Writers are easily distracted, just like YOU. (ME)

I have a backlog of blogs I have set aside to share with you on days I am really needing to unplug; oddly this is not one of them. That’s because the next blog on the pile is titled “The Books I’m Not Good Enough to Write Yet.” and that is sort of epically depressing. I don’t want to share that, I don’t even want to know that, I want to stuff my fingers in my ears and tune it out LALALALALALAA of course then I’d have no fingers to tweet with so it wouldn’t be worth it.

What was I saying again?

Oh yeah, writers are easily distracted. I’d say, on the scale of distract-ability, 1 being always, adult onset ADHA like my husband distracted, and 10 being me. I can write in my notebook with one hand, while the TV is blaring, with one ear bud in playing Fall Out Boy,and dinner in the oven, all while tweeting with my other hand—no sweat. This is Angela Write Now’s natural habitat. Anxiety inducing for most, I find comfort in the familiarly of the stress. I am great under pressure, I am always under pressure, but I always preformed until this week, and I knew it was coming.

In a world where all I had to do was write, and even edit I’d never crash, I’d never burn. In real life, I made the decision to publish my books on my own (and with a few of my bestest friends) and that requires a different kind of work than I am used too, and it’s harder on me than I thought it would be. I haven’t really be all forthcoming about everything that is going on behind the scenes, that’s just me. I like it to appear effortless.

When I changed my careers game plan, I thought at first I’d try it and see how it went. It was a bit of a contest really, but the more I learned, the more I saw, the quicker I realized that wasn’t at all how it worked. So then I came up with a new plan. This plan involved putting out six books, including Pigments of My Imagination in 2011.

NOW BEFORE YOU GET ALL BENT OUT OF SHAPE I should admit that, all  but one of them is written, and all of the ones that have been have had most of their editing/revision done. So breathe. No fainting or obscenities. I work quick, I’ve written over thirty books.

The reason I chose Pigments of My Imagination for my first release was because I had long ago come up with the idea and had no plans of a sequel. Zilch, but as of this last edit I can say the possibility is now there UGH—still unlikely. The other reason I chose it, was because it was a good midway point for my writing. I think I have two modes, me, and Angela Kulig darkside. She’s a bitch but relatively harmless. She just writes books like Skeleton Lake. More on that later.

OK, what even was the original reason behind this blog? Even I don’t know anymore.

Oh yeah. I need to be completely distraction free Friday- all day, and maybe even the rest of the weekend. I am the chick who tweeted her way through the 3 Day Novel Contest and laughed about it afterwards. So not being on Twitter is going to KILL ME.You will still see me, because I will  have some auto things and maybe some things sent from my phone. I will still be checking email and coordinating with my editor Allison Ridley but that is it. Please don’t be offended if I don’t reply to your @’s till Monday.

Speaking of MONDAY that happens to be the day I post chapter 2 of Pigments of My Imagination.

Also Monday is the return of #writingatgunpoint

Congratulations! If you are reading this; you are not a bottom dweller.

I wish that I could assure you that just by reading my blog, you will instantly become a better writer; that you will be the next Amanda Hocking or that agents will get back to you right away. I just can’t. I can’t even make those things happen for myself at the snap of my fingers, but there is something I can promise you, and it’s this: If you have made your way here, then it is likely you seek out other writers. That is good news because it means you are less likely to publish an ebook with the worlds worst cover (friends don’t let friends use clipart!) that you are less likely to write the wrong sort of query letter (YOU SHOULD TOTES REPRESENT MY EPIC MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY THRILLER SUSPENSE SOFT ERROTICA ALMOST ENTIRELY COMPLETED AT 250,000,000 WORDS. I AM AWESOME AND HAVE A DOZEN UNNESSISARY SEQUELS PLANNED) basically you are far less likely to make preventable mistakes.

