read with hunger, write with joy, live with passion
New Course Releases coming, and my schedule for the rest of the year.
Mugging the Muse: Second EditionHere’s my schedule. No dates, because I don’t know how long any of this will take until it’s done.
Move all students’ accounts into the new software and test the accounts — (about 60% done now).
Complete MUGGING THE MUSE: Second Edition, publish it on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print, and get the free worksheet downloads set up, and the invitation to existing and new MTM students to join the Boot Camp writing community. (About 90% done — should need beta testers next week)
Complete PROFESSIONAL PLOT OUTLINE: 2.0, publish it on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print, and get the free worksheet downloads set up, and the invitation to existing and new PPO students to join the Boot Camp writing community. (About 75% done)
Get all HTTS Lessons converted into Kindle, Nook, iTunes format, publish the course on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print, and get the free worksheet downloads set up, and the invitation to the new A La Carte HTTS students to join the Boot Camp writing community. (About 50% done).
Get all HTRYN Lessons converted into Kindle, Nook, iTunes format, publish the course on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and in print, and get the free worksheet downloads set up, and the invitation to the new A La Carte HTRYN students to join the Boot Camp writing community.(About 25% done)
Finish the final 15 or so lessons of the HTTS WALKTHROUGH while writing WARPAINT. (0% done.)
Finish the How to Write A Series Expansion while writing WARPAINT. (About 20% done)
Write CREATE A WORLD CLINIC (about 25% done)
Write fiction and hang out in my writing community, and have fun.
I like number 9! Everything you do for us writers is amazing and a wonderful gift which helps us realize our dreams, but I am very glad you are also taking time for yourself and your own writing!
Texanne
11 years ago
Saw your list. Holly, even the Good Lord rested after 6!
Selfishly, I’m really looking forward to a lot of the projects you’re working on. 🙂
1. I second that YAY! on the Create a World clinic. Been looking forward to that one for a long time. 🙂
2. Very curious what changes you’ve made to Mugging the Muse and Professional Plot Outline.
2. Question re: HTRYN and How to Write a series
Value-wise, content-wise, etc – what are the pros and cons of signing up for the existing HTRYN class, or waiting for the new ones? I’d been waiting til I had the money, now I almost do, and I’m undecided which way is better.
**A couple side notes that might be relevant**
– I strongly prefer ebook to audio and video.
– I’m wondering/worried how the a la carte method will work out price-wise compared to the class as a whole.
– I’m already a HTTS student, so if I understand correctly, I’m already in the Boot Camp to stay.
Steve Lewis
11 years ago
Yay! Holly’s doing the Create A World Clinic! Yay!
Yaaay indeed! With all that you do, Holly, I am still so much more exited about your Creating a World Clinic book. *grin* I remember I hounded you incessantly on it and finally caught on to the clue that I needed to stop doing so and accept that you’ll get it done when you’re able. And after seeing the list of “To-Do’s” my goodness! I’m so sorry for hounding you so much.
It’ll be great to see you hanging out on your writing community. I’ve missed your presence on the forum.
It’ll be great when you have more time for writing novels too! And having fun. Don’t forget that one 🙂
Good luck with wrapping up the courses. It’s good to see you making progress — in spite of the migraines.
Onward! (Now, where I have I heard that before? ;))
Aynslie Hanna
11 years ago
I’ve got to say that I really like the “have fun” part you mention at the end. You so deserve that!
Still have the migraines. I’ve now been tested by an Irlen diagnostician, and have a couple pairs of tinted glasses on the way which may help with at least some of the headaches. I understand hormonal fluctuations are outside their reach, but I’ve been having headaches and migraines all my life, (or since I was about nine or ten, anyway) and this should help THOSE headaches.
Are the lessons in e-pub format going to be DRM’d? I have a Sony e-reader, and I’d love to be able to buy versions I can load on it without having strip the DRM off.
I’m looking into publishing the lessons on Fictionwise as an additional shop now. If Fictionwise.com works out, I will not offer the lessons DRM-free, because I have an ongoing huge problem with piracy of my work and I want students to understand that my work IS protected, and sharing the lessons is a violation of my copyright, and DRM is the only way I can do that — but if I can, I will offer a Sony-compatible version.
I understand; and I want to respect your copyrights and all. DRM is just so easy to break that it’s nearly pointless, and it only takes one copy that’s been hacked for it to be shared infinitely. I’m not sure I understand the point of DRM – are the laws different in the US to state that if you don’t put DRM on your product, you forfeit your copyright?
As far as the laws go, no. Copyright is copyright. However, as far as individual actions and human responsibility for them go, I want the DRM there so my readers understand that I do not condone illicit sharing—that if they remove DRM and share my work they are committing a criminal act.
If the DRM is not there, it’s very easy to share a work with someone else and think “It’s no big deal.”
If the purchaser must first remove the protection put there by the author or publisher to share it, there is no way to pretend that this is just a polite misunderstanding: INTENT proves the person who has altered the file and passed it on to someone else has knowingly committed a criminal act.
