If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. There are numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my updates, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light, The Point of Woes, or The Tower of Dread if you’ve read those stories. Reviews are quick to create! They offer potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. They also help get the word out about the stories and the author. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here. You can also check my work out at BookBub by clicking here.
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 Omphalotus olearius or what is commonly known as the jack-o’-lantern mushroom. While it is an incredibly beautiful mushroom, ingesting it would not be wise as they are poisonous. I spotted these in west-central Missouri in early October. The bright orange color lured me in for a closer look! Highlights for October:
The next month will involve more fine-tuned outlining for the chapters I will finish in November. My outlining process consists of a wide-view version for an entire novel or story. I then narrow down my focus for each chapter, which usually includes a more-detailed half or full-page outline for each chapter. Exciting News: The novella The Tower of Dread is available! Click here to get your copy! Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress. If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. I have numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my updates, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light, The Point of Woes, or The Tower of Dread if you’ve read those stories. Reviews are quick to create! They offer potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. They also help get the word out about the stories and the author. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here. You can also check my work out at BookBub by clicking here. Hi all,
I wanted to offer you a few highlights for September. What a beautiful month it has been so far!
Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress. If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. I have numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my updates, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light or The Point of Woes, if you’ve read those stories. Reviews are quick to create! They offer potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. They also help get the word out about the stories and the author. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here.  Late July and August produced a wealth of mushrooms in western Missouri. August’s update offers several highlights!
I used to write a few pages and then try to edit those pages to perfection. I finally realized through the NANOWRIMO process that I needed to just get the story down first, then focus on editing later. The craft/art of writing is like any skill—evaluation of yourself and the skill is constant and necessary to get better. Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress. In case you didn’t know, I also have resources for authors which may be helpful to you. If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. I have numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my updates, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light or The Point of Woes, if you’ve read those stories. A review is quick to create! They offer potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. They also help get the word out about the stories and author. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here.  View from our trip to Washington D.C. nearly one year ago. July’s update has exciting news all around!
While The Blighter’s Shadow (book two of The Rune Cycle) remained on hold throughout June and early July, I am finishing up work on my new novella: The Tower of Dread. It is a prequel to The Alterator’s Light, and I can’t wait for you to see the finished product. The novella is in the final stages. Meanwhile, I have resumed work on Book 2. It is approximately half-completed at this point. If you would like to be on the Advanced Reading Team for The Tower of Dread, please reach out by July 30. Sending an email with your interest is the best option. The novella is under 60 pages, and I’ll give you details on the expectations for being on the team. Plus, you get a copy of the novella for free! The audiobook for The Alterator’s Light is in the production stage. Seven chapters have been recorded and are in the editing stage. I am hoping for a fall release in time for the book’s first anniversary of publication. Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress. In case you didn’t know, I have resources for authors that may be helpful to you. I just added a new resource today that I think will be helpful for world building! If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my newsletters, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light or The Point of Woes, if you’ve read those stories. A review is quick and offers potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. It also helps get the word out about the stories. Thanks, in advance! For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here.  Rather than a newsletter for June, I opted for a brief update on this Flag Day.
A few thoughts on writing progress in April: Work on The Blighter’s Shadow (book two of The Rune Cycle) was on hold throughout May. I spent the month finishing first two drafts of a new novella. It is a prequel to The Alterator’s Light, and I can’t wait for you to see the finished product this coming summer. While the novella is being finalized, I will be able to resume work on Book 2. The audiobook for The Alterator’s Light remains in the production stage. Three chapters have been read; a release date is unknown at this time. COVID-19, as we all know, has caused delays in many projects around the world. If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my newsletters, you can visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light of The Point of Woes. Creating a review is quick and offers potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here.  -Spring is here!- I hope this newsletter finds you well. COVID-19 has remained the predominant factor in most people’s lives, not just in the US, but around the world. Despite the weeks-long stay-at-home orders, we have continued witnessing kindness, cooperation, and compassion since the beginning of the crisis. As Fred Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.”
