Speak your mind

Kindle Vella fans, a new feature is about to be launched: Comments.

Kindle Vella Comments, currently in beta, will be added to all Kindle Vella stories soon. During the beta, Kindle Vella has seen a positive reader response with readers enjoying the chance to share their thoughts with others and interact with authors. This feature will be available to all readers on all stories in the coming weeks.

After comments are enabled for my stories, I’ll see a View Comments button on the story maintenance page. I’ll be able to read, post, reply, and report comments.

Part of the fun for me has been getting your opinions via the polls. When this feature comes out of beta, I’m looking forward to reading your Comments on the two Lady Blackwing stories currently on Kindle Vella, Lady Blackwing Earns Her Mask and Lady Blackwing Screws Up.

Lady Blackwing Day!

Today is International Lady Blackwing Day. “Lady Blackwing Earns Her Mask,” a Kindle Vella story, is now available as a Kindle ebook.

And, speaking of Kindle Vella, episode #14 of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up” is new today.

Plus, my Camp NaNoWriMo project is a Lady Blackwing story. Working title: “Lady Blackwing Battles the Bloodsucker.”

If you’re just getting acquainted, Lady Blackwing is the alter ego of Mercedes, a part-time college student, part-time barista. Mercedes has superpowers she’s still trying to get her arms around.

I’ve got to chuckle. Although I wrote these stories for grown-ups, Kindle shows “Lady Blackwing Earns Her Mask” ranking as a favorite “Children’s Paranormal, Occult, and Supernatural” book. I’m not complaining. As a youngster reading way above my grade level, it was difficult to find books that were mature without being “too mature,” if you get my drift. I’m delighted to know that young ones enjoy “Lady Blackwing.” Maybe they’ll discover their own superpowers. 😉

An astonishing revelation

NEW! today on Kindle Vella. Episode #13 of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up.” Need to catch up? The first 3 episodes are FREE!

Burnout or Block?

Writing is what I do. Not a day goes by that I don’t write something. Although I’ll confess, some days the motivation is I get to play with my fountain pens.

I usually have something in mind. On the rare occasion, I know I want to advance a work-in-progress but despite having an outline, sometimes I don’t know what to write. I’ve studied writer’s block enough to know the best remedy is to write something, anything. Getting the writing muscles in motion is often enough to break the block.

(And if you run into writer’s block, check out episode 11 of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up” in which Mercedes grapples with it.)

Recently, though, I wasn’t merely blocked, I was burned out. It was as if my Muse decided to go on a cruise and left me behind. Not only had I nothing to “say,” I couldn’t imagine ever writing again.

Several factors contributed to this, not the least being my discovery of Artificial Intelligence writing (see “Good or Bad?”, a previous blog post about this). A severe cold didn’t help. And since the cold made me dizzy I took a bad fall. I collided with several pieces of furniture and bruised myself badly.

So I took a break and spent a few weeks doing anything but writing.

Well, almost. I did stay on schedule with “Lady Blackwing Screws Up” on Kindle Vella. I didn’t want my slump to impact your enjoyment.

So there’s a fresh episode of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up” for your reading pleasure on Kindle Vella. Don’t miss “A Great Plan Foiled.” And if you need to catch up, remember that the first 3 episodes are FREE.

Long story short, writer burnout isn’t uncommon. Stress and exhaustion are contributing factors. The advice is to take a short, battery-recharging break by doing something completely different.

Try a different mode of expression like a craft or cooking. Go for a walk. Get away from the usual writing space. Do some chores, especially the ones that have been neglected.

It appears my Muse is back from her cruise. As soon as we finish looking through all her photos she’ll be asking me, “So, what did you get done while I was gone?” I’ll get The Look when I reply “nothing.” Better get busy!

I’ll sign up for April’s Camp NaNoWriMo. I can work on a new Lady Blackwing drama. And maybe toast up some s’mores.

It’s good to have variety, no?

NEW on Kindle Vella this week! “A Variety of Demons,” episode 11 of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up.”

And I’ve got a question for you WordPressers. I discovered that I can send you an email newsletter to alert you that there’s a new post plus anything else that’s noteworthy. That way you don’t have to hope to stumble across a post or, heaven forbid, miss one!

If you’d like that, please comment below. I’m looking forward to making friends with your email inbox! Meanwhile, enjoy Lady Blackwing’s latest drama.

Good or Bad?

New to me is A.I.—Artificial Intelligence. Probably not new to you. You’ve been using it for ages, know all the lingo. I stumbled onto it only recently.

I’m talking about A.I. in creative fields: art and writing. That A.I. can produce amazing work isn’t the question. It’s whether or not that’s a good thing.

I confess. When I first encountered A.I. content creation, I was intrigued. Could I get a robot to write an entire novel? I could publish it under my name and earn royalties from work I didn’t do.

Then I became upset. Where did that leave me? If a robot could write potentially better, definitely faster than I, why was I necessary?

I doubted that I could stop being creative. I would need a different endeavor. I briefly considered visual art but robots can draw and paint as well as write. I felt as though I had been made redundant, superfluous.

What’s your opinion about A.I. content creation? I’d like to know so please comment. (This post was written by me, a human, but see the P.S. below. That was written by A.I.)

P.S. Robots can’t write stories in their current state, however their capability for creating stories will only increase over time.

My opinion is that robots can indeed draw, paint, and write; however, robots cannot replicate the creative writing process that observing authors bring to the table when producing stories. While robots may eventually be able to mimic the process, they still lack the ability to emulate the sense of emotion and connection which a human writer injects into a story. It is these delicate nuances which make stories truly magical.

Happy Read an Ebook Week!

Happy Read an Ebook Week. Lady Blackwing’s origin story is FREE!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/719960

You’ll find lots of free and discounted titles on Smashwords during Read an Ebook Week.

AND “‘Fessing Up about Messing Up,” Lady Blackwing’s latest drama, is brand new on Kindle Vella.

an embarrassment of riches!

a

A burning question

I’ve been asking this question on Facebook and in my newsletter. I’d love to hear your response. Of course, there’s no right or wrong answer. Although it could be interesting if there’s a consensus.

Question: Why do you read fiction?

A. to learn something new

B. to have a vicarious experience

C. for entertainment

D. to escape/for distraction

And one of the delightful surprises of asking this has been the other options readers volunteered that I never even considered. So feel free to mention that in a comment as well.

Meanwhile, I’m pleased to announce that there’s a new episode of “Lady Blackwing Screws Up” on Kindle Vella. Unlock Episode 8 to read about “Rage and Retribution.”

Is the Pen Mightier Than the Sword?

Mercedes is an ordinary young woman with an extraordinary destiny. After an accident, she finds herself with newfound powers that she cannot control. Little does she know that these powers will lead her to become the superhero known as Lady Blackwing.

This week on Kindle Vella, enjoy a brand new episode of Lady Blackwing Screws Up. Is the pen mightier than the sword? You decide. https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Blackwing-Screws-Up/dp/B0BSB7W62L

O.M.G.

What has Mercedes gotten herself into? Unlock “O.M.G.”, the newest episode of Lady Blackwing Screws Up, on Kindle Vella. And read the first three episodes for FREE!