An Orange Band, an Orange Sight...

II Crimsonstreak release day!

Oh, yeah!

II Crimsonstreak is out today!

Follow the continuing adventures of the pop culture-loving superhero as he races to save not only the Earth...but the entire multiverse. He'll team up with some of his closest friends--like his girlfriend Jaci and the Crusading Comet--and get "help" from snobbish intergalactic space cops and a noble birdman.

It's all awaiting you in II Crimsonstreak from Candlemark & Gleam!

Here are the links:

Candlemark and Gleam
Amazon

New (micro)review of I, Crimsonstreak and II Crimsonstreak

Nerds of a feather, flock together reviewed both Crimsonstreak novels!

Overall, they liked what they saw.

This is superhero fiction more in the vein of The Incredibles than The Dark Knight....With the end of the first novel and the start of the second (which follows neatly on from the plot of the first), I was becoming a fan of Adams and a fan of Crimsonstreak.

Read the full--well, it's more of a "micro" review, actually--here.

Ready for II Crimsonstreak?

We're off and running on the preorder campaign for II Crimsonstreak!

Candlemark & Gleam runs these through a Kickstarter campaign that provides a tiered structure for anyone interested in getting the book. The tiers range from the most basic (a paperback copy of the book and the digital version) to one that includes a hardcover edition and a bunch of goodies.

My favorite tier is probably the bundle, which gets you both I, Crimsonstreak and II Crimsonstreak.

Rewards include signed copies of the book, posters, and a magical cosmic headband.*

Get your copy at the Kickstarter page.

*magical cosmic headband does not actually grant magical cosmic powers

II Crimsonstreak in Publishers Weekly

I got a pleasant surprise today when I learned Publishers Weekly reviewed II Crimsonstreak. We didn't get a review from them for I, Crimsonstreak, so I wasn't expecting it.

"...the story will nevertheless appeal to superhero fans with its absorbing worldbuilding and its warm, engaging protagonist."

Check out the blurb at the Publishers Weekly website.

The book is due out next month from Candlemark & Gleam.

Waiting for the next project

Well, we've had some busy times lately. Kind of.

I blogged last week over at the Candlemark & Gleam website about the importance of being ready when you submit. We also unveiled the stellar cover for II Crimsonstreak by artist Brooke Stephenson. We're looking at a release date of October for the Crimsonstreak sequel.

That leaves me wondering what my next project should be. III Crimsonstreak is off to Super Beta Reader Mike. I just finished polishing The Franchise as I prepare to send it around (it still needs another beta read before I do that). I have a half-finished book with a terrific premise that needs about 40,000 more words before the first draft is complete.

I just don't know what to do next.

I do know that I'd like to get III Crimsonstreak ready to go by the end of the summer/early fall. However, until I hear back from my beta reader, I can't do a whole lot of work on it. I'll re-read it and make notes, but I need someone to give me the "outside view" of the novel and its inner workings. I think the last act is problematic and needs more setup in the earlier parts of the book.

So what should I work on?

I have a space adventure book about a former gladiator trapped on a planet that I really like. I wrote it a couple years ago, but it needs some major polish. It's not exactly pleasant to read through because some of the writing is rough, but I'm more adept at fixing it now. The title of that one, by the way, is Sheridan's Hammer. I really like the main character in that one. Hmmmm.

I haven't written any new words in about a week. I have to figure out something to work on. Quickly.

Cautionary Crimsonstreaking: Don't submit until you're ready

Note: the following is re-posted from a guest post on Candlemark & Gleam's website

Don’t submit your stories before they’re ready… or before you’re ready.

Just… don’t.

I originally wrote I, Crimsonstreak in 2007. Back then, the book had no appendices and consisted of about 50,000 words. The basic framework of the story—an imprisoned superhero busts out of prison to find his father in charge of a fascist world government—was there. From a very basic structural standpoint, many elements of the original draft are recognizable when compared to the published version.

Over a period of four years, from 2007 to 2011, I whipped it into shape, polishing things, adding scenes, tweaking dialogue, etc. I even queried agents. I laugh at that now—Crimsonstreak wasn’t ready. There are no fast tracks to publication, even if you’re the Fastest Man on Earth.