The last month has helped me to examine my own life a bit more closely. For example, I closely follow one of the ancient tenets of Socrates: the unexamined life is not worth living. Even with everything going on, examination can be done through numerous methods: meditation, exercising, reading, writing, working on a hobby, and enjoying time with one’s family. A few thoughts on writing progress in April: Work on The Blighter’s Shadow (book two of The Rune Cycle) continued, but not at the pace I had hoped to reach for several reasons. I am approximately half-finished with the first full draft and have completed several drafts of the initial chapters. Delays to this project occurred for personal reasons that consumed a great deal of time, but it was time that was well-spent and necessary. The book’s cover art remains in the draft stage, and the illustrator, Jessica Sommerkamp, continues work on the interior art: additional chapter symbols and a map (or three) of the towns and cities. As for my sci-fi book, Adalaj, you may have seen a portion of the initial chapter on my website. Click here to check out the sample. The whole book will not be placed online as I work on it, but this piece will give you a change to get an idea of the story. The audiobook for The Alterator’s Light is in the production stage. It’ll be a few months before the whole project is complete, but I am glad to share a sample with you. Click here to access the sample. Enjoy! Finally, I spent a great portion of the month on a short story/novella related to The Rune Cycle. I have that over halfway completed. It will offer a glimpse of some characters from The Alterator’s Light two years prior to the novel’s timeline. This story focuses on Einar, Ellia, and Kylia on a journey of their own. The reader question for this month: What is the most difficult part, in your opinion, regarding the book publishing process? This question is tough, as it depends on how a book is published. Traditional publishing has its own set of complications, while independent publishing is its own beast, so to speak. For The Alterator’s Light, I chose to independently (indie) publish simply because I have great deal more control over my work. With more control, though, comes more work. Basically, I find the artwork for the cover and interior artwork. I also control the final product in terms of editing, beta reading, formatting, marketing, and advertising. While it is not always the case, a traditionally-published author will submit the text of their work through an agent or directly to a publisher. The publisher has a great deal of control over the cover art, book title, and marketing. Also, sadly, there is also never any guarantee of a book being traditionally-published; I imagine we’ve all heard the stories of authors getting hundreds of rejection letters before finally finding a publishing company that accepts their work. A critical feature of an indie book is to ensure it looks as close to a traditionally-published book as possible. While the old phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” seems true, it is far from accurate. If you don’t agree, then think about the last time you looked at a book cover and decided against reading the book simply because of its title or the artwork itself. So, from the consideration of the indie publishing method, I think advertising is the most difficult part. As a new author, I am solely responsible for getting my name and work out there. (Fortunately, I do get a great deal of help from readers who post reviews and share information via social media platforms.) I also have to keep up on publishing trends within the field of fantasy and science fiction so I can ensure I know what is working well, how to adjust my own advertising, and research additional methods in order to reach a wider audience. Advertising and marketing also take time away from the actual writing portion, which can seem time-consuming. Nevertheless, I enjoy the entire processing of publishing. Writing the stories is only a part of the whole picture! Next month’s questions: Is it hard to switch back and forth between genres or projects? Does it affect your concentration? If you have questions for future newsletters, please be sure to shoot them my way at dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my newsletters, you can visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light or The Point of Woes. Creating a review is quick and offers potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here.  - Bluebells in west central Missouri - March 2020 was a month that none of us will forget. COVID-19 became the predominant factor in most people’s lives. Despite the horrific nature of the virus, I’ve encountered enhanced kindness, cooperation, and compassion that is often present when a crisis strikes. Positivity has been a moving force in many nations throughout the world. Overall, humanity is working together for the first time in many years. One larger example of encouragement is Patrick’s Stewart’s daily reading of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Another local example is that of my nearby towns and communities banding together to help us all through this crisis. With that in mind, I had not been particularly well-prepared for the effects of the crisis, neither at home, nor at my other professions. The mental stress has caused me to examine my own life a bit more closely. Nevertheless, my mental reevaluation is prompting me to look upon April as a month to push through several writing projects. I’ve even seen some authors already speak about how this pandemic is forcing them to reevaluate their own works-in-progress due to the pandemic’s long-lasting effect upon humanity. A few thoughts on progress in March: Work on The Blighter’s Shadow (book two of The Rune Cycle trilogy) continues, and the book’s cover art is in draft stage. The illustrator, Jessica Sommerkamp, is working on the interior art: additional chapter symbols and a map (or three) of the towns and cities. I’ve always enjoyed seeing more detail about cities I read. While I can easily seek out maps for real cities, fantasy and sci-fi cities can benefit from not only an aerial view, but street-level views. I know I rarely visit a new city or town without viewing the area online to get an idea of what is offered there. As for my sci-fi book, Adalaj, look for the initial chapter on my website in the next few weeks. The whole book will not be placed on the site, but a sample will be offered. Finally, I started work on a short story which offers a glimpse of some characters from The Alterator’s Light two years prior to the novel’s timeline. The story will allow a wider view for readers interested in seeing additional character development. The reader question for this month: Why am I writing The Rune Cycle? Stay tuned for this answer, as it will exceed the length of what this newsletter normally offers. Next month’s question: What is the most difficult part, in your opinion, regarding the book publishing process? If you have questions for future newsletters, please be sure to shoot them my way at dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my newsletters, you can visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light. Creating a review is quick and offers potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here. For more information about blue bells click here. To see Mr. Stewart's daily sonnet readings, click here.  - Clearfork Creek after a heavy rain; another clear sign that spring is here -  Sante Fe National Forest - some greenery to help our entry into spring Thank you for joining me again this month!
