always try a little harder

dear me, I'm productive

2012-01-23T10:54:00.002+01:00

Hi,

guess what, I wrote nearly 18,000 words in 13 days! I'm so proud of me. And I end up with 1-2 hours left every morning where I can do other stuff. So I decided to get more serious about blogging. Also, I will start revising my Choose Your Own Adventure Fairy Tale Murder Mystery (what a mouthful). I'd love to release "Chasing the Grimm Reaper" soon. I guess, the hardest bit will be to write a decent cover blurb. After all, the story twists in so many directions, it's probably hard to capture in a blurb. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Also, I decided that this blog will focus on stuff that might be of interest to other authors, on stuff that I'm interested in, and on details about my writing (including upcoming releases etc), whereas my other blog (on my homepage) will focus solely on stuff that's interesting for my readers and on my books.

So, enjoy the day as much as I do,
Cat

Ideal Reader and Goodreads

2012-01-19T20:18:00.004+01:00

Hi,

I've been blogging and working in forums, joined twitter, took part in a blog campaign and more, and I met a ton of interesting, big-hearted, all-around-lovely people out there. Most of them are writers (like me). It feels good to connect with them. When I'm sitting here, writing day in day out, I don't have anyone who really understands what I'm doing. So it's great to have friends who can relate.

But what if I'm looking for readers? Sure, most writers read. Without it we'd never get a decent idea for our novels, but are my followers the kind of reader who'd enjoy my books? My stories are always a little weird, and they're always aimed at juvenile readers (and those grown-ups who still love the genre).

I love to smuggle little tidbits of real world information into my novels. For example, I wrote a Science Fiction (which I'll be translating into English in Summer), where I explained wormhole travel in a simplified, easy to understand way. I'm currently translating a novel in an Arabian-Nights setting, where I researched Arabic phrases to include them. I'm pondering s short story that wants to be written, which will include facts about a Roman battlefield from 340-something AD they found a few miles south from where I live. When I read novels myself, I love finding hidden nuggets like these -- and I even if I don't get them, I still want to enjoy the story.

I write stories where the bad guy isn't completely bad, because that's the way the world is. Every antagonist (that's what writers call the main bad guy) in my books has something that makes me like them despite the crap they put my main character through.

In my stories, not only the main character grows. Many of the cast change throughout the story, they learn and grow -- because that's the way the world works.

I love exotic settings, but somehow I rarely write classical fantasy. I do include many fantasy (or sometimes SciFi) elements but always ground my stories in worlds similar to ours.

I love to use history or nature as a springboard for my stories, and sometimes, I have nearly as much material about the time period I'm writing about as I've got for my characters.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

If any of this is what you're looking for in an author, you're probably my Ideal Reader. If you are, you'll find all the stories and novels I've published so far (even some of the German ones) on my Goodreads profile. Feel free to become my friend there or join my mailing list.

Now, how about you? Have you ever thought about your Ideal Reader or (in case of a reader) your Ideal Author?

current project

2012-01-14T11:55:00.003+01:00

Hi,

so far, I'm right on schedule with my current project. It's a story set in the world of "1001 Arabian Nights". There used to be a short story on Smashwords that originally sparked the novel, but I took it down. It has too many spoilers but has too many unresolved threads. That why I wrote the novel in the first place. It is now called: Amadi, the Phoenix, the Sphinx and the Djinn.

A young girl becomes a thief to discover who murdered her mentor, but instead she learns that she's been adopted. To find her original family, she's got to rescue a djinn -- not really an easy task since she's chased by an assassin, a jackal headed god and an elusive sorcerer.

If all goes as planned, I'll finish mid-February. That should give me enoug time to get someone to correct grammar and spelling, so I can publish it near the end of February or beginning of March. And on Sunday, I'll send an as yet unedited sample to my list. Join it now if you want. You'll get an eBook plus two short stories from my colleagues from the Independent Bookworm (all Fantasy)

Enjoy the day,
Cat

2012 Goals

2011-12-31T10:52:00.000+01:00

Hi,

The New Year is approaching fast, only a few hours left, and I need to get clear on my goals. I read a blog post by Jeff Ambrose today and was stunned by his numbers. He plans to write 600,000 words next year!

I write 500 words an hour on average, and I work from 8am. to 1pm. Monday to Friday. Still, I couldn't make those numbers. First, he didn't schedule time for revision – my novels need revision, plenty of it. That would half my writing time easily. Next, he didn't take into account all the time Indies need to promote their published novels (blog posts, twitter interaction, trying to connect with readers) which also takes away from my writing time. My tax papers alone will eat up at least one week of writing.
So I sat down and calculated the number of words I could write in an average year taking into consideration the need to let people know my books exist, the time my kids need from me, administrative duties, walks with the dog, and everything else that comes up for me to handle. The result still surprised me. In an average year, I should be able to write 250,000 words!

After digesting this number, I decided to put this to the test. I've got 4 novels finished in German with roughly 295,000 words. They don't need more revision, only translation. So my goal is to translate as many of the novels my agent thought good enough for publication but couldn't place here in Germany. I already finished half of "Amadi, the Phoenix, the Sphinx, and the Djin" (ca. 35K). When that's done, I'll tackle the other novels. Also, I want to finish my African themed YA Work in Progress and the revision of "Chasing the Grimm Reaper" before March.

If I manage to finish translating them all by the end of the year despite my other commitments, I will email Jeff Ambrose and eat crow. I wouldn't mind at all because that would give me six novels to publish before 2012 is out. I'm skeptical to say the least, but I'll try my best to do it.

What are your goals?
Cat

What I learned compiling an anthology

2011-12-16T10:12:00.002+01:00

Wow, putting the "Campaigner Challenges 2011" together as eBook and POD book was more work than I had anticipated. So far, I've sold 14 eBook copies on Smashwords, 37 eBook copies on Amazon, and 35 POD copies through Createspace/Amazon. With that, we raised roughly 180,-USD so far (there is a bug in Smashword's spreadsheet so I can't see the exact royalties yet. I hope they'll solve that soon).
I learned several things through this.

I'm not good at line editing; I missed too many mistakes. That means for me, I'll have to hire an editor for my own books.

People, no matter how willing, don't follow guidelines. I don't think there is anything I can do about this though.

PoD books sell just as well as eBooks. Therefore, I will publish "Urchin King" as a PoD book soon.

Putting together an eBook in a day is easy if you know what to do. I recommend following Guido Henkel's eBook formatting guidelines. Once you've created a clean HTML file, you can easily turn it back into a Smashwords compatible word-document (see below if you're interested in the details)

People are generous. I've had 81 participants donate 176 stories in total. An amazing number. Thank you!

I love doing this. If I find the time to participate next year, I might do it again – but then with another person who's good at line-editing.

Regardless the obstacles, I am proud of the result. Of course, I wouldn't mind more sales. After all, Harry Moseley's cancer research charity is a worthy course, but every dollar counts. I'm grateful for the support I got from my fellow writers and other people, which is a gain for me too. Next step is to put CC2011 up on rabmad, and return to my regular revision.

I'll do that after Christmas. Enjoy the season,
Cat

P.S.: Cross posted on both of my blogs
P.S.S.: Instructions on how to turn the HTML-file into a document with MS-word:

Open the HTML-file with a normal text editor (e.g. notepad if you're using Windows).

Add the following in the first line of the HTML-file

< html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" >

delete this expression < html >, save the file, and close it.

Open the file in word.