By 2009, I came to my senses and stopped querying. I realized the book wasn’t ready. More importantly, I wasn’t ready. You see, young writers tend to think their first book is absolute gold. They think someone should recognize their talent and dispatch a dump truck full of money to their driveway. I was young, I was creative, and I thought that’s how it would work. Looking back, I now know that’s a clear indication of how ready I wasn’t.

Truly, Crimsonstreak didn’t start to take shape in its current form until late 2010. I set fire to the manuscript and made radical changes. More importantly, I sent it to a beta reader, a ruthless colleague who isn’t afraid to use phrases like “this doesn’t work” and “that doesn’t make sense” and “where in the hell is the character arc here, Adams?” and “you realize this whiny Warren Kensington IV character is terrible, don’t you?” We bounced ideas back and forth. I made more changes.

Our conversations were pivotal. Whiny Warren Kensington IV became a stronger character. The legacies of Crimsonstreak, his parents, and the Crusading Comet became intertwined. I found a way to introduce tension among Warren, Morty, and Chris—tension that was far more personal than it was in prior drafts.

I sank four years into Crimsonstreak. After giving it another three months, I felt it was as good as it was going to get.

I sent it to Candlemark & Gleam in the summer of 2011. Make no mistake: this was Crimsonstreak’s last stand. Had there not been a request for the full manuscript, Crimsonstreak and company would likely be sitting on my hard drive as “crimsonstreakcometrevision.doc.” I would’ve moved on.

To my utter delight, Kate Sullivan saw potential and requested the full manuscript. We made more changes—if there’s anything you need to understand about writing, it’s that there are always changes. Overall, though, the published version of I, Crimsonstreak isn’t much different from the version submitted in May 2011.

On the other hand, it’s worlds apart from the 2007 version with the file name “Hero.doc.”

Now here’s the funny thing. While a young writer gets a little full of himself or herself for no reason, an “experienced” writer does, too. When I started writing the sequel, I produced a first draft, showed it to my beta reader, made some revisions, and then sent it off.

II Crimsonstreak was not ready. There’s no way I should’ve sent the book away. I had character arc problems, I had an excess of plot aerobics, I had an “ending” that relied too heavily on shock with no real resolution or reflection.

I know that now. I should’ve known it then. Maybe, deep down, I did, but thought my newly acquired skills as Published Author would override any issues with the book.

It doesn’t work like that.

The development cycle for the sequel was much shorter. This isn’t to say you can’t write a good book in a short amount of time. It’s certainly possible, and some authors can pull it off. I wasn’t that guy yet. I just thought I was.

I concocted this story about multiple realities and rival factions. I forged ahead with an outline that touched upon basic plotting, character arcs, and scenes. Then I went to work. A thousand words a day. Then, 2,000 words a day. Sometimes even 5,000 words a day. First draft. Boom. Done.

Back up the dump truck full of money.

My “outline” was a couple of pages written in my trusty “idea notebook.” It didn’t actually outline anything. I was planning a road trip that marked the start and end points without considering things like road construction, speed limits, rest stops, or scenic routes.

Even worse, I made a major change without re-plotting the story. The result was a muddled mess. Characters’ goals were unclear. The motivation of the villains was unclear. Jaci Graves, a terrific character, got pulled into “token love interest” territory, a role that she would absolutely punch me in the jaw for assigning her.

My beta reader brought up these issues. I “fixed” them. Even though I needed to do more work, I sent II Crimsonstreak to C&G. Part of it was eagerness—I wanted Kate to read the story. Part of it was stubbornness—I didn’t want to miss a self-imposed deadline. Part of it was brashness—I figured the book’s strengths and my strengths as an author would carry it through.

I was partially right about the last part, but not because of the book.

If II Crimsonstreak had been the first thing I’d ever sent to C&G, it would’ve been rejected. However, Kate and I had a good, collaborative relationship from when we polished Crimsonstreak, so she had confidence that I could take that mess and turn it into a good book.

Revisions lasted three more months as I waded through notes and added new touches. I scrapped some self-indulgent passages, streamlined the plot, wrote an actual ending (well… kind of), and developed clearer character arcs.

It all worked out in the end, but I learned some valuable lessons along the way—proving that Published Author doesn’t know anything.

