IWSG – Space Lunch

Although I knew March’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group post was approaching, I’ve continued to have eye problems, which have made it hard to write or even clear my emails. So, I’ve delayed the next episode of my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights.

Slava Ukraini

Heroiam slava!

Since my January IWSG post, I’ve been posting Fevered Fuse, the first of my Snowdon Shadows novels featuring Sparkle Anwyl, in serial form. Links to each post can be found via my updated Snowdon Shadows page on the left-hand sidebar. However, I’m postponing the next chapter for the same health reasons and, vainly, hoping for more feedback on my recent post, Serialise or Submit? My Recurring Dilemma.

However, I realise, after reading this invaluable post, that I’ve become appalling at visiting other writers’ sites. So, why should they visit me? Health could be a reason for my non-involvement, but there are others as well. I seem to have too little time and too many commitments… or is checking up on news from Ukraine and now Iran a distraction?      

Before I answer this month’s question, some of you may be wondering about the strange post title, Space Lunch. In fact, the file is called ‘Space Launch’. Alongside my eye strain, I also have a keyboard that’s misbehaving, typing too many letters or missing them. I try using dictation software, but it also makes ‘misssteaks’ I must correct.

Yet Space Lunch sounds intriguing.

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Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional!

March 4 question – What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?

Cover design by Jonathan Temples. Cover photo by Nick Perry.
https://rolandclarke.com/spiral-of-hooves/

Until I have another ready for release, my only published novel, Spiral of Hooves, remains my only launch. Initially, with the Kindle release on Monday, December 9th, 2013, by Spectacle Publishing, I concentrated on contributing posts to the website of other Spectacle authors whose books were released at the same. We also reciprocated by posting on each other’s sites.

Released on Monday, August 7th, 2017, the second edition was a chance to try a different approach with an online release day gathering involving author friends, one of whom, a published mystery writer, provided an endorsement for the back cover. I encouraged the other writers to talk about their writing and books. There were also competitions with prizes, including autographed copies of the novel.

Whenever I get to launch another novel, I’ll probably repeat the online book launch gathering, but I’ve seen more authors doing extensive book tours, including visits to other writers’ blogs for interviews or to post there.

I would advise fellow writers to look to more successful published writers than me, for instance, Jacqui Murray, author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature. Her latest book in the saga, Balance of Nature, has just been released. In 2019, I joined her tour for Book 2 in the Crossroads trilogy, the second part of her engrossing saga.

So, Space Lunch is still intriguing. Any thoughts on what it is or where it’s being held or performed? Answers on a postcard or in the comments, please.

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The awesome co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Natalie Aguirre!

Finally, don’t forget to visit other writers via the IWSG site for their invaluable insights on writing:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!


Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

What is my coolest research?

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

I’m attempting to ignore the heart-wrenching stuff going on – a family crisis on top of the medical problems that meant I was late posting last month’s post for Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. No real excuse then for evading this post although I’m so depressed I can’t escape to my writing worlds, just into a game world where I can fight spiders and hyenas rather than injustice.

Okay, so what is this month’s optional question?

May 3 Question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?

That got me thinking about all the different bits of research that I had done for my various books from my debut to novels at the first draft stage. My debut was set against the equestrian world that I worked in as a journalist so there were some minor extra questions that I had to ask or facts to check – but I had to research diabetes and sportspeople, plus PTSD. For other books, there have been how online games are produced, shamanism, Romany customs, and policing in a bilingual country. But weird or cool?

 

tech20141125-full

Artist’s concept for a high-altitude, long-duration airship that could be used as a research platform or for commercial purposes. Image credit: Mike Hughes (Eagre Interactive)/Keck Institute for Space Studies

 

Coolest must be researching the latest developments in airships for Eagle’s Passage, my alternative history set in 2020. Here and there are so many great things happening from Air Cushion Landing systems to NASA’s challenge to produce a high-altitude airship. A high-tech airship called Draken Njal Migisi is the main craft in my novel and I got the chance to project many of today’s design ideas, including one for SOLAR-JETS – engines powered by solar kerosene, which I also use in my post-apocalyptic novel Storms Compass. I still use solar cells as a key component.

And for anyone wondering about my airship’s name, the first word is Norwegian for Dragon – as some longships were called – and for Njal Migisi visit my C is for Cristóbal Colón post in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Mind you, researching the History of Kanata has been cool – and at times weird.

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The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Please visit others in the group and connect with my fellow writers.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

And be sure to check out our Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13/

Our revved up IWSG Day question may prompt us to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. If so, we include our answer to the question in our IWSG post or let it inspire our post if we are struggling with something to say.

The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!