Use the menu item "File" -> "Save As…"

Select "doc" as file-type and save the file.

If you now select "View" "Page Layout" (or something like that), you will see what the file will look like as a "normal" Wordfile

I hope this helped.

short notice

2011-12-06T10:21:00.003+01:00

Hi,

this is just a short notice to let you know that "Campaigner Challenges 2011", the charity anthology for Harry Moseley's charity, is now available in print too.

I'll be back with my NaNo experiences and other tidbits next week. At the moment, I've got a cold, a Mount Everest of laundry to fold, and a house that urgently needs scrubbing -- the usual post-NaNo chaos.

Have a great day,
Cat

More for Charity

2011-11-14T09:44:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I "stumbled over" an eleven year old boy who taught me how much can be achieved by doing small steps every day persistently. His name was Harry Moseley, and he passed away peacefully in his mother’s arms on Saturday 8 October 2011 at 11.10pm. The most amazing thing about Harry (in case you haven’t heard yet) is that he single handedly raised over £85,000 (that’s roughly 137,000 USD) for brain cancer research by fund-raising and selling hand-made bracelets. Awed by this boy who looked death in the eye but who was determined to enjoy every day, I decided to raise funds for people in need too.

During Rachael Harrie’s Campaign, I had read many really great flash fiction stories, so I came up with the idea to collect them into an anthology. Rachael and I issued the call, an lo and behold, many participants answered. It was a lot of work to sort the stories, streamline the layout, insert the linhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifkshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif to the author’s blogs, and create as well as publish the eBook, but I finished today. We can now proudly present to you “Campaigner Challenges 2011″.

buy at: Smashwords, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble (link will follow soon)

Please buy a copy and tell as many friends about this as you can. All proceeds will go to "Help Harry Help Others" to fund more research on Brain Cancer.

Go ahead, it's only 1.7ct per story (2.99USD in total).
Read a book, make a difference!
Cat

grab a copy

2011-11-12T16:14:00.005+01:00

Hi,

Christmas is approaching and with it the time of baking, and the time of helping others. With the Charity Cookbook Sweet Sunshine, you can do both in one go, AND you can have fun too. There are many short stories spread throughout the book, the recipes are great, and (best of all) there are childhood memories of featured authors (me too ;-) ).

I highly recommend this book because all proceeds will go to to the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. Also, for the time until Christmas, the price is less than 15USD!

Recipes include; Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Desserts, Fudge & Smoothies!
Have a sweet time,
Cat

Thankful For... Little Dott

2011-11-03T08:26:00.004+01:00

Hi,

today, I'm taking part in a contest by Beth Revis (yes, that Beth Revis). She is giving away 19! books -- and I'm not only a bookworm (Independent to be precise) but also a book-pack-rat. I've got nearly 2000 books on long shelves in my attic, half of them are in English. I'd love to win those books.

For obvious reasons (I read my way through 3 libraries as a kid), it's hard to pick a favorite. There are so many I loved, and you probably won't have heard about half of them. But when I sat down to think about it, I realized it had to be "Die wunderbaren Fahrten und Abenteuer der kleinen Dott" by Tamara Ramsay.

In a magical night, willful Dott disobeys her parents and follows them for a dance around the bonfire. She leaves her younger siblings unattended although one is ill. When they show up at the fire looking for their parents and Dott, she wants to confess but everybody ignores her. She finds out that a magical flower fell into her shoes and made invisible to all she loves. As compensation, she understands the language of animals who tell her to look for the goddess (I forgot her name) who might be able to help. She makes many friends on the way (mostly animals), discovers ancient times (through dreams and/or time travel), visits many of the most beautiful cities and landscapes in Northern Germany, and learns a lot about animals and their way of life. When she finally returns home, she has changed from a self centered girl into a caring, open minded young woman.

I adore this book and re-read it on a regular basis. Not only does it depict some of my favorite spots in a part of Germany that's not half as well known abroad as Bavaria, it also teaches many things without being preachy about it. I love the way, Tamara Ramsay interweaves story, history, and science into a magical tale. I know how the book ends, I can see her friend the boy playing his violin happily after he broke his curse, but I still get lost in the pages and discover new things with every read. This is exactly the kind of book I want to write. Entertaining, emotional, and educational -- but never boring.

Do you have a favorite book like this? Why don't you participate in this contest too? No, don't I want to win all the books!!!

Have a nice day,
Cat

What’s worth most?

2011-10-25T15:14:00.003+02:00

Hi,

When I started to write, I didn't think much about whether people liked what I wrote or not. I had to get the stories out of my mind. But as soon as I reached the point where I decided to have a career not a hobby, I looked at published stories in my genres. Yes, there were moments when I thought 'How could they publish this rubbish' but more often I wondered why no publisher brought anything different from what was there.

Then, J.K. Rowling proved to publishers that readers do read stuff that's different and filled with new ideas. I thought everything would change now -- far from it. Again, publishers were chasing trends, this time in Fantasy. My (enthusiastic) agent has offered five different manuscripts to German publishers, and even when the editors liked it, we got a polite "No thanks, it's too different/wrong time" (depending on the genre).

Frustrated, I began to hone my English and started writing my stories in my second language. Lo and behold, I got recognized. Readers of samples, flash and short stories told me they loved what I did. I even got shortlisted for two awards. So, when the eBook revolution opened a whole new set of opportunities, I took my chances. My first eBook "Urchin King" sells slowly but continually. I'm not earning millions, but I get feedback from readers who love my story. This pushes me to write faster, so I can publish another one soon.

Sometimes at night, I am wondering. I read an online article recently where an author's contract was canceled because she self-published with amazon. Would it have been better to wait for "The Deal"?

I don't think so. Sure, I'd have gotten a lump payment up front but what then? I'd have to start writing my stories the way my publishers want, and if readers need time to find me and connect with me, traditional publishers won't give much time to me. They pulp books if they don't sell fast enough. Where does that leave the midlist and the longseller?

What do you think? Are authors better off on their own? Or with a traditional publisher? Or is a mix of both the best option? I love the independence eBook publishing gives me, but I'm not fully set against tradition publishers. After all, money is tight in these times.

Tell me your opinion.
Cat

hey-ho... holiday

2011-10-16T21:13:00.004+02:00

Hi,

for the next two weeks I'll be away. My kids are on holiday, and we'll go horse riding the first week. I'm not sure if I'll get much writing done but if I look back, I wrote and revised two 35K novels and wrote a 60K non-linear novel this year. With NaNo still ahead of us, I think I could call this a successful year.

I scheduled two posts over on my homepage blog. The one that goes up on the 21st is my entry for Brenda Drake's "Can you leave us breathless" Blogfest, and it's a snippet from my current RiP (revision in Progress). The one that goes up on the 24th is my snippet for a "Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop" started by Kerri Cuevas

your last chance

2011-10-11T11:31:00.005+02:00

Hi,

remember how I have been gushing about Holly Lisle's courses "How to Think Sideways" and "How to Revise Your Novel"? Well, she decided to stop teaching. She'll close all her courses the way they are now for good and turn them into eBook self-teaching courses. I understand her very much, after all, her passion (like mine) lies in creating stories, not in teaching. I respect her decision, but I thought I'd let you know that if you act before the end of January 2012, you can still join the courses the way they were meant to be (and get lifetime access to the incredibly helpful forums as well).

I'm not urging anyone to take the courses but I highly recommend them. They taught me all I ever needed to know about writing. Even my German agent agreed that my stories improved considerably. Also, I don't re-write half as much as I used to -- not due to laziness but because there are less faults to start with. Do yourself a favor, join the courses. The pricing is reasonable (maybe give yourself a nice x-mas present).