Today I had some ones ebook land in my lap. I wont tell you by which means the birdie ended up there, but I will tell you this. It was that bad. The kind of book that SOME people think the indie and self service types are all writing, and I had to wonder; how did this happen? Will it happen to me? Will it happen to you? Not likely. I can’t promise we are all on our way to instant best seller status, but you would be hard pressed to make all of these errors.

1) Error One Book Cover: This particular number had a completely unrelated stock photo (landscape) it did not even fit across the whole virtual cover, and it was BORING. Some people will fight me tooth and nail on this, but if you want to sell your book to more than just your friends and a hand full of other writers it needs to be in a pretty, or at least intriguing package. I don’t care how rich and creamy the center is. Keep preaching that people should be able to see how awesome your book is through the crap, I’m done listening because no matter how well you did, you would have done better.

2) Too much dialogue. Sometimes people should have just written a script. The book I read today made me need to double check I hadn’t stumbled into reading bad fanfiction by an 8th grader from another country. Dialogue is a great way to break up action, or so I have been told. No where do people discuss those who just write conversation pieces.

3) Failure to hook the reader from the beginning. The first sentence of this book contained a lot of words, and they were all written in English yet somehow they didn’t seem to go together in anyway that made sense. It was run on, it confused me. Give me crap, and I go looking for crap. Give me magic, and I look for magic. I wont tell you which side of that you should be on, but I read the thing six times and it made less sense each go.

So now the lesson: Today make friends with writers! And remember: Friends don’t let friends use clipart!

Blogger Fail= YOU WIN!

I have made a decision to just give everyone who commented on the first chapter of PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION an awesome bookmark. That being said, I know there are still some comments missing, so even if you don’t see yours there you still won. Honor system!

To claim your prize, please send me an address where you would like your bookmarks mailed. Please allow a little longer for international deliveries, post offices hate my soul and you actually have to go for there for that. Send your info to angelajkulig at gmail dot com

Comment here so I know to look for you!

I Can Has BLOG awards now!

I am what some bloggers would call a “Spill my guts” blogger.

I’m Angela, and I am addicted to telling you the complete truth as it randomly slides into my brainwaves. I’m OK with that. Oh darn I just dropped a Ritz sandwich on my keyboard.

Anyway, I do the blog for me. I know I should be doing it to promote my books—or some other far worthier cause but I do it because I like it. So I was a bit shocked to find out other bloggers wanted to give me shiny things for it it~~

Melanie McCullough who can be found here: http://melaniemccullough.blogspot.com Gave me the VV Award, and Kayleen Hamblin who can be found here: http://kayeleenscreations.blogspot.com/ gave me the SB award THANK YOU THANK YOU the pretties and the rules do follow:

Here are the rules of this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself on your blog.
3. Pass the award along to five buddies whose blogs epitomize said theme.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Here is who I have picked to receive this next: (I will be contacting you soon!)
1. VB Tremper http://vbtremper.wordpress.com/
2. Billie Jo Woods http://usaukwoods.wordpress.com/
3. Rhiannon http://rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com/
4. Ash http://typingtiara.blogspot.com/
5. Jen http://musingsfromthepeanutgallery.blogspot.com/

This award comes with a few rules:
1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Here is who I am passing this on too:
1.  FARFETCHED http://farmanor.blogspot.com/
2. SM REINE http://www.smreine.com/
3. Patrician Lynne http://patricialynnestreasures.blogspot.com/
4. JEFRITZ http://jefritz.blogspot.com/
5. Jamie McHenry http://jamiemchenry.blogspot.com/ 

If you will notice, they have the same rules, you will also notice they both require seven random facts about myself. Well, you are in luck! I could think up random facts about myself every day for the rest of my life, so I decided I’d do 14! If none of these make you laugh or think, then you are DEAD to me.

Fact 14: All facts about me are completely random.

Fact 13: I make giant poster board progress charts for my WIP’s because I like it always looming over my head, and not because I like the smell of permanent marker. I swear.

Fact 12: I have 147…148 books in my house I have not read yet. NOT including reference books, which I rarely read anyway.