Let’s use some bullet points to hit my main ideas:

• Don’t submit anything before you’re truly ready; for the most part, you get one shot
• Outlines are good and can focus you; they don’t have to be super-detailed chapter-by-chapter summaries, but they should have some substance
• If you make a major plot or character change, adjust your outline so you have a good idea where that change will take you; you’ll burden yourself with a lot of work otherwise
• In some ways, the second book is harder than the first; development time will be shorter, you may be overconfident, and the resulting novel could very well get messy
• Revisions are a major part of the process; you don’t have to like them, but you sure as heck had better get used to them if you want to put out a good book
• Building a good relationship with an editor and working hard for them will buy you some goodwill when your novel doesn’t quite turn out as well as you’d hoped
• Do not turn Jaci Graves into a token love interest; she will punch you in the jaw

Cover reveal: II Crimsonstreak

And here it is...the cover for II Crimsonstreak!


This is from artist Brooke Stephenson, who also did the cover for I, Crimsonstreak. She really outdid herself this time. I mean that, too.

Check out the back cover:


I love the Silver Age comic panels on the back!

Here's the back cover blurb:

Three years after the climactic battle at the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane, Chris Fairborne a.k.a. Crimsonstreak chases down escaped supervillains while working feverishly to reestablish world governments in the wake of collapse of the New World Common Wealth.

His father, Colonel Chaos, sits in front of a Heroic Legion tribunal to answer for crimes against humanity. His mother, Miss Lightspeed, doesn’t seem herself following her unlikely resurrection. To make matters worse, Crimsonstreak encounters a being of pure speed not even he can outrun.

Sounds like the perfect time for an alien invasion, an encounter with a group of snobbish space cops, and the mysterious return of a long-dead friend with an unbelievable secret.

War will strain friendships. A multiversal threat will test loyalties. And you will believe a man-bird can fly in II Crimsonstreak.

All of this comes courtesy, of course, of Candlemark & Gleam.

Cover collaboration and the rise of the multiversal mustache

I made a last-minute adjustment to the "final" revision of II Crimsonstreak on Tuesday night. A character's mirror-world doppelganger ended up getting facial hair, a play on the much loved trope from the "Mirror, Mirror" episode of Star Trek. It's not exactly Spock's goatee, but it's close enough.

I didn't think of this myself, actually. This addition was part of the collaborative process of putting a cover together.

I'm working with my editor Kate Sullivan and talented artist Brooke Stephenson (who did the cover for I, Crimsonstreak) to come up with a cover for the sequel. I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted. The idea was so clear, in fact, that I created a mockup in Photoshop. I'm decent with Photoshop, but my skills as an illustrator aren't professional grade. Still, I like to think I have a decent idea of how things look.

The cover for the first Crimsonstreak book went through a few different versions. We ended up going with a fantastic design Brooke made based (very, very) loosely on a concept I had for the cover. Trust me, I was as surprised as anyone when the cover concept ended up being something I came up with while fiddling with Photoshop. Brooke added the key touches that made the book come alive, such as the illustration of Crimsonstreak (my mockup used the Flash as a stand-in) and the idea to use newspaper cutaways to fill in the white space. The latter was a nod to the newspaper articles in the appendices and the character's background in journalism.

So, when it came time for II Crimsonstreak to go through the cover design process, I came up with a concept cover that echoed the first one. Seriously. The cover mockup I sent to Candlemark & Gleam utilized the same basic layout as I, Crimsonstreak, ripped pages and all. I even used the Flash again. Crimsonstreak meets a character in the second book named the Bluestreak who can outrun him. I pulled a page out of the Mortal Kombat palette-swap playbook, using a "blue" Flash and a "red" Flash to represent the Bluestreak and Crimsonstreak, respectively. Brooke will use that as a template and make it 800 million times better. I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

I'm really, really excited about the back cover. I mean...super stoked. Brooke plans to draw five comic book panels that echo comic's Silver Age. She'll use scenes from the book as the basis for these illustrations. So while the comic book characters of the Crimsonstreak-verse don't take form in a traditional comic book sense because it's a novel, Brooke will breathe life into several of them. Her rough, proof-of-concept sketches put a big smile on my face.

