I just realized it has been a whole month since my last post. To summarize more or less thirty busy days, I’ll start by saying I finished Nanowrimo. TCOM is now 90K and nowhere near its completion. There are good chances I’ll have to change the title. For a book named The City of Men, the main characters reach said city at the very end of the story and nothing really happens there. Roberto suggested to call it Journey to The City of Men and I like it. I’m still working with my editor on Prince of War. A combination of real life and fictional angst is slowing down the editing of my beloved Prince. But, we are getting there. At the end of November, the anthology Christmas Lites II was published and I’m truly proud my little fairytale is among so many great shorts. Meanwhile, I flew back to Italy to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday and I am staying in Umbria for another week. Finally, tomorrow, my first illustrated tale, The Prince’s Day Out, should be released. Crossing fingers!
nanowrimo project
Talking about The Priest
Marketing the book you wrote can be a daunting experience. It is for me. But when nobody knows you and your presence on social networks is scarce, you must talk about it, somehow. So, I spent the whole day Sunday studying how to push my book without pushing it and, most importantly, how to avoid becoming the friend who wrote a book and nobody wants to frequent anymore. After a discreet amount of frowning, sighing, and downright swearing in Italian, I reached the conclusion that word of mouth, someone else’s mouth, not mine, it’s my only hope. But, to be realistic, I’ve also decided that, after all, one day a week will be devoted to market my book. This is where I started. And, I must admit, I had fun in writing that piece. This is another place, Kindle Board, where I can promote my work. Only time will tell what works and what not. For now, I’m simply trying to reach out.
The Priest’s Hall of Fame
Just an image, but it means a lot to me.
The Priest
The Priest is alive! And, after so many rocks in its path, it’s hard to believe that this little book has found its way out of my pc. Two years ago, while I was writing Pax in the Land of Women, two characters popped to life. Mauricio and Rosie had a great story to tell, but there wasn’t any space in Pax for them. When Nanowrimo 2010 came along, I thought it was the perfect excuse to take some time off from Pax and write Mauricio’s tale of slavery and forbidden love. Now, a week after pressing the publishing button, I finally can write about it. At first, I was too dazed to even think of anything coherent to say. Now, I still can’t muster anything smart, other than the fact that seeing my little creation out there it’s a rewarding feeling. Long and difficult process, but worth every moment of it.
Blurb:
Mauricio is a slave. Like any man born on Ginecea, he is but a number for the pure breed women who rule over him with cruel hands. Imprisoned inside the Temple since birth, Mauricio has never been outside, never felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He lives a life devoid of hopes and desires. Then one day, he hears Rosie sing. He risks everything for one look at her and his life is changed, forever. An impossible friendship blossoms into affection deemed sinful and perverted in a society where the only rightful union is between women. Love is born where only hate has roots and leads Mauricio to uncover a truth that could destroy Ginecea.
Nanowrimo 2011
Today is the twenty-seventh day of November, Anno Domini 2011, and I’m officially done with my Nanowrimo challenge. I’m tired, my neck is stiff, the inflammation in my arm is flaring up. I ate too much, I cooked too little, and I am overall a mess. But, I am a satisfied, happy mess. This is my third Nano, and although not finishing wasn’t a possibility, I had several obstacles along the way. I was reminded time and again that freedom of writing is not granted, and that I’m addicted to it. Pax at War is 80k, 50k of them written in twenty-seven days in bursts of 3/4000 words at a time. Physical therapy, at some point four times a week, chronic pain, and other problems did their best to dampen my mood, but I sat and I wrote. Physical therapy will end, the chronic pain will lessen—or I’ll find a way to manage it, my mood will soar again, but Pax at War will be here forever to remind me that was worth suffering. I’m lucky that not only I don’t have anything disabling, but that my husband believes in what I do and let me do it. So, three days after Thanksgiving, I can repeat here what I said before family and friends: I’m grateful for my life. Now, back to writing.
Ode To My Public Library System, And Other Relevant Facts
I live in the most nurturing environment for an aspiring writer. Not only the Northwest is moody enough to evoke vampires and werewolves without having to wait for the darkness of the night. But when November comes even the King County Library System (my personal pusher when, as a self diagnosed ECReader, I need my book-fix) comes out to help nanowriters in distress. This year KCLS has organized seminars about the complex art of writing, editing, drawing cartoons, and even how to deal with zombies in your novel. I am ashamed to confess that I didn’t go to any of them. It wasn’t premeditated though. I did sign on a piece of paper all the dates I was most interested in. Then life, in the form of Thanksgiving’s dinner and adverse weather conditions, made me stay home. I know, it’s the adult equivalent of dog-ate-my-homework excuse, but what can I say? I am an adult, and I can’t use the same excuse twice. The moral of this tale is clear. I still don’t have zombies in my stories. Nevertheless they are all the rage right now, and I should have gone to at least that seminar. Next year I promise not to sleep during the whole month of November, so I can go to seminars during the day, and write at night. It sounds like a solid plan, especially if I get to sleep through October. Maybe I can even start now. Sleeping, I mean. Anyway, I did finish my 50,000 words’ novel, and I am proud to announce that as prequels go, I have to change names and facts in the sequel I am currently still writing. All in all, a big confusion inside my head. Maybe zombies didn’t make an apparition in my writing, but they ate my brain…food for thoughts?
Dear Gentle Reader, I Am A Nanowriter Looking For Real Life Connections
Nanowrimo and November have come and gone in a month, in real life. Our planet (last time I checked it was still called Earth, in English at least) has moved around its star (the Sun in case you are wondering) in a discreet fashion. Our moon (Earth’s only satellite called in the aforementioned language the Moon, no comments here…) has shyly illuminated our cold and snowy nights. And everything happened in a blink of an eye for this humble ECReader Nanowriter who has been busy reading (whatever arrived from my Library Express), and writing (the famous 50,000 words). Time is inconsistent and subjective for people like me. It takes two years of my time to write 50 words, when for you gentle reader (don’t worry I haven’t forgotten to formally acknowledge you; it is just that for propriety’s sake I had to put some distance from you and the title) just mere minutes have ticked away in your watch. And while the whole world is rocked by I-said-that you said-that-I-said leaks about human stupidity, I am thankfully (hence the season) far away, engaged in a long journey to infinity and beyond. Nevertheless, it would be nice to have company along the road. Said that, I humbly hope you enjoy my writing, gentle reader.
Monica La Porta 