Fact 11: I have considered starting virtual witch hunts for people who slam anyone who does not traditionally publish. Yes, we would all love to be JK Rowling, but if you are screaming at the non legacy authors from a mountain at the top of your lungs you, on some level, feel threatened. If they were so inconsequential that they don’t even register as a BLIP on your radar then you wouldn't be talking about them at all.

Fact 10: I will read the blogs of authors who are more successful than I could ever dream of being, to motivate myself when I have all but given up.

Fact 9: Since I discovered Amanda Hocking’s blog I pretty much stalk it. Not in a creepy stalker fangirl kind of way, but she intrigues a different part of me than most writers do. I will preface this by saying most of my friends are writers, but most of them do not listen to the same kind of music I do and she does. SO I find myself wishing she weren’t the most famous writer on the interwebs so that I could drop her a line. Though I would still probably be way to shy to do it.

Fact 8: I am the most social, antisocial person you will ever meet. I am a Libra and that makes me occasionally want to be the center of attention which I do on an occasional whim, crave, but I don’t want to be everyone's best friend. I don’t want or need to have something to do every weekend (unless you count writing) I’d rather just sit around with ink all over myself and read.

Fact 7: Somehow I have Word in Spanish which sucks because my Spanish is worse than my English, and French.

Fact 6: I am half Hispanic, don’t be confused by earlier post, or my whiteness.

Fact 5: I walked away from an internet fight I want to start last week, and I have regretted it ever since. Someone, said last week that 99 cent ebooks were RUINING American Literature. She said it to a blog full of literary types, and was bigger and badder than sad little Angela with her <70 be them AWESOME blog followers so I just let it be BUT I AM GOING TO TELL YOU! You know what is ruining American Literature? The fact that it’s UNCOOL and UNACCESSABLE to people who would be a fantastic market for it! Here is a news flash for the people who think they are only worth something with an outrageous dollar amount attached to their name. People can’t afford food and a roof over their heads, if you think they can afford to drop $25 on your hardback book you are BLIND and an asshole retracted.

Fact 4: I could talk about that last subject all day, one day there will be a blog post about it here.

Fact 3: I tend to write in SUPER run-on sentences when I am upset or excited about something.

Fact 2: I listen to Arcade Fire so the hipsters wont beat me up. I listen to PANIC! At the Disco because they are my favorite band.

Fact 1: I am deathly afraid of failure, but I strive for it anyway. It keeps me going with out getting my hopes up.

VOTE ON MY NEW ICON TO WIN!

While we are waiting for blogger to put back everything that is missing—and thus conclude our last contest I have a new one! I wanted to post and awesome give away for Friday the 13th but as Blogger was down most of the day, that was a no go. Here is me making up for it.

I need your help! Help me pick my new Twitter Icon and Win! I took updated photos of me with my atomic turquoise hair, which one do you think is best?

Comment on which one you think I should pick, and 3 lucky winners will Receive PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION bookmarks, and everyone who picks will be entered to win the PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION grand prize.

I will throw something extra in, if you win a book mark AND manage to guess my age! Here is a hint, legal and less than 30. ;) If you know me in real life you don’t get to blurt it out either ;)

A.

B.

C.

Yes, I am a strange one. Thanks for playing!

So, what about that grand prize?

Remember how I said if you won a prize in my other contest (and even more contests TBA) you were entered to win THE GRAND PRIZE?

Well here it is:

I should really take a picture of me sporting mine. ‘Cuz it’s AWESOME! Now some back story. There are only 3 of the bad little birdies in existence. One for me, one for my number one, and the third one THE GRAND PRIZE. They are hand crafted by Patricia Lynne at www.pltreasures.com AND best of all, on just like it makes an appearance in PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION.

If you missed out, yesterday I posted a wave of new contests and they are just the beginning! You can catch them on the post below, as well as the first chapter of PIGMENTS.

PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION *SNEEK PEEK* Chapter One

It’s Monday! Usually, like the rest of the world, I loathe them. Not today!