One of the characters caught my eye because she'd drawn him with a mustache--something I hadn't considered. We're dealing with an alternate universe doppelganger (yes, yes, again), and while I had written a specific physical difference between the character and the "real" version of that character, I hadn't considered giving him a mustache. Brooke's sketch convinced me he needed one, so I made a last-minute change to incorporate that particular feature as a gag.

I didn't have to do that. I could've told Brooke to forget about the mustache. I am, after all, the creator, right? Yet something about her drawing felt right, and I couldn't ignore that feeling. Now, that character has a multiversal mustache, all because of a little collaborative effort among Brooke, Kate, and me.

People will tell you that you lose a few things when you decide to go with a small press. That's true. But for every "take," there's also a "give." I get to help design the cover of my book--something a lot of authors think about but don't usually get to have much input on. The collaborative process of that design, in turn, ended up making a nice little addition to my novel. It's a minor change that amounts to nothing more than a few references, but it adds something memorable.

And for that, I'm grateful.

Another quick update

I plan to turn in "final" revisions on II Crimsonstreak by the end of the week/weekend. My rewrite fixed most of the issues with the book. Obviously, when you rewrite something significantly, you'll always find little bits that need to be tweaked. While reading through the book on my Kindle, I also spotted a few misspellings. I have to correct those and look at a few dozen notes I made while reading the manuscript. We shouldn't be too far off from having a cover reveal.

I'm also rereading III Crimsonstreak and making some notes on it. I want to give it some more polish before sending it to Beta Reader Mike. I need to consolidate a few things that happen in the last third of the book with events from the first third.

After that, I need to figure out which project I want to do next. I have a fantastic idea for another novel (one that's actually not a superhero book). I also have a book that's about 60% finished; I should probably go back and finish that (and re-plot the last act). I'm leaning toward working on the latter. I have a tendency to want to work on something new ("Oooo...ooooo...SHINY!") and leave other projects aside. It's very difficult to finish anything that way.

III Crimsonstreak and II Crimsonstreak latest

Not much of an update here, but I thought I'd post something today.

I finished my first draft of III Crimsonstreak and read through it (via Kindle) this weekend. I think it's in much, much better shape than its predecessor. An outline did wonders for the book, something I will one day blog about. It's...uh...right next on the list to the Jurassic Park book vs. movie post that I've been planning to do. Anyway...it's nice to have a first draft done. Plenty of work is ahead, of course, including revisions, the addition of appendices, and the incorporation of reader feedback.

As for II Crimsonstreak, I received feedback from my publisher and my second-round edits are due near the end of May/beginning of June. We're on target for an October release and should have an exciting cover to reveal soon. The same awesome cover artist is on the case, so I know we're getting something fantastic.

II Crimsonstreak revisions and notes on III Crimsonstreak

I'm wrapping up the last book in the Crimsonstreak series. I didn't set out to write a trilogy...it just kind of happened. Currently, the end of the book feels a little too much like the end of Peter Jackson's Return of the King. By that, I mean there are several plot threads/character moments to resolve. A few character threads got lost throughout the first draft and will need to be added during revisions.

It's tough saying goodbye to these characters. I'm not saying I'll never revisit them (in fact, I have an idea for a book based solely on Mortimer P. Willoughby that traces the history of Morty and the various Crusading Comets), but I'm going to take a break from this particular group of superheroes. I can't say much about the book (or II Crimsonstreak for that matter), but Christopher Fairborne goes on quite the journey. He has to learn to say goodbye and let go of many of the people close to him. So, as he says his goodbyes, I say my own to those characters. The ending packs an emotional punch...and I hope it translates for readers.

III Crimsonstreak is a long way off, though. That manuscript will have to be revised, I need to come up with some appendices, and my Super Beta Reader will have to Super Beta Read his way through it. Even in the best case scenario, in which I turn it in at the end of summer, we're looking at we're looking at a spring/summer release. But I'm getting waaaaay ahead of myself.

Let's talk about II Crimsonstreak. I received edit notes back from the massive revision I did on the book. Seriously, it was like performing major surgery (or at least my fictional conception of what performing surgery is like). Mastermind Kate at Candlemark & Gleam was very pleased with the edits. I have about two weeks or so to go through the additional markups and make any changes, a process I plan to start this weekend after wrapping up III Crimsonstreak's first draft.

