Asaric Lies (Asaric Tales Book One)
I had signed this off. Ready to go. And then I read yet another book about structure.
A minor detour to explain:
Last year on Goodreads, Joy (of Tales of Eneana ), fellow-blogger, cabin-mate at Camp NaNoWriMo in April, and one-time critique-reader, recommended Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. Although intended for screenwriters (the title kinda gives it away) it’s equally applicable to novels.
Or so I thought. But what works on screen doesn’t necessarily work with a novel.
Last month, in the lead-up to Christmas, I found another Save the Cat book. This one for novels: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody.
OMG. The best I’ve yet found—and I have read just about every book ever published on the subject. Brilliant. A must-have book for anyone planning to write a novel. Or anyone midway through writing. Or for those, like me, who have written a novel but, well, something’s askew and you just can’t find it.
I read Brody’s Save the Cat. I identified my problem. The bit that needed a fix? It wasn’t there. Alas, alack, it was lacking. But, no big problem, it was easily amended. So now I sigh in satisfaction, somewhat akin to a post-coital glow.
Asaric Axis (Asaric Tales Book Two)
They say no news is good news. Does that apply here? I hope so. The revised Asaric Axis (Asaric Tales Book Two) is still with the beta-reader, though rapidly advancing towards done (or she assures me). I await her feedback. I shall then decide whether to sign it off or apply The Cat to it. It will probably be the latter.
Asaric Skies (Asaric Tales Book Three)
This is also out with beta-readers—and, as ever, my many thanks to you wonderful volunteers. Some of these readers are swift in their response, others … well, it has been Christmas and New Year, loads of parties, and travelling, so I must forgive them.
I’m aware, from those who have sent in their comments and questionnaires, that I have plenty of fixing to do on this book too, though nothing major. At least, that’s how it stands so far. Just twiddling bits, a line here and there, an additional word, or two. But, I can’t do that until all comments are in. I am learning patience.
Asaric Sons (Asaric Tales Book Four)
At the last update I said, while waiting Book Three feedback I would focus on this penultimate book. And so I did. Checked details, checked continuity, double-checked science, replaced hastily deleted scenes, deleted extraneous words, changed imperfect to perfect wherever possible. Finished all that. I then made a start on the next stage: to check that every scene was needed, that each served a purpose, that it drove the plot on, etc.
Indeed, everything was chugging along. Monotonous but vital work. And then I found Jessica Brody and her wretched cat and set aside Book Four to work on Book One.
But now Book One is done, I can return to Four. Unless I’m detoured back to Two.
Book Cover Design
I mentioned in the previous update that Lauren (my critique partner) was working on the covers of this 5-part series. Well, they’re now complete and I so want to show them. I am totally knocked-over-backwards-pleased with them. I cannot express … But they must remain under wraps for a while longer yet.
BTW: Lauren is currently building up a design portfolio and is open to a range of projects. Want to know more? Contact Lauren at Under One Cloud where you’ll find samples of her work. Such as this sample (below)
Sample cover by Lauren Willmore
And finally, a rose by any other name …
The Spinner’s Game
When fellow blogger and photographer, Judy Lovell at Janthina Images and her sister Lynda Haviland (see also on facebook) got together to discuss my books, they expressed concern that the title I’d chosen for the series wasn’t strong enough. After all, what the chuff is an Asar? It’s not in the dictionary. Judy suggested several alternative titles (she’s one of my betas and has read others in the later series which were posted on crimsonprose. So she has a good feel for it. Her suggestion? As above. The Spinner’s Game. I love it! It’s a perfect fit.
The individual books in the Asaric Tales series have also received new names. But until I go for the big cover reveal I shall continue to refer to the books by their Asaric names, as given here in these posts. We don’t want to cause too much confusion, do we.
I’d like to take the opportunity here to thank Judy, Lauren and Lynda for their invaluable input and inspiration. A writer might be an island during drafts one to one thousand, but sooner or later, a writer can’t make it alone.
Next e-book update: Sunday 3rd February 2019.
crispina kemp 
Well that is a lot of information for me before I’ve had my coffee.. But sounds like you have your books all ready to be revealed and published and WOW!!
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Alas, not yet ready. I claw at the walls, it’s all so slow. But, as far as the plans and organisation’s concerned, yes. 🙂
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You’ve gone from “I only want to get it out there because I’m proud of it and I’d like people to read it,” to “I want to be so proud of it because it’s nigh unto perfect after all the thinking and work I’ve put into it, and, damn (oops, sorry: darn it) people, I will put it out there under your noses so you can read it.”
So, yeah, takes time. William Henry Ireland didn’t write “Vortigern and Rowena” in a day. And he SHOULD have read another book on writing a play.
As for those beta readers, just remember, Willie the Bastard was the beta reader for the Domesday Book. You’re getting off lucky.