I have been waiting so long to be able to share Chapter One with you.

PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION is a YA Urban Fantasy Romance, and will be available by the end of the month

Contest: Comment and win! 3 random comments on this post will receive an awesome PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION bookmark. Those three winners will also be entered to win the grand prize! What is the grand prize you ask? Well, I am going to tell you on Wednesday. It’s awesome, take my word for it.

In addition to commenting to win, you can tweet and win! Make sure you @angelakulig but if you tweet my blog link you will be entered to win a PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION POSTER! Also, I hate to have to say this but you do need to be a blog follower to win.

All entries for this give away must be in by Friday the 13th at 12:01am Que the Twilight Zone music

 

PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION

Chapter One

Lucia

It was hard for Lucia to see around the boy that stood before the easel, but she swore the birds on his canvas just moved. Large white birds with feathers so detailed she was convinced if she stroked them they would be softer than in real life. From her position in the doorway the feathers shone in the classroom lights like they were the summer sun.

They were swans, she realized as she bent her neck to get a better look.

This boy, she thought, must not be a student. He hardly looked older than her, but he painted with all the skill of a master. No ordinary boy could paint a pool of blue that would really ripple below flawless webbed feet.

She might have stood there forever, her mind going numb from the sheer impossibility of it--eyes wide, watching the taut muscles of his back. He moved his arm quick and precise, making one stroke after another, his light brown curls falling to the base of his neck, shaking with the effort of his work. She needed him to turn around; she needed to see his face. She needed to know if he was real.

He couldn’t be.

She opened her mouth to speak to him just as one of the swans gave a loud squawk. Lucia gasped as it pulled itself effortlessly into the starry sky of the painting.

At first, she was convinced she had caused the boy to ruin his masterpiece, but that was not the case. With odd control, and a loud sigh, he raised his arm and sliced a large Midnight blue line across the whole of the canvas, stilling the birds in one stroke.

"It's not nice to stare," he said without turning around.

His voice sounded cold, but it was pleasant, and it hinted at how nice it would sound if he weren’t furious.

In Lucia's mind a nice apology was forming, but those were not the words her mouth wanted to say.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

The blue diagonal line that had ended the dance of the swans dripped from the weight of the thick paint. He did not answer.

"I thought," he finally said, "that this was an advanced art school. Clearly, you should be familiar with how one paints."

He was antagonizing her, and it made self-doubt creep up through the floor and back into her heart. Of course she knew how to paint, and as far as she was concerned what he had been doing was impossible. She huffed. A burst of hot hair shot out from her chapped lips, and she swore the boy chuckled before turning around.

He stared at her with his light blue eyes just like the reflective bits on the pond he had just painted. She couldn't look away. She never wanted to.

"No." Lucia breathed. "how did you make them move?"

This time the boy didn't bother to conceal his laughter, which was every bit as icy as his voice. Whatever the joke was, Lucia knew she wasn't in on it.

"I know what I saw," she muttered.

The boy frowned. His watery eyes searched hers for something. For what? She had no idea, but she felt the desire to back slowly out of the doorway. Instinctively she braced herself there instead. Her hands reached out to grasp the cold industrial metal frame.

"I know," she repeated, "what I saw."

And this time, she said it for him.

The boy's smile returned, but his lingering gaze didn't feel any warmer. He laughed again, and slung a paint splattered messenger bag over one shoulder.

"Look, kid;" he said, "I'm good, but that is impossible."

He strolled to the doorway where Lucia still stood. Suddenly he was so close she could smell what she assumed was his soap. It mingled with the smell of oil paint and was oddly comforting.

Cocking his head to the side, the boy said nothing as Lucia stood there obscuring the only exit.

Finally, he asked, "Am I being held hostage? Or are you planning on letting me go anytime soon?"

Lucia felt her face flush as a bell clanged loudly behind her, saving her from any further embarrassment. She took a step back, willing herself to not gawk at him as he sped down the hall.