Make no mistake, II Crimsonstreak revisions were a major undertaking. The book had a great concept, but my execution was lacking (I'll do a separate blog post about this soon). I twisted myself up in plot threads, had dodgy character motivations, and underutilized a major character. I some parts, our fair protagonist acted like a jerk simply because it was convenient for the plot.

No more.

I've fixed most of that, meaning that my biggest concern revolves around whether Falcon Gray has a beak or not. I think I can live with that.

We're shooting for an October release.

Update on projects

Writing production was non-existent last week. I read through some projects but didn't write anything new or revise III Crimsonstreak.

Shame on me.

I'm usually good about writing five or six days a week--it just didn't happen this time. It's okay; sometimes you're going to have a bad week. Usually, I'm able to eke out a few words even when I'm feeling a little stressed out, but I just felt stretched thin. The important thing is not to allow last week's drought to turn into a drought that drags on for several weeks.

I'm working on revisions for III Crimsonstreak tonight. I've also read through The Franchise as notes trickle in from Beta Reader Extraordinaire. I expect to work on final edits for II Crimsonstreak, first draft/revisions for III Crimsonstreak, and reworking of The Franchise simultaneously. This will leave blogging at a premium...and content is at a dearth as it is.

On the plus side, I finished reading Jurassic Park and hope to write a book/movie comparison soon. It won't be comprehensive, but I'd like to talk about the key differences and what I liked/didn't like about each version. I've also started reading Les Miserables to give myself an infusion of the classics.

My reading list is waaaaay too long, FYI.

Getting it covered

As I continue to work on self-imposed revisions to III Crimsonstreak, we're getting closer to the release of II Crimsonstreak. By closer, of course, I mean fall 2013. It'll get here before I know it.

I received an email from the publisher asking if I had any ideas for the cover.

Of course I did. OF COURSE I did.

I spend plenty of time writing and revising, but I also like to play around with Photoshop. So during a period of writing inactivity (shortly after the completion of the first draft of II Crimsonstreak), I started outlining some cover ideas for the sequel.

I did the same thing for I, Crimsonstreak. I mean, even when I wrote the first draft in 2007, I started coming up with cover concepts. They all SUCKED. Every single one of them. Like writing skills, Photoshop skills improve over time with practice. I toyed with the idea of self-publishing I, Crimsonstreak--seriously, it almost happened--before submitting to Candlemark & Gleam. Because of that, I came up with a bunch of cover concepts. I can't draw worth a lick, so I used stand-in heroes like Captain Canuck and the Flash for Crimsonstreak. I just enjoy tinkering with that kind of thing.

Were those attempts fantastic? Of course not. While I'm not terrible with Photoshop, I'm also not an expert. In addition, I've never been "trained" in publication design; I always go with my gut. I'm the kind of person who can tell you that I like or dislike something, but I often struggle with telling you why. Perhaps that's the essence of design.

When Candlemark & Gleam accepted I, Crimsonstreak for publication, Mastermind Kate asked me if I had any ideas for the cover. It was like asking a person who'd just returned from vacation if they had any pictures ("I just happen to have the slideshow ready, folks! Here we are booking the hotel online..."). I had probably six or seven concepts and emailed them.

The artist's original conception (the back cover picture of Crimsonstreak in a straitjacket) didn't quite give the right "feel" for the cover. When I saw the proofs of two new concepts, I was pretty darn surprised to discover that one of them was based on one of my ideas. We ended up getting a GREAT cover from artist Brooke Stephenson.

That's one of the cool things about going with a small press or self-publishing; you get a little more control over things like that. I've talked to other authors who've recounted stories of being shown their cover and told, "There it is. Enjoy!" While I'm sure it's not like that in every case, it's nice to have some input.

Update on projects

I really don't have a ton going on right now. I just wrapped up rather intensive revisions on II Crimsonstreak for Candlemark & Gleam. I still have a few things to shake out, but it's much stronger than it was before. That's the great thing about having an editor: they really help you stand outside your work and see how other people view it. I know there are writers out there who don't think they need help like that...but I think a good editor is essential for a great book. There's no way II Crimsonstreak was ready to go in the form I submitted. Part of that was my eagerness to get it out there. I should've worked on it for another month before submitting. Then again, sometimes you get so close to your work that you stop being able to actually "see" it, so sending it off and getting feedback was probably for the best.