For me, "How to Think Sideways" and "How to Revise Your Novel" are the best writing courses I ever took, and I only wish they had been around years earlier. They would have saved me a lot of sweat and work.

Enjoy the autumn,
Cat

It's finally out there.

2011-10-04T12:36:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I am so excited, I could burst. My first English eBook, "Urchin King", is available at Smashwords. Amazon will take another day to put it up on their site, and Barnes&Noble refuses to take clients from outside the US. So I'll have to wait for Smashword's premium distribution to get my book up on their site.

I you're interested in reading a story about a teen-aged boy who grew up on the streets and has to stand in for his twin brother, the crown prince, head over to Smashwords and get it. I promise, there is magic in it, a whiff of medieval Europe, and some likable characters.

Thank you for being interested,
Cat

2011-10-02T11:46:00.002+02:00

On October the 4th, my husband's birthday, I'll take my first step toward Indie publishing. "Urchin King", my first novel, is roughly 71K words long and will be available at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble. I'm terribly excited.

For fourteen years, street-urchin Paul's miserable existence has kept him safe from an ancient law that sentences all second-born twins to death. When he learns he is the younger twin of the mentally handicapped Crown Prince who's in danger of being killed for his disability, he agrees to play the role of the miraculously healed royal heir. Paul struggles to learn how to act like a born ruler, but finds that his greatest skill, getting by unnoticed, is now his greatest liability. He knows if he is discovered, he will be executed like all second-born twins.

No, I didn't realize that this story's beginning resembles "The Prince and The Pauper" which I read ages ago in school. I only noticed when someone pointed it out to me. But the resemblance of the ragamuffin turned king is vague at best. In "Urchin King", the main character Paul, a second born twin, shouldn't exist due to a brutal law. And the story has got magic in it, a sorcerer with a vengeance, and an unpredictable evil spirit. To add authenticity, I included many details about everyday life in Europe during the Middle Ages. I hope you will like it.

I entered this novel 2010 under its former title "Thicker Than Water" to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's Colorado Gold Competition and was shortlisted in the category "Speculative Fiction" (the only non-Colorado finalist!)

The son of a friend of mine agreed to be my cover-page model (never thought I'd need one), and the castle in the background is from a holiday shot. I think the cover shrinks well. Do you like as much as I do?

Second Campaign Challenge

2011-09-24T11:06:00.000+02:00

I took upRachael Harrie's dare. Please go to herlinky page and LIKE me(Number 71) if you like my entry. The entries atthe top have many likes already, and the ones near the (current) bottom arefalling flat although many are really good. So, please, please go and readentries and vote for those you really like.

Here's thechallenge:

Writea blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format,whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blogpost should include the word "imago" in the title, and include thefollowing words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate,""synchronicity". If you want to give yourself an added challenge(optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in yourpost. For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post200 words EXACTLY!

Of courseas a German, I had to look up all the obligatory words (except Imago; I'm aforester and I have had more experience with those than I care for), and ittook my quite a while to figure out that 'oscitate' means 'to yawn'. Well, whyuse a simple word when a difficult one will do.

Here's myentry (crossposted from myhomepage blog). I hope you like it. It's got all the requirements (obligatorywords, mirror, and 200 word restriction). This time, it's more or lessnon-fiction (albeit with a little added imagination).

Thewinged Imago

Slumberreceded. Light registered on her brain. She oscitated. Was it time to wakealready? If she opened her cell too early, the miasma of the breeding pondwould kill her. If she left it too late, her strength might not suffice. Shetwisted and stretched. The cell was awfully tight, and her back itched. Sherubbed it against the upper side of her confinement. Yes, that helped.

A tear inthe fabric of her cell. Oh dear. She stopped moving. Was it safe? Her earslistened to the slightest sounds from outside. Birdsong – far away, thank theMighty Blue. Not a single frog croaked below – didn't mean there weren’t any.

Shecouldn't stay in here forever. Did she dare? Carefully as not to disturb theworld outside, she left her cell. It proved harder than she had expected. Shearched her back, pulled out one dainty leg after the other, and stood there –waiting – listening. The lacuna she had left, an empty shell beside her. A hungerpang shot though her abdomen. She needed to hunt as soon as her body hardened.In perfect synchronicity, the dragon-fly spread her wings and soared over theblue mirror of her kingdom.

Nearly Done!!

2011-09-21T11:30:00.001+02:00

Hurray,

I've nearly finished my Non-Linear Fairy tale Murder Mystery "Chasing the Grimm Reaper". Less then 2000 words to go. I also created the cover art for it. Do you like it? The spooky picture in the background is by cherryblossoms24.

Now I will only need to get through the revision and then, it'll go up on Amazon and Smashwords. I'm really looking forward to that, although revision is bound to be a nightmare.

Also, I stumbled over a flash-app where you can create cute ponies. Look at my forest-unicorn. Isn't it absolutely cuddly and sweet?

People who program something like this must be very dedicated, and I appreciate it. Try it out for yourself if you want.

Enjoy the day,
Cat

Campaign Bloghop

2011-09-15T10:12:00.000+02:00

Hi,

as a campaigner (Why do I always want to write champaigner?) I decided to become part of a bloghop (actually more like a ring or circle), where every participant (eleven in total) links to the next in the chain. Out theme is "Who started your dream?" and I just posted my entry on my homepage-blog. Check it out of you're interested.

Cat

P.S. I got another award, the Versatile Blogger award. Before I can put it up, I've got to do some research. Since I'm very busy writing the end of "Chasing the Grimm Reaper" (see the widget at the sidebar?), I'll cope with that at a later date. Promised!

Flash story -- please vote for me

2011-09-07T10:53:00.000+02:00

Hi,

in the course of the campaign mentioned below, I took part in the first challenge. We had to write a flash story with 200 words max and the opening phrase of "The door swung open". If we wanted to make it harder on ourselves, we could make the story exactly 200 words and/or add the ending phrase "the door swung shut."Want to read what I came up with? Check out my website and if you like the story, hop over to Rachel's blog and vote for number 186 (that's me).

Enjoy my tiny wee free story,
Cat

totally non related to writing -- is it?

2011-09-03T20:50:00.003+02:00

Hi,

pondering what to write next, I realized how many people talk about the weather when they don't know what to say. I decided that for once, this is probably a veritable subject. If you look at how freakish this summer has been... In Germany, temperatures went from 7°C in the morning to 29°C in the afternoon. Hurricanes and tropical storms seem to be on TV more often than politicians these days. I call that crazy.

Does this come as a surprise? Not to me. Many people have been warning us for such a long time that climate changes will come. Well, here they are, and I fear they're here to stay. Is there anything we can do about it? I don't know but I do sincerely hope so. I want my kids (and not yet born grandkids) to grow up in a world where they don't have to fight unfavorable weather conditions to survive. I try to teach my children to treat nature with more care. Why not use the bike or your own two feet rather than the car? Why not wear another jumper so I can keep the central heating down a bit?

I know those are drops on a hot stone. But a wise man once said: If a lot of small people in a lot of small places to a lot of small things, they can change the face of the world.

I know it works. I am currently seeing traditional publishers (even the BIG ones) look around in confusion not comprehending the Indie-eBook-publisher Revolution. Those are small people in small places and change already started.

Let's get the ball rolling for nature too.
Cat

Authors, do you want to grow your platform?