Oh, and I liked “The Favorite.” Spoiler: it’s about Queen Anne. Not Queen Anne’s Lace, though no doubt some of that figures in. Not Queen Anne furniture, though she herself was sometimes mistaken for same. And not Queen Lizzie, though I think she’s now old enough to have been living back in those times. (I’m in a catty mood.)
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I miss it when I don’t get comments from you. You make me laugh in a different kind of way.
Yea, I have embraced it, so to speak.
No, I don’t go to bed cuddling Raesan, Gimmerin or Jiar (though if Jiar was to grace my bed I’d like more than a cuddle.)
And, yes, I’ve come out of my shell. Lo, photo displayed (twice) on my About page. Gosh! What’s happening here?
And funny, but I had guessed it was about Queen Anne. Though I had thought it the Queen Anne of our monstrosity of a town hall.
And oddly, or not, I’ve just finished a book that’s set between Good King Hal and Queen Busy-Lizzy. It even features her. But I’ve been spoiled by her portrayal in Black Adder, Can only think of her now as a dizzy teenager. Though that is her age in the book just finished. *Tombland* by C J Sansom. Set mostly in C16th Norwich (and he got some of his settings wrong) it’s a murder-mystery (featuring the Boleyn family) woven together with the bloody intricacies of Kett’s Rebellion. Enclosures and all that stuff. You’re easily able to guess why I bought it. It’s a good read. I’d recommend. But don’t try to follow him on his travels in Norwich. He goes up when he should be going down, and vice versa.
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While I’m tackling the preceding era for my War of the Roses and Shakespeare course that will start in February. Thanks to another blogger, EJ and I are watching the BBC’s recent “The Hollow Crown” series, just tacking Henry IV part 1 Friday night.
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So mu suggested book would fit quite well.
And I suppose for a while you’ll be composing your emails in iambic pentameters?
Or maybe not.
So, War of the Roses … which wasn’t called that until some time after Shakespeare had penned his plays. I’m not sure what it was called before that. Simply a civil war, I suppose. Do you know the answer? I do know that Norfolk and Suffolk were very much Yorkist supporters, at least at lordly level. Oh, the battles this eastern bulge of Britain has seen. Though mostly the action Yorks v Lancs was someplace in the middle, and down to south. If my memory (and geography) serves me. 🙂
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Don’t do iambic pentameter; I have only two feet.
The actual term “Wars of the Roses” only emerges in the early 19th c., though clearly Shakespeare helped pave the way for it. I don’t think it had any specific name before that, apart from purely descriptive ones.
In fact, that’s a good question: when did naming wars become a thing? It’s sort of like when did numbering monarchs become a thing, something we know must have happened at some date but people are vague about, probably because it developed gradually. One of the odd quirks in the system is that many European wars are known by different names here in the ex-colonies: e.g., the War of the Spanish Succession is Queen Anne’s War.
There IS a convention about battles: the winner gets to pick the name. Again, I don’t know when this began, but it’s a natural: often there was no one left front he losing side who mattered. Still, for years Custer’s defeat was known by the loser’s name, and only recently has become the Battle of the Greasy Grass, a designation still fought over, albeit with words, not guns.
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Didn’t know that: about Battle Naming. I know, time was the poets named the battle when composing praise poems for their mighty triumphant patron, I assume by rules of rhyme. Or the chronicler might pen the name, that name be affixed to the nearest stream, meadow or hamlet. But then the big battles came.
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I had no idea there was another Save the Cat book out there, more specifically for novels — what a great find! I’ll check that out. The original book is raved about (I think for good reason) but I agree with you, it is definitely more geared to movies than novels.
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The first book was brilliant. But this one … yea, bang on. Highly recommend. I was going to review it on Goodreads, but I’m so far behind; New Years Day before I brought my books up to date. But, yea, go for it.
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It’s on my wish list! But then, that list is very long, and I am determined to read at least some of the books on my TBR shelves before buying new ones this year.
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Yea, I was tempted into another book yesterday. Now everything else is put aside while I read this one. Tis the reason Goodreads often show me as reading several books all together, though usually it’s one fiction, one non-fiction
I wish you well with the read-list! 🙂
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I’m usually reading two or three books at a time, too. Right now I’m reading one fiction book (1889 humor), one nonfiction (on everyday life in Ancient Rome), and the latest issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine.
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Myself, currently reading third book in fantasy trilogy (Dragonblood) started before New Year, and Into Africa, a new look at the standard Out of Africa Theory. Human evolution is a long-standing interest, and I’m willing to entertain ‘fringe’ theories, providing its backed by hard science. This one is. And I’m finding it hard to put done.
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It’s been a while since I’ve read a nonfiction book that I had a hard time putting down, so that sounds like a great find for you!
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It works because it’s one of my interests. And it’s hard science backed. If it were laced with evident errors I would at once ditch it.
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