Out of curiosity, what about situations where someone might want to remove the DRM, or change the format for reasons other than illegal file sharing? You’re ok with printing out the .pdfs, but the sony e-reader doesn’t handle .pdfs well – automatically, it displays one whole page at a time, with margins on top of the original margins, so that the print is completely illegible, unless it’s something that’s been formatted for that sized screen, and if you try to re-size the font, the reader takes 10 seconds or so to turn pages, will turn a few pages and then freeze up because it can’t handle the file. If I ran it through calibre, to convert it to an e-pub, it would be messy, but workable, and I’d personally see that as no different than printing out a paper copy for myself. Or if you ended up not having a sony compatible version of your courses, and I wanted to buy one, paid for it, and stripped the DRM so that I could use it on my sony, with no intent to illegally share the file, would that upset you?
I like number 9! Everything you do for us writers is amazing and a wonderful gift which helps us realize our dreams, but I am very glad you are also taking time for yourself and your own writing!
Saw your list. Holly, even the Good Lord rested after 6!
Selfishly, I’m really looking forward to a lot of the projects you’re working on. 🙂
1. I second that YAY! on the Create a World clinic. Been looking forward to that one for a long time. 🙂
2. Very curious what changes you’ve made to Mugging the Muse and Professional Plot Outline.
2. Question re: HTRYN and How to Write a series
Value-wise, content-wise, etc – what are the pros and cons of signing up for the existing HTRYN class, or waiting for the new ones? I’d been waiting til I had the money, now I almost do, and I’m undecided which way is better.
**A couple side notes that might be relevant**
– I strongly prefer ebook to audio and video.
– I’m wondering/worried how the a la carte method will work out price-wise compared to the class as a whole.
– I’m already a HTTS student, so if I understand correctly, I’m already in the Boot Camp to stay.
Yay! Holly’s doing the Create A World Clinic! Yay!
Yaaay indeed! With all that you do, Holly, I am still so much more exited about your Creating a World Clinic book. *grin* I remember I hounded you incessantly on it and finally caught on to the clue that I needed to stop doing so and accept that you’ll get it done when you’re able. And after seeing the list of “To-Do’s” my goodness! I’m so sorry for hounding you so much.
But I’m still excited about it… about it all.
It’ll be great to see you hanging out on your writing community. I’ve missed your presence on the forum.
It’ll be great when you have more time for writing novels too! And having fun. Don’t forget that one 🙂
Good luck with wrapping up the courses. It’s good to see you making progress — in spite of the migraines.
Onward! (Now, where I have I heard that before? ;))
I’ve got to say that I really like the “have fun” part you mention at the end. You so deserve that!
Thank you for updating us on the progress! Mugging the Muse second edition sounds interesting to say the least. 🙂
I hope you are feeling better. I hope you get to your goal as speedily as possible so you can do what you love.
Still have the migraines. I’ve now been tested by an Irlen diagnostician, and have a couple pairs of tinted glasses on the way which may help with at least some of the headaches. I understand hormonal fluctuations are outside their reach, but I’ve been having headaches and migraines all my life, (or since I was about nine or ten, anyway) and this should help THOSE headaches.
Are the lessons in e-pub format going to be DRM’d? I have a Sony e-reader, and I’d love to be able to buy versions I can load on it without having strip the DRM off.
I’m looking into publishing the lessons on Fictionwise as an additional shop now. If Fictionwise.com works out, I will not offer the lessons DRM-free, because I have an ongoing huge problem with piracy of my work and I want students to understand that my work IS protected, and sharing the lessons is a violation of my copyright, and DRM is the only way I can do that — but if I can, I will offer a Sony-compatible version.
I understand; and I want to respect your copyrights and all. DRM is just so easy to break that it’s nearly pointless, and it only takes one copy that’s been hacked for it to be shared infinitely. I’m not sure I understand the point of DRM – are the laws different in the US to state that if you don’t put DRM on your product, you forfeit your copyright?
As far as the laws go, no. Copyright is copyright. However, as far as individual actions and human responsibility for them go, I want the DRM there so my readers understand that I do not condone illicit sharing—that if they remove DRM and share my work they are committing a criminal act.
If the DRM is not there, it’s very easy to share a work with someone else and think “It’s no big deal.”
If the purchaser must first remove the protection put there by the author or publisher to share it, there is no way to pretend that this is just a polite misunderstanding: INTENT proves the person who has altered the file and passed it on to someone else has knowingly committed a criminal act.
Out of curiosity, what about situations where someone might want to remove the DRM, or change the format for reasons other than illegal file sharing? You’re ok with printing out the .pdfs, but the sony e-reader doesn’t handle .pdfs well – automatically, it displays one whole page at a time, with margins on top of the original margins, so that the print is completely illegible, unless it’s something that’s been formatted for that sized screen, and if you try to re-size the font, the reader takes 10 seconds or so to turn pages, will turn a few pages and then freeze up because it can’t handle the file. If I ran it through calibre, to convert it to an e-pub, it would be messy, but workable, and I’d personally see that as no different than printing out a paper copy for myself. Or if you ended up not having a sony compatible version of your courses, and I wanted to buy one, paid for it, and stripped the DRM so that I could use it on my sony, with no intent to illegally share the file, would that upset you?