2011-08-23T08:57:00.001+02:00

I found a great opportunity for all writers. Rachael Harrie hosts a campaign to help other author/bloggers to grow their following. It's called the "Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign" where authors learn to help each other. If you're an author who also loves to read (and all authors should), you can still sign up until the 31st of August. The Campaign will run from now till the 31st of October, and bloggers from all over the world will participate.

Count me in!

for all writers of kidlit

2011-08-17T11:54:00.005+02:00

Hi,

just a quick one to remind you that WriteOnCon has begun. The first day is already over, but the content is still there. You can watch the videos, read and re-read chats and articles. It's awesome content for absolutely free. And you can enter give-aways (manuscript/query critiques, books, other stuff).

Go right now, I command you. (Well, I would if I could) And if you've got a dime, donate too, so the ladies can bring WriteOnCon back next year.

Cat

P.S.: School will start again tomorrow, that means my writing and my posting will get more regular again.
P.S.S.: I wonder why the blogger editor always puts weird hyperlink-text into my posts. I don't tell it to.

films galore -- well, two actually

2011-08-12T21:37:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I just discovered the fun of Twitter (I'm CatGerlach over there) where I stumbled over two really wonderful videos. I thought I'd share.

The first one is a 90sec feature film of Neil Gaiman's "Graveyard Book" made and acted out by a group of kids in Toronto Canada. I loved it. See for yourselves:

The second one is an advert, but it's the funniest advert I've seen in a long, long time. Enjoy:

Dirt Devil-The Exorcist from MrPrice2U on Vimeo.

Have a wonderful weekand,
Cat

feedback needed for a blog contest

2011-08-05T09:50:00.010+02:00

Hi,

Gabriela Lessa has announced a blog contest, and there aren't all that many entries yet. The judges are editors from Sourcebooks, so check it out. To be elegible, you need to follow her blog (which is very interesting) and sign up through a link provided on her post.

Now, to make my entries shine, I need feedback on the 30 word pitch sentence and the first paragraph of my stories. I post them here hoping you've got something to say about them.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Cat

The launching post went up!

Here are the three stories I'm going to enter:
I revised the pitch for Urchin King. Do you think it's clear now?

Title: Urchin King, YA historical fantasy

One-sentence pitch:
Despite an ancient law demanding the death of second born twins, street-urchin Paul battles a vengeful magician to save his life and his twin brother, the crown prince.

First paragraph:
Paul felt the town's outer wall against his back. Hunger still gnawed at his intestines like a wolf and made sleeping impossible, but that was not new to him. He coped with the pain by remembering his lucky day two weeks back. Lilla had given him a whole loaf of bread, and he had been able to steal another later. He had shared the last, moldy slice two days ago. Now he wished he had more. He pulled his skinny legs closer until the pain subsided. Then, he sat up and looked at his friends sleeping on the bare ground beside him. All of them were skinny, unkempt and smelled of stale sweat and dirt.

Title: The tootle-hen and the goshawk, picture book

One-sentence pitch:
Grain wants to sing in the woods but she is too chicken to go alone, and when she follows a tiny bird, she must overcome her fear of the goshawk.

First paragraph:
Grain loved to sing but the other tootle-hens hated it. The woods on the meadow's far end beckoned Grain to visit their lush green.
"The goshawk lives there. He will eat you," Aunty said.

Title: Terry and the Folding Rule of Time, MG historical fantasy with time travel

One-sentence pitch:
Twelve-year-old Terry time-travels to 1866 Germany, causing her great-great-grandfather to forget about emigration; now, she has to get him on his way to America, or her future will vanish forever.

First paragraph:
Second bell for science -- I hated old Bodger on the best of days but most of all on a Monday morning. I slammed the door of my locker hard enough that it bounced open again. Chewing on a strand of my straw-colored bangs, I closed my locker more gently and sauntered to our classroom. I looked forward to old Bodger’s face when he plopped onto a cold, wet chair. I smiled a little. Not too much. That would alert him, and he’d guess right away it was me who snuck into class before first bell. I eased into my chair, stretching my gangly legs, feeling smug and satisfied until the door opened.

just a short note

2011-07-29T16:18:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I'm currently busy preparing the christening of my youngest daughter, so I haven't got much time for the Internet. Still, I stumbled over an incredible booktrailer. Maybe, some of you have already seen it? It's awesome! For the first time ever, I am contemplating buying a book just because I watched its trailer. I hope mine will be just as irresistible.

Enjoy the video,
Cat

Realisation of defeat

2011-07-27T14:02:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I finally have to admit (as it was probably obvious to most of my followers anyway), that I'll never be really good at blogging. I just don't get the "regular posting" routine. Whenever I remember that I've got a blog where I should post, I end up doing countless things instead.

The last two weeks, I spent with my kids (summer holidays) and wrote like a maniac whenever I had the time. I plan on releasing my first story through Independent Bookworm at the beginning of next month (BTW, you can join my list and get a free novel plus two short stories as a thank you) and the work seems to get more the more I do.

Is there anyone out there who can double the length of a day? Or someone who'll take my kids for a few hours? I'm longing for school to start again. As much as I love my kids, I miss my regular writing hours. At least, the move of my webpage is nearly complete. I'll let you know when the site goes up so you can check it out.

That's it for now. I am sure that my bloggin will get a little more regular when school starts but I'm not too confident. Somehow, writing my novels seems more important at the moment.

Hope your summer writing/reading runs more smoothly than mine.
Enjoy the day despite drawbacks,
Cat

Going Indie 3

2011-07-06T10:15:00.002+02:00

It's been a while since I posted but I hope you are still looking in once in a while.

Now, it's official. my friends and I opened an independent publishing company named Independent Bookworm(TM). The first two stories by my colleague William L. Hahn are already out. He writes heroic fantasy. Debbie Mumford will publish next, she concentrates on romance and fantasy (usually with a historical angle). I'll go life with a full 90K novel at the beginning of next month, depending on when my book trailer is done (yes, someone is making a truly great booktrailer for me, and she's so good... I'll promote her in a different blogpost. Promised).

If you are interested in reading stories from Will, Debbie or me, join our mailing list. You'll get a free eBook with my novelette "The Witches of Greenwitch" (incl. 52 pictures and the reason why I wrote the story in the first place) plus a short story each from Will and Debbie.

I'm looking forward to hear from you,
Katharina

Hollywood, here I come!

2011-06-29T11:44:00.002+02:00

Hi,

guess what, a very talented fellow writer who is just starting her own business is making a trailer for one of my novels. She is currently schttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifripting the scenes. Oh, I'm terribly excited. But it's still secret -- that means I'm not going to tell you which novel or any other details. I will post it on this blog as soon as everything is done, and I will release the novel soon after on my publishing website Independent Bookworm (I think I forgot to link it from here, or did I?).

So many things are happening. Stay tuned and enjoy your life,
Cat

Adictive

2011-06-23T11:50:00.002+02:00

Hi,

Have you ever watched any of the "Burnistoun" episodes at YouTube? I admit that if you're not used to it, the Scotish accent is difficult to understand. But the humor is so ... Scottish. I cried from laughing. It's so addictive (for me at least) that I had to force myself to finsih my daily wordcount before watching another one. This is by far my most favorite: Voice-recognition elevator

Enjoy,
Cat

Going Indie again

2011-06-21T10:23:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I just opened the doors to a website I will be sharing with two other authors. Maybe, we'll have more join us at a later time, but we'll start out with us three. We will focus on Fantasy and Historical Novels with the occasional Science Fiction thrown in. My first co-Indie-author, Will Hahn, has just put up his first story "The Ring and the Flag" at Smashwords. Since I was one of his beta-readers, I know it fairly well and can only recommend it. I loved it although I usually don't much care for Heroic Fantasy. Will is an expert at keeping the story interesting even through the bits that would be boring by other authors.

