating with myself on where to go next. Should I consider the first draft done, or do I keep adding until the word count is closer to where it should be? There are some spots where I left placeholders in the manuscript knowing I had to go back and add details and backstory, but I'm finding this "jumping around and patching holes" to be rather difficult and inefficient. Sitting here writing this post, I think I've convinced myself to start the revision process. I'm going to read the book from start to finish and try to wr...

Wow, another fast week--2013 is off to the races.  This week's post focuses more on blogging than writing, but for most of us indies, blogging is part of the package of being a self-published author.  If you're very observant, you may have noticed a little addition to the bottom of my blog posts.  I read an interesting article on maximizing your old blog content, but for the life of me, can't find it on my Google Reader lists.  I intended to link to it, but, you know, the best laid plans . . . Anyhow, the gist of the article was that some of your newer blog readers might be interested in your older posts, especially if they're similar to, or pertain to, your current post.  This is where a free ( and add free) little widget called LinkWithin comes in.  If you look below, I've cut-and-pasted exactly what LinkWithin looks like when you add it to your blog. You might also like: Novelnook - New! - What is it? Holiday Potluck Hol...

This is a review of Dramatica Writer's DreamKit, which is a story building software for writers. I've used this software to help write three books, starting with my first, back in the mid 1990s. Advertised as a step-by-step fiction writing system, Dramatica is built on a  theory of story  that guides you to assemble your story to include the character relationships and motivations necessary for success. Currently, you can  buy the software for around $60    More expensive versions with more features are available, but can cost close to $200.  I used the least expensive, basic version and found it was plenty deep and complex enough for my taste. So what does Dramatica Writer's DreamKit do? After you install the software on your computer, you start the Dramatica process, answering questions as you 'build' your story through the Story Guide function.  The first questions ask you to describe your story--what happens in the beginning, middle, and end. ...

A bit of a mixed bag for today's post.  While I've got an upcoming review in the works about Dramatica and a free online editing software website I've found, neither are ready yet, so instead you get a little bit of a smorgasbord.  In today's post, I'll update some of the self-publishing topics I've been keeping you abreast of. If you're not familiar with Bublish, I posted about it back in October .  I've been a bit of a slacker lately when it comes to using Bublish, but I'm trying to rectify that.   Here's my latest 'bubble.' Regarding Volume II of the Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy, I received a nice shot of motivation from Fantasy Book Reviews this week.  If you're curious about what they had to say about Crimson & Cream (and you've fallen prey to my subtle foreshadowing), check it out here . Speaking of reviews, my last update on this topic showed that of my approximately 60+ review requests I solicited, I hadn't receiv...