J. Timothy King’s Blog

Friday Snippet: The Preface to Abe’s Turn

Getting back into the groove after months of furious editing. Don’t worry; I’ve learned a lot from the experience, and it’ll go much faster next time. (At least that’s the plan.)

Just putting the finishing touches on The Conscience of Abe’s Turn. Already posted the ARC version of the text. Now, I’m finishing up the extra chapters.

So I thought I might post something unusual for a Friday Snippet, the Preface, one of those extra chapters that everybody seems to skip, but which sometimes can be interesting and informative. (Whether my Preface is interesting and informative is yet to be seen.)

Enjoy!
-TimK (Read more…)

A Friday Snippet on Thursday

I love it when writer’s block breaks. This time, it was an exercise in Holly Lisle’s Create a Plot Clinic e-book that broke the block.

I still teeter on the edge of believing whether writer’s block even exists. On the one hand, it is truly all in your mind, and simply reorienting your thoughts will overcome it. On the other hand, overcoming it is frequently an enthusing experience, like an adrenaline rush. My latest theory is that writer’s block is one of the ways your muse tells you to reorient your thought process, because once you do, you’ll experience that rush of satisfaction.

Anyhow, I was having a huge problem with this plot thread. But when it finally all came together, and I put it down on the page… I’m still reeling from this scene. Yes, when I go back to edit it, I may decide it’s not as good as I thought it was. But for now…

This scene connects with the previous snippet in which Clyde advises Mira caution in her feelings about Ike.

-TimK (Read more…)

Friday Snippet for the Premier of Jezebel James

I’ve been behind on writing because Client T has a release coming up at the end of this week, and I’m in a pre-release crunch for them. Ditto for Client Y. And on top of that, I’ve been gearing up for the premier of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s new half-hour comedy, The Return of Jezebel James, by posting each day to my The Return of Jezebel James fan site.

After the premier tonight, I’ll probably have more unsympathetic comments about critics. I’m also hoping for more anecdotes I can use in an e-newsletter article I’m writing about negative (and positive) reviews. (It’s partially written, but I need to finish it and clean it up.)

UPDATE: Here’s my own review of The Return of Jezebel James, which I truly enjoyed. And yes, I do have some more unsympathetic comments about critics.

Here’s a snippet from the next chapter of Abe’s Turn. (BTW, check out the book cover.) This connects with the previous snippet in which Clyde advises Mira caution in her feelings about Ike.

Cheers,
-TimK (Read more…)

Friday Snippet

Another scene from Abe’s Turn, this one piggybacks on the scene a couple weeks ago, in which Ike and Mira kissed.

I’m emotionally exhausted this weekend, having written some pretty intense scenes in this chapter and the chapter to come. Plus there was my worst review ever, which actually ended up making me feel pretty good, a lot more focused on where I want to go as a writer. Long story short, I’m still doing the right thing and going in the right direction. I’ll probably screw up in the process, but that’s a good thing… And that’s another blog post, which I only have half-written right now.

Remember this article on Holly Lisle’s site? “Live to Write Another Day: Writers, Depression, and Suicide”? I wasn’t going to mention this, because I think it sounds pretty creepy. But maybe there’s a lot of sympathy among writers in this area. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll end up like Sylvia Plath. Fortunately, my situation has never been that dire. But sometimes, I do sympathize with Sylvia.

-TimK (Read more…)

The Last Friday Snippet of Februrary

Here’s another scene from the chapter just posted at Abe’s Turn. This is something that happened to Clydene two years ago, on Valentine’s day, 2006, during a different time in her and Ted’s relationship.

But before that, because it’s leap day–and because that snippet is short–I’ve included part of an earlier chapter from Abe’s Turn, to show the contrast.

And if you’ve ever bought any of Holly Lisle’s ebooks, it’s the last day of the “Share the Love 2008,” free offer for Holly Lisle fans. Take advantage of it now.

-TimK (Read more…)

A Friday Snippet on Saturday

My day job, as they say, is that of an independent software contractor and consultant. This work supplements any cash I earn writing. (And it’s a lot of cash. I earn much more per hour as a software consultant than may even be possible as a writer. But that’s another blog post.) Because I’m self-employed, I pretty much get to set my own hours, and I pretty much get to decide what I’m going to work on. And that means, I can allocate time to write… sort of.