My projects are back on track after I had to put them aside for a week for a requested project. It was fun coming up with an idea based on several requested features, but smoothing out the bumps might take a little longer. At least, I wrote the requested reading sample of 20 pages in 3 1/2 days. And I will be caught up with all my other projects by the end of this week.

Now, give Will's story a try, and enjoy the rest of the week,
Cat

Going Indie, guest post and overtime

2011-06-16T08:26:00.003+02:00

Hi,

over the last few weeks, I've been terribly busy. Since I decided to go Indie in July, there were so many things to do and to consider that it ate into my family time already. Then, I got a request for a book proposal that needs to be done asap -- hand in date next Monday. I love the concept I came up with but writing 20 quality pages (not first draft material) in a single week is exhausting because I couldn't put aside the other stuff that needs to get done (like setting up the website for my Indie business, finishing my WIP, the middle grade ghost story, keeping up with my household and being there for my kids ... of course, the kids are first priority, the the writing).

When I felt too tired, I found this little bit of wisdom by the daughter of one of my crit partners:
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. Krisz daughter
It is soooooo true. I printed it out and hung it over my snoopy-newspaper-clip on the wall where I can see it whenever I sit down to write. I'm feeling more relaxed already.

So I was quite happy, when I got another request for a guest blog-post. Sherry Soule will present her paranormal romance novel "Beautifully Broken" on this blog in a few weeks. I so much like the cover.

So, this is me back to work. I decided I will enjoy the storm while it lasts, and try to finish as much as I can without going nuts. I'll keep you posted on the going Indie stuff,
Cat

I hate summer holidays

2011-06-07T12:09:00.003+02:00

Hi,

with worry I saw the summer holidays drawing nearer every day. When the kids are home, I don't get much writing done regardless of how much I had planned. At least, this summer is supposed to be a warm one. Maybe, I can take my tomboys to the pool every day. There are some really nice, shaded areas where I could write.

So far, my plans for going Indie are coming around the way I want them. I designed the website for the books (I will focus on Fantasy, SciFi and historical novels), found a partner or two and decided on how to attract readers. It won't be much longer until the first story goes live, and I hope many of you will like it.

Until then,
Cat

P.S.: and heads up, summer holidays will be over in no time.

disapointed

2011-06-02T12:08:00.006+02:00

Hi,

I'm slightly disappointed that only two people came up with a possible title. I liked both of them, and would have loved to read some more. But since that's the way it is, the winning title for my NLFTMM is "Chasing the Grimm Reaper". Congrats Marty. Still, I'll award second and third place to Natalie and Thea for posting. Marty will get the full manuscript if he wants (once it's finished - please send your contact details to katharina_at_tapio-de.org) and the other two will get the first thirty-something pages asap if they want (I need your contact info too).

Enjoy the wonderful weather,
Cat

I'm still working and the contest is still running too

2011-05-24T12:18:00.003+02:00

Hi,

I'm working on my novels when a flash of (literary) lightning struck. So I wrote a 2700 word short story over the weekend and translated it into German. It's about Katie who moves into a house with a lovely wild garden, only to discover that the neighbor is trying to make Katie's mother turn their lovely garden into a geometrical abnormality like hers. It was fun to write, but as always, the translation was tedious. I'll send the German version to a competition soon, and decided to use the English version as a bonus to my first e-book.

The NLFTMM is coming along nicely. I just discovered that one of my characters is a RSS agent. Well, that was quite a surprise, even for myself. Now, I've got even more paths to travel to finish this story. But it's great fun. BTW, I'm still looking for a title. Why don't you post your suggestion in my little contest to win the first draft. It's a bit boring to choose a winner from just two entries.

Even the ghost story is growing slowly. In the evening hours, when the world is blue, my mood is right for working a little bit on it.

Enjoy your week,
Cat

an interesting approach

2011-05-17T17:43:00.001+02:00

Hi,

here is a very interesting approach to vizualize the tensionhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif of different threads of your manuscript. Check out this link. It's really worth the read.

Cat

summer is coming - win a first draft

2011-05-15T20:07:00.004+02:00

Hi,

for the last few weeks, I've been focusing on getting back into writing my ghost story. Unfortunately, with the summer coming nearer every day (the local pool just opened this weekend), I am not getting the mood right. Today, I decided to let it sit for a while. If I force the story, I only have much more to clear up in revision. So, now, I will start writing the "Non-Linear Fairy Tale Murder Mystery" I have been planning ever since January. I decided to write it in English and translate what I have written into German the same day. Thus, I've got two finished first drafts at the end.

But I need help. "Non-Linear Fairy Tale Murder Mystery" is too long and NLFTMM wouldn't make sense to most people. Please help me find a title. If I pick yours, you will get the full NLFTMM for free, and before anyone else will be able to buy it (or you can be a beta-reader, giving feedback on the first draft). Up to May 31st, you can post a title suggestion in the comments. I'll announce a winner on June 1st.

Some facts about the story:
- the main character is the reader (but I won't use 2nd person POV)
- (s)he takes on a job that Sherlock Holmes declined
- the story features many popular Grimm fairy tales (e.g. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin and many more)
- and a couple of characters from more adult stories (e.g. Ogers, Fantomas, Beauty and Beast)
- the main character will not return to the real world before the mystery is solved (unless (s)he chose so)

I'm looking forward to your suggestions,
Cat

P.S.: If I combine two titles, both commenters will get the the price.

as promised

2011-05-06T11:25:00.004+02:00

Hi,

here are the photos I promised. As you can see, we were really lucky with the weather.
The first picture is me - with a Star-Trek-like visor. ;-)

Next is the Olympic Tower in Munich (the little figure at the bottom is my daughter)

Castle Linderhof, where King Ludwig from Bavaria lived (the one who built Neuschwanstein)

Mountains that are not hills (like the ones we've got up north). If you look closely, you can see my two girls playing half naked in a shallow stream of ice water. Brrrrrr

One of two skeletons in the cloister church in Fürstenfeldbruck. The kids loved them - so scary...

Our snail "Nanni", she always tried to escape, but after an afternoon of fun (more for the kids less for the snail), my daughters set her free.

The church of Cloister Andechs. After a long, long walk up the hill, we took this photo, had something to eat and walked all the way back. I think it was worth it.

Evening at the Ammersee

The Siegesturm in Bayreuth, up the hill from the Wagner-Festival-Opera Hall.

OK, that's all the information you'll get about my private life for now. I bet you'd have liked to come along, right? Bavaria is beautiful - if only the people wouldn't speak so weird. ;-)

Enjoy your weekend,
Cat

Back to work

2011-05-03T12:33:00.005+02:00

Hi,

I'm back from an amazing trip down South. Two of my kids and I took the speed train ICE

(photo published by Sebastian Terfloth with a CC license with some right reserved)

to Munich where we visited some relatives and friends. I was thoroughly surprised that the kids didn't fight for most of the holiday (only a few squabbles on the way back). One day, we went for a walk close to the Alps, and they were suitably impressed by the height of the mountains. We returned on 1st of May, and it took me all of yesterday to catch up on emails and stuff.