February’s productivity came in multiple ways: I made progress toward the audiobook for The Alterator’s Light. I don’t want to spoil too much at this point, but I’ve hired a local performing artist from Kansas City who will do a fine job reading the book. The timeframe for the audiobook’s completion is not set, but I envision the audiobook version becoming available by the end of the year. The Blighter’s Shadow (book two of The Rune Cycle trilogy) is moving along, and the book’s cover art is continuing. I also met with the cover artist as I move into the second half of the book. She will work on the interior art, too, which will include additional chapter symbols and a map (or three) of the towns and cities described in the Rune Cycle. A visual representation of locations will supplement the textual descriptions. My sci-fi book, Adalaj, has been on hold, but in March, I’ll be putting the initial chapter on my website for your preview. The reader question for this month: Out of your own writing, who is your favorite character? Simply put, I don’t have a favorite character. In some respects, all of the characters are creations of mine, so choosing one character would be like saying I have a favorite child. 😊 I do always enjoy writing about a given character while I am focused on a particular person or a group. It is fun to put myself in the mind of a current character, albeit for a short time, to help myself flesh out their motives, desires, and personality. I try to view each character from the reader’s perspective, so that I can help the character become more lifelike. Even the “bad guys” and evil characters require me to take on their mindset while I am writing and editing their chapters. Obviously, that can be difficult, but I feel that it is necessary. Basically, I try to envision why someone would behave the way they do. There is the idea that no one really thinks they are doing the wrong thing, even when the vast majority of the population would be appalled by their actions, such as murder or torture. I try to think of why a character would perform an appalling act. How have they convinced themselves that murder or torture is acceptable, at least to themselves? And how can they continue to live with themselves knowing that the majority of the world will hunt them down and/or imprison them for the act? That rationale has been made a bit easier by my study of philosophy, ethics, history, and current events bolstered by a focus on human behavior and science. Next month’s question: Why I am writing The Rune Cycle? The answer to that will become a mini-essay, so stay tuned. If you have questions for future posts or newsletters, please be sure to shoot them my way at dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my newsletters, you can visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light. Creating a review is quick and offers potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. For Amazon, please click here. For Goodreads, please click here. Welcome back for a brief update! We are over halfway through winter, and based on our friendly groundhog’s prognostications, spring is almost here. I do enjoy the brisk winter days and shorter nights, yet I also look forward to enjoying warmer days without three layers. 😊
January’s productivity came in multiple ways: I made progress toward the audiobook for The Alterator’s Light. The word count for The Blighter’s Shadow moved to around 100,000 words. Keep in mind that word count is for the first draft. Cover art for The Blighter’s Shadow is coming along quite well, which is exciting as I move into the second half of the book. I was also invited to speak with a local book club about The Alterator’s Light. We chatted about the book over dinner, and I enjoyed hearing feedback as well as answering their questions. My sci-fi book, Adalaj, was on hold throughout January. I’ve been thinking about how best proceed with that project—self-publishing or traditionally publishing. Soon, though, I’ll be putting a few of the initial chapters on my website. The reader question for this month: Where do you get your ideas, specifically concerning the worldbuilding component? This question is tough to answer in a brief synopsis. I’ve formally studied history, philosophy, and geography, coupled with a wide variety of science-related information. Studying history and philosophy certainly assisted the worldbuilding in each of my novels, at least from the perspective of creating realistic societies. Science and geography have helped me understand how to create a realistic world into which the reader can become immersed. Additionally, I’ve studied other successful authors who are well-recognized at worldbuilding. Resonance is a key point for any novel to gain an audience’s interest. One hint for those attempting to build a world from the ground up: don’t dive too deep into the details. By getting bogged down into minutia, you’ll find you have an awesome world with little written for the actual story. The world will flesh itself out as you write. Next month’s question: Out of your own writing, who is your favorite character? If you have questions for future updates, please be sure to shoot them my way at dan@danbrigman.com. You can also find me on Twitter at @brigmanauthor and on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com. Thanks again for your support! |
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