You see, one of the best things about having paying clients is that I can always pay the bills. Paying clients are one of the easiest and surest ways to make quick cash. However, one of the worst things about having paying clients, is that I have to choose between earning a living and writing. And right now, with tax season coming up, earning a living is top on my priority list.

What little time I’ve had each day to write, I’ve spent it writing The Conscience of Abe’s Turn. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been enough, and I’m behind on posting new chapters. I wanted to begin posting the next episode yesterday. I didn’t, even though it’s a most special episode, an episode that begins to tie together loose threads left hanging from previous episodes, and an episode that delves into the character of Ted Jackson. He has a secret that not even his wife knows.

There’s other stuff happening, too, of course. And in honor of romance (February being the month of Valentine’s Day), here’s a steamy, Valentine’s Day snippet from this chapter. (Read more…)

Friday Snippet, and a Valentine’s Gift for Writers

I know I haven’t posted a Friday Snippet in a long time. That’s because my top writing priority has been The Conscience of Abe’s Turn. So here’s a snippet from the upcoming (not posted yet) chapter of Abe’s Turn.

But first, I have a Valentine’s Gift for writers who are fans of Holly Lisle’s excellent writing resources. For only the month of February, anyone who has ever ordered any download from Holly Lisle’s online shop can subscribe for free to my (usually non-free) Writer’s Tips e-Newsletter. Click here to find out more about this one-month-only offer. And be sure to tell your friends who are writers about it, too. Spread the word, because in only 28 days, it’ll be over forever.

And now, the Friday Snippet I promised: (Read more…)

Friday Snippet: The Widow’s Granddaughter (2)

Here’s the second part of “The Widow’s Granddaughter.” This story uses a character, Jeffrey Tanner, I developed as an example for 1001 Character Quirks for Writing Fiction. I also developed the other characters using the same process I describe in that ebook, but Jeffrey is the only character I use as an example.

-TimK

P.S. WRT the Character Quirks book, I owe Holly Lisle thanks for her advice, freely given, in helping me to make it useful. All mistakes or inadequacies, of course, are my fault and mine alone.

WARNING: This story contains strong language and adult situations (but no graphic sex).

(continued from part 1)

Mrs. Kramer sat for several seconds before she struggled to her feet and without a word hobbled out of the office and into the parking lot. From his office, Jeffrey watched her through the window.

Then he marched out of the building and into the parking lot. A young woman was helping Mrs. Kramer into the passenger side of the car. This woman epitomized youth and beauty, Jeffrey thought. Blonde hair flowed down around soft cheeks to just past her shoulders. She wore a smart, brown, corduroy jacket and blue jeans, with sleek, brown shoes on her feet. It was an outfit that accentuated her curves just enough, but not too much, and made her look tall and sexy. (Read more…)

Friday Snippet: The Widow’s Granddaughter

Here’s the beginning of a story I’ve been working on for a very special project, which I will be announcing soon (I hope).

I’m not yet firm on the title, but I’m really liking “The Widow’s Granddaughter.”

-TimK

P.S. Please leave a comment telling me how you like it.

WARNING: This story contains strong language and adult situations (but no graphic sex).

She was just another job to Jeffrey Tanner, just another loan someone defaulted on, just another automobile someone couldn’t afford to pay for, until she limped into his office.

She was not someone you would expect to make a difference in anyone’s life. She was neither rich nor powerful. She was not vivacious, not young, not beautiful. She was neither a mover nor a shaker. She hobbled along, a quad cane in one hand, dragging her withered frame behind her, arthritis-infested joints creaking with each lumbering step. She reeked of old perfume; a small, black toque sat atop her thinning, black hair, probably dyed; and when she opened her mouth, from her shriveled face screeched a voice like that of the Evil Witch of the West.

“I’m Mrs. Mildred Kramer.”

Jeffrey knew the name. He had handled the account personally. For a fleeting moment, he thought of offering her a seat. But then he thought the better of it. (Read more…)

Aborted Works in Progress (and a Friday Snippet)

One of the things that has struck me recently is the sheer number of aborted works-in-progress from my past. It feels really strange, now that I’m completing a whole story every 5 weeks, and that’s a lazy pace. Some of these works-in-progress I aborted because I lost interest. Others were just beyond my skills at the time. Many of them grew in scope until they were projects too large for me to fit into my schedule. Of course, having recently reprioritized slightly, it’s much easier to find time to write. So maybe I’ll be able to complete some of these, because there are a few I’d really like to complete. (Read more…)