Today, I returned to my current project (the ghost story) and managed to write 599 words which isn't much but a start. It was rather difficult to get back into the story. The revision of my time travel story took so long that I had to re-read most of what I had written. It's not as bad as I remembered. ;-) Still, revision on this one will most likely spread oveer most of my summer. That would leave me with enough time to plan an new NaNoWriMo novel.

Anyway, I will try to post some pictures of my holiday before the end of the week.
Till then, enjoy life,
Cat

Easter

2011-04-21T10:29:00.001+02:00

Hi,

I'm away for a few days. I took my kids to Munich until the 1st of May. It's the first really long holiday trip in a long, long time. I'll post again in May. Till then, I wish all my readers a wonderful Easter time.

Enjoy the season,
Cat

My very first guest: Traci Bell

2011-04-15T08:00:00.008+02:00

Hi,

today, we welcome Traci Bell, the author of Entangled. Traci’s fantasy romance debuted last month from Crescent Moon Press and is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Entangled is about a teacher who’s pulled to another world by her soul mate, where she must suspend her disbelief in order to stop natural disasters that aren’t natural. Since a very important part of Traci's book is the suspension of disbelief, it is the subject of her post. Feel free to comment.

Suspension of Disbelief
Definition: The temporary acceptance as believable of events or characters that would ordinarily be seen as incredible. This is usually to allow an audience to appreciate works of literature or drama that are exploring unusual ideas.

Being a fantasy and paranormal romance writer, I’m fascinated with the concept of suspending disbelief. How do successful authors do it? How far can you take the reader before he/she pulls back and puts a book down in disgust?

I know when I get frustrated with a book, television show, or movie, it is because the writer did not stay true to its reality, or its characters. I’ve walked away from plenty of shows that made a character do something for ratings, something that the character would never have done based on previous ethics and values that governed that characters behavior.

In my novel, Entangled, my heroine is a teacher from earth who must travel to another universe to save the hero’s people from natural disasters. Without the reader’s ability to suspend disbelief the book would be a difficult read. After all, no one in the real world is strong enough to change the weather.

So the first thing I tried to do was make the heroine someone readers could relate with. She’s a divorced teacher. She’s curious, empathetic, and just a tad dissatisfied with her life. Do you know anyone with those qualities? Do you share any of them yourself? Are her reactions to the choice given her natural for a divorced teacher with those qualities? If I’d made her a die-hard cynic, would you have believed she would even attempt to help the hero?

Second, I slowly threaded in details that explain how it just might be possible for someone to impact something as powerful as the weather. I threaded in ‘rules’ that govern how the universe works in the parallel world. Then I forced myself to stay consistent with those rules. Readers are smart – they catch those glitches : )

As a reader, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What has a book, television show, or movie done that made you walk away and not care what happened next because you could no longer willingly suspend your disbelief?

Contest

2011-04-13T11:47:00.002+02:00

Hi,

just in case you haven't noticed, I'm giving away a full HtRYN scholarship on Guide to Literary Agents for those who are interested.

Cat

guest blogger

2011-04-05T11:15:00.001+02:00

Hi,

I might have my first ever guest-blogger, but I'm not yet sure if I will post her on this blog or on my "Witches of Greenwitch" one. I'm super excited.

Also, I'm finally nearing the end of my next "33 Mistakes Writers Make About". The subject this time (after "Mother Nature") is "Germany and the Germans". I don't think I can cover all in just 33 chapters (some much longer than the suggested half page). So I included a bonus chapter and a rather long introduction. Anything in particular you'd be interested in? I might add another bonus or two if you tell me what you want.

Have a great day,
Cat

Wolfenbüttel

2011-03-29T10:54:00.003+02:00

Hi,

I went to the small town of Wolfenbüttel last weekend to attend a seminar on Creative Writing. It was very instructive and intense. Combined with the flue that plagues me since January, I felt very light headed upon return.

And then, spring struck ... and with it an idea.

I thought, what if I use the flexibility of the Internet-language HTML to create a true non-linear story. My Muse already fed me quite a lot of interesting scenarios. I would like to write a Fairy-Tale Murder Mystery. Would you be interested? I don't know yet how I'm going to publish it. The only thing that's for sure is that traditional publishing doesn't really work. I remember those Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, but even if I liked the story, the flipping of pages and 2nd person POV ruined the fun. So I will use hyperlinks (which means it's going to be some sort of e-book) and 1st person POV (since I don't know if the reader is male or female). I have already filled 5 pages in my notebook.

Since I'm still in the planning stages, I accept suggestions. Anything you're particularly interested in? Something that you think might fit into a crazy project like that? Any favorite fairly tales? Feel free to leave me a comment with your suggestions and/or ideas. I might not manage to get it all into the one story but I'll definitely consider.

Hooray for my spring time Muse.
Enjoy the day,
Cat

hindsight

2011-03-14T12:59:00.003+01:00

Hi,

I'm glad you're all still there. I have to confess that I'm not really good at a regular Blog schedule. Currently, I am revising "Terry and the Folding Rule of Time", write the missing chapters of "The 33 Worst Mistakes ... about Germany" and try to add the last few chapters to my NaNo-novel. Often, I get sucked into writing so deeply that I forget the time, and when I look up, my kids are back from school. From then on, I'm hardly anywhere near my PC for the rest of the day. There is food to cook, laundry to fold, floors to clean and other necessary but unwelcome stuff. As much as I would like to post more regularly, it is impossible at the moment.

I will do my very best to keep you informed. Maybe, I'll manage one post a week, I'll do my very best. If you've got questions you think I might be able to answer, please let me know in the comments.

Oh, one final writing related note: my free online Fantasy Novel "The Witches of Greenwitch" will post it's last chapter tomorrow, and Eszti has managed to catch up with her art. Check it out if you don't know it already. Also, please tell your Fantasy loving friends about it. It's free - no hooks attached.

I'll post more soon (promised),
Cat

delay

2011-02-22T20:26:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I am sorry that I will not be able to post for a little while. I just got a request from an editor at one of the bigger German publishing houses for the full manuscript of a novel I wrote. Of course, checking it one final time before sending has priority. I’ll try to be as fast about it as I can possibly be.

Now, Kid Tip 2:
If you move to a new house/flat or if you take in a foster child, make sure the kids bed is placed in a similar position as in his/her last room. Getting the same kind of light as before makes it easier for the child to get used to the new surroundings.

Sorry again,
Cat

Writing Related Ecology 1

2011-02-19T21:07:00.001+01:00

Hi,

since I am currently revising my MG time travel novel, I wanted to point out something that has annoyed me no end. I always print my manuscript - single sided - because it's so much easier to find mistakes or to rearrange paragraphs (real cut and paste with scissors and glue). Many people I know have expressed their concern, calling this wasteful.

It isn't.

1. A lot of the pulp needed for making paper comes from recycled paper.
2. The timber used for paper comes from trees that are either too thin or too irregular to be used for anything else (from furniture to plywood). Thus, the money earned with it helps to keep forest-workers in their jobs.
3. If you still worry, make sure that you buy paper with timber from sustainable forestry (with the FSC-certified logo ).

A wasteful use of paper is to print out things you don't need to print. But if I want to get my novel as good as I can possibly get it, I need to see my manuscript printed on a paper. Far more difficult is the great amount of ink that is needed to print the lot. To minimize the negative effect the ink has on nature, I use EcoFont. That is a font resembling Arial but it has many, tiny holes in the letters. On screen it is unreadable but in printing it saves a lot of ink, and you don't notice the difference unless you print really huge letters.