I used a very light outline for II Crimsonstreak. Since that book needed so much reworking and lacked focus in many respects, I'm attempting a tighter plot for III Crimsonstreak. You see, the second book ends on a cliffhanger that I have to resolve. I was already about 70,000 words into III Crimsonstreak, but the revision on book two helped me see some real problems with the third book. I sat down and wrote a five page outline based on some of the stuff I'd already written for the book. I immediately deleted four chapters (about 10,000 words) and started revising what I'd written. What about the other approximately 60,000 words? Some of that will remain, some it will be modified, some of it will be merged with other parts of the book, and some of it will be scrapped altogether.

Once I get III Crimsonstreak into better form, I have another novel that I'm about 50,000 words into. Before I continue with this book--a kind of Three Amigos/Galaxy Quest/Redshirts mash-up--I want to check my character beats and get a tighter focus on how I resolve the plot. My outline isn't very detailed. After rereading the book two weekends ago, I think it's a great concept and the writing is very strong in points. I want to change around some character traits (one character is very whiny at first and then isn't so whiny later in the book...and I like the latter version) and get some specific notes on plot points I want to resolve.

I don't define myself as a plotter or a pantser, although reading the above probably makes you think I'm closer to the latter than the former. I outline my stories and write character bios/sketches, but as the book develops, things change. I see nothing wrong with "going with the flow," but it's clear to me that I struggle to resolve those changes with the existing progression of the book.

I've written about 9,000 words on another project that's heavily inspired by Les Misérables with a little Revolutionary War and masked avenger flavor thrown in for good measure. If I can pull this one off--I have ten page outline for it--it would be somewhat more literary than any of my other books. I'll just have to see what happens.

Revisions away!

I've sent my revisions to Candlemark & Gleam.

I delivered II Crimsonstreak a couple days before deadline. Seriously, it always feels good to beat a deadline. The book is much stronger now. I'll still have some tweaking to do before its projected Fall 2013 release, but most of the heavy lifting is done.

I'm looking forward to another book launch!

Update on revisions

I'm going to the Indiana Horror Writers retreat this weekend. Tonight (Friday) is a socialization night, which means...well...pizza and debates about writing and such. I doubt I'll get much done tonight in terms of revisions. I'm currently about 33% of the way finished with revisions, not bad for one week of work. A couple of those nights were abbreviated (I say that to make me feel better about my progress).

Tomorrow afternoon will give me some time to kick back and get some revisions done. My cohorts have a couple events that I plan to skip out on in order to log some revision hours. I'm one of those people who doesn't work well with a lot of noise and extra activity in the background...which is exactly what happens during a writing retreat. Things will quiet down a bit tomorrow, giving me a chance to work on II Crimsonstreak. The retreat ends Sunday morning.

And how are revisions going? Well, I dreaded them at first. I didn't turn in a bad book, but I also didn't turn in a book that was nearly as good as it could be. Since the plot takes a lot of narrative turns--I took some major chances--I also have a lot of things that fell short of my goal. What that means is that I have a lot of developmental editing to do. It's going pretty well, to be honest. I sent a very detailed revision plan to my publisher...and I'm putting that plan into action. The prevailing theme is streamlining...streamlining characters, streamlining plot points, streamlining pretty much everything.

II Crimsonstreak is go!

I'm working on revisions for II Crimsonstreak right now. The book actually does exist.

Need proof?

Candlemark & Gleam made the announcement today.

Here's the quasi-official synopsis:

Three years after the climactic battle at the Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane, Chris Fairborne a.k.a. Crimsonstreak chases down escaped supervillains while working feverishly to reestablish world governments in the wake of collapse of the New World Common Wealth.

His father, Colonel Chaos, sits in front of a Heroic Legion tribunal to answer for crimes against humanity. His mother, Miss Lightspeed, doesn’t seem herself following her unlikely resurrection. To make matters worse, Crimsonstreak encounters a being of pure speed not even he can outrun.

Sounds like the perfect time for an alien invasion, an encounter with a group of snobbish space cops, and the mysterious return of a long-dead friend with an unbelievable secret.

War will strain friendships. A multiversal threat will test loyalties. And you will believe a man-bird can fly in II Crimsonstreak.

We're looking at a release date of fall 2013.