I hope this helps,
Cat

P.S.: I thought I had figured out how this scheduling thing works on blogger, but I can't seem to get it right. I start a new post, write it, and change the "Post Options" to the date and time I want it published. But when I just save it, it goes up as draft, and if I click "Publish", it gets published right away. What am I doing wrong?

new post schedule and Kid Tip 1

2011-02-17T11:05:00.003+01:00

Hi,

I finally found out how to schedule posts in blogger. I had already decided to move the entire thing over to wordpress when I did. ;-)
So, after a rather long weird kind of flue (I never became really ill with fever or so, but I was weak and unmotivated and found it hard to stay awake - not a good way to be when you have children to care for), I am finally back to blogging. Since I know now how to schedule posts, I will blog two posts a week. A short one about kids (Kid Tips) on Thursdays, and a longer one about the Science needed for wordbulding or knowledge about something else writing related (regardless of genre) on Mondays. Feel free to ask me what subjects you would be interested in. I love to hear from you.

Now, for our first Kid Tip:
Fostering children is very demanding, but the reward is unbelievably cool (the love of a child always is). BUT if you plan to foster children, get as many informations as you can possibly think of.

For example: the parents of our foster child are both alcoholics (although they are very friendly and cooperative when sober). The mother drank during her pregnancy which we didn't know because no one had told us. When she started school, she began to throw tantrums like a two year old when she had to do homework. It took us a long time to discover that she was not up to the task. She is mentally handicapped through FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders), the only avoidable disability in the world. As soon as we moved her to a school for kids with special needs, she was happy and began to like school and to progress. If we had known about this, we could have diagnosed her much earlier which would have saved her a lot of frustration. So, do your research when you decide to foster a child.

By the way, I never regretted it for a single second that we took her in. Her love more than makes up for the troubles we had.

Have a great week,
Cat

Egypt

2011-02-11T11:56:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I always loved Egypt although I've never been there. All the more, I'm fascinated by what's happening there at the moment. My heart goes out to the young (and not so young) people fighting for a new way of life. After the speech last night, I was worried that things would get messy but the people kept their temper despite their growing frustration. I draw my hat to that. It is absolutely incredible.

The more I watch the demonstrations and speeches the more it reminds me of the protest of my Eastern German fellows in 1989/90. Oh, there are many differences but there are also some similarities. Like in the GDR, a single spark - a misjudged situation, an uncaring official, an ignorant bureaucrat - could start a catastrophe, and I am worried sick. But I also see how brave the people of Egypt are, and how well they manage to contain their rage. Sure, it's not much, but I adore the way they handle this, and I pray (regardless of religion, religion shouldn't limit our compassion) that their revolution will end successfully and peacefully.

And now, I'll return to watching the news.
So should you.
Cat

illness hits

2011-02-03T09:49:00.002+01:00

Sorry, but I have to delay my plans for at least this week. My hubby is ill and my youngest daughter too, and I'm not feeling too well either. Also, my eldest wants to celebrate her 16th birthday, and the only one fit enough to bake a cake is my 9-yr-old. I'll be back as soon as possible.

Cat

2011-01-20T19:54:00.005+01:00

I won a Blog-award! My first one ever! Thank you so much. I hereby present to you:

Seven things about me

1. I hate big cities and wouldn't visit New York for all the money in the world.
2. I would visit New York for a meeting with an agent or a publisher (hate sucks).
3. I definitely wouldn't take my kids to New York or any other super sized city.
4. I love daydreaming, preferably in a forest.
5. I'm still a member of "women in forestry" although I haven't worked in forestry since my PhD.
6. Despite my undersized figure, I'm not eating all the time and I love sport (Nordic Walking, swimming, cycling, walking the dog) as long as I don't call it sport.
7. More than anything in the wolrd, I love my family (all included)

I think that should do. Do you think you know me better now?
Oh, before you go, please read the previous post again and help me decide what to blog about in the future.

Have a wonderful day,
Cat

Blog post 101 and a question

2011-01-16T16:26:00.003+01:00

Hi,

I should have celebrated my last blog post. It was the 100th, and since I never thought I'd write that many, I really should have noticed. But I didn't. Also, with the end of the year drawing close, there were many more things to take care of. So, when I opened my blog today, to finally get going on my New Year resolution, blogger told me that I would now be writing my 101th blog post. So with that, I welcome (back) all readers near and far. May 2011 be gentle to you.

On New Year's eve, I decided to improve my blog and I spent hours thinking about the how-to. There are many things I'm interested in, but I wasn't too sure if my readers would enjoy the same things. Finally, I realized that I could ask. Stupid of me, really. I have seen other people ask on their blogs but never realized I could do, too. That's the old "control-freak" sneaking up on my again when I thought I had defeated him last year. ;-)

So, here we go. I know that I won't be able to write a blog post every day. As much as I would like to do that, it just can't be done. With the sort of family I have, I can probably manage two or three posts a week - at least that's what I am aiming for. Now, for the subjects:

I have a degree in forestry and a PhD in science. Should I write regularly about a subject of science (biology, ecology, even chemistry, physics or math) if I promise not to make it boring?
Also, I'm a foster mother of two children with handicaps. Anyone interested in how my family copes with that? I've learned some neat little tricks in the last 8 years.
My writing is good enough that I am agented (in German at least). I know the ins and outs of my trade, and I'm really good at plotting. Shall I write about writing?
I have noticed that there are many good blogs and websites "out there" (no, not the universe, the Internet). How about writing reviews of those sites as a sort of road map ("How to find what you're looking for")?

If you would like me to write about something you think I might know anything about, leave me a comment. If you want one of my suggestions, please leave me the numbers in a comment. My plan is to have a structure before the end of the month and schedule some posts that will hopefully interest many readers.

Join me on this journey and please help,
Cat

It's that time again

2010-12-22T18:14:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I wish all of you a merry Christmas and a gentle but happy New Year. May 2011 be a year that will make many of your dreams come true (not too many because it must surely be horrible not to have dreams any more).

See/Write you in 2011,
Cat

Recuperating

2010-12-05T16:25:00.004+01:00

Hi,
as you might have noticed, NaNo has been slightly more organized for me this year. I finished one novel (historical/time travel) and half of a second one (ghost story) for Middle Grade readers. Here's the picture I came up with for the first project:

Now, I'll let them rest. In January, I'll finish the second one, print them out and get started on the revision. As always, I an so tired after NaNo that I didn't get much done last week.

I went to see Megamind with the kids, and although the story line is predictable (for a writer like me anyway) it was fun to watch and the 3D effects were great. I even got dizzy when we were swept up over the roofs of the town (skyscrapers!).

I hope everybody is enjoying advent as much as I do.
Cat

NaNoWriMo 2010 is nearly over

2010-11-22T13:04:00.004+01:00

Hi,

This year, I'm actually managing to built the buffer I always need toward the end of the month. I know, going into NaNo, that I need to buffer at least two or three days (for my daughter's birthday), but in the three years I've been doing this, I never did it. This year, I not only managed to keep ahead of my daily goals, I also had no trouble catching up on two days I lost to a severe cut in my finger (five stitches!).
Now, how did I do that (edited to add: I meant writing so much despite the finger, not cutting it ;-) )? I used a tool by David Gale (still called NaNo-tracker, the name will change, soon) that automatically recalculated the amount of words I had to write the next days when I entered how much I did write that day. It's a really, really hand tool, not only for NaNo. He promised to adjust it so it's flexible enough for longer time periods and other months. I guess with it, I'll be able to double my productivity.

Good luck to all NaNoists, no matter how many words you managed. It's always a valiant try.
Cat

2010-11-07T12:19:00.003+01:00

Hi,

here's my next try at the logline-blurb thingy:

Sixteen year old Rieke Waldmann neither wants to follow her mother's advice to marry Heiner, the young miller, nor emigrate with her secret love Willem. When Willem leaves home and fights in the German revolution of 1848, Rieke battles her growing attraction to gentle Heiner, the only person who helps her cope with disturbing truths about her late father that could cost her her love, her friendship and her home.

It's definitely shorter but is it better, too?
Cat

P.S.: I think I commented on all the loglines/blurbs from those who commented on mine but if I missed yours, leave me a comment and I'll get to yours ASAP.

Logline Try

2010-11-04T09:01:00.002+01:00

Hi,

this is the logline (similar to a back cover blurb) for a novel I am currently working on. I would like your feedback if you don't mind.

TITLE: Victor's Rage
GENRE: YA historical

When her mother wants to marry sixteen year old Rieke Waldmann to the miller, Rieke realizes why equal rights and self-determination are so important to her secret love William. But Willem leaves home and fights in the German revolution of 1848, and Rieke battles her growing attraction to the gentle young miller, the first person to understand and appreciate her the way she is. Then, Rieke discovers disturbing truths about her late father, and choosing either of her suitors could cost her her love, her friendship and her home. (89 words)

Thanks a lot,
Cat

NaNoWriMo 2010

2010-11-02T08:57:00.002+01:00

Hi folks,

Yes, it's that time of the year again. I started quite well, yesterday, and I hope my story will continue to grow like this for the rest of the month. Since there are a couple of days I can't write, I'll have to built up a buffer. BTW, for those of you who are NaNoing too, befriend me (KatharinaKolata).

I'll try to post a tidbit now and then.

Cat

NaNoWriMo 2010

2010-10-17T11:42:00.002+02:00

Hi,

NaNo is going to be hard. I will only be able to write half the needed words on the weekends, and the 26th will be without any words because of my daughter's birthday. I found a great tool for deciding how many words I need to write the next day. It's by David Gale, and it's a calendar that re-calculates every time you enter how many words you plan to write or how many you wrote. Simple to use and great to see how hard I need to work. Check it out.

I'm looking forward to NaNo. I might even post more regularly. Weir as it may sound, doing non-NaNo-things improves my ability to keep up with my wordcount.

Good luck to all participants,
Cat

Interview again

2010-10-10T08:56:00.004+02:00

Hi,

my interview is up for anyone interested. Also, as I already knew, I didn't win the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's 2010 Colorado Gold Contest but I got a beautiful certificate for being a finalist. I might actually scan it in and put it on my website these days.

I sent out "Thicker Than Water" again, heavily revised and under the new (and less common) title "Urchin King". This time I approached two possible publishers right away. Since they will take up to 5 months to decide if they are interested, I decided to put querying it on hold till after NaNo.

BTW, I will take part in NaNoWriMo again this year (I participated and won twice). I finished planning a time-travel story for readers of 8 up and I'm, eager to get going. But first, I need to finish polishing the translation of my free online story, update my homepage and do a couple of other things that are urgent (like going to the doctor with one of my daughters).

I'll keep you posted on my progress, once NaNo begins.
Have fun,
Cat

Interview

2010-09-07T14:41:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I thought I'd let you know that there will be an interview with me over on Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz blog on Wednesday October 8th. Join me there.

Cat

Tuesday Funny

2010-08-24T09:19:00.003+02:00

Hi,

I found this little fellow on the net and couldn't resist. It's just for fun. You can feed the hamster, too. Just click anywhere on the picture and it will get off its wheel and eat. If you click on the middle of the wheel, it will get back on and run.

If you want an animal for your own blog, click on the name in the upper right hand corner and there are many more animals (a spider, a dog, fish and more).
Enjoy your day,
Cat

WriteOnCon

2010-08-21T21:29:00.002+02:00

Hi,

from August the 10th to the 12th I attended the first ever WriteOnCon, an online conference for kidlit writers. It was an absolutely stunning experience for me. Of course, there was much advice I had heard before but never this compact and in one place (check out the site since all the great stuff will still be available). I got to experience some agents I have queried in the past or will query soon (best were the life sessions), and I suddenly understood some of their rejections/responses. Also, I learned how to pronounce query!

Make sure that you join WriteOnCon 2011 if you are writing kidlit. I'll keep you posted (literally) when it will come.

Have a great day,
Cat

Happy dance!

2010-08-14T18:44:00.005+02:00

Hi all,

Guess what, my story Thicker Than Water (written with HTTS (see below) and the first novel I wrote in English without writing a German first draft) is a finalist in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest 2010 in Speculative Fiction from the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

I'm sure that I won't win because Kristin Nelson already rejected the manuscript a while ago, but the comments I received were very valuable and spot on. Now, I will revise the whole thing again, and maybe, I'll be able to find an agent then. I'm ever so excited. I would love to know though, how many entries there were per category.

Holly (and her courses How to Think Sideways and How to Revise Your Novel) rock!!! I can't say that often enough.

Enjoy life,
Cat (a very happy and purring one today)

P.S.: I'll rant about WriteOnCon next week. Promise.

forgetful me blush

2010-08-08T10:48:00.006+02:00

Hi,

I had meant to announce this ages ago. There is a super-awesome online conference from August 10th to 12th for everybody who writes for children. Six aspiring and well respected authors (like Casey McCormick, Jamie Harrington, Elana Johnson, Shannon Messenger, Lisa and Laura Roecker) host a conference for all those who cannot travel. Ideal for someone like me from Germany (or any other place in the word). And the best thing is that more than 1400 people already signed up. The forum is already very active and the timetable for the events of the first day is up (and it is as fantastic as I had hoped it would be). I am very much looking forward to this and hope to see (read) some of you over there, too.

Here is the video that invites everybody to join:

Hope to see you there,
Cat

Will you defend PIRACY?

2010-07-19T11:31:00.006+02:00

Famous composer Jason Robert Brown has a great discussion on the theft of intellectual property over at his blog. Maybe I'm too old, but I do not understand the girls arguments. For me, it is obvious that someone suffers when I steal. I have been raised to respect someone else's property (and there is no difference if this is a thing you can touch or a thought/idea/song/story). Aren't kids like her aware that they are actually stealing? Do they think writing a song or a story or a novel is easy-peasy and we, the creators (authors, songwriters etc), do it just for fun?

Writing a short story can take me as long as a week. Writing a novel will take the better part of a year, if I work 4-8 hrs a day. I do not think it is justified for ANYONE BUT ME to distribute anything I worked so hard for for free. If I decide to give it away, it is my choice. If someone else steals it and passes it on, it is not my choice - and this is not considering the form of compensation for the work of a human being that societies all over the world agreed upon (talking about money here).

If young people do not understand that what they are doing is illegal and hurts the artist they (admittedly) admire, they might wake up in a world where artists just can't afford to create any more because they are too busy to make ends meet.

Think about it, and please spread awareness about piracy if you can.
Cat

P.S.: In Germany, you will get into jail for four years if you are caught. I think that although it might not help much, I might make some kids reconsider.

Revision is GREAT

2010-07-04T11:38:00.003+02:00

Hi,

my kids and I spent last week house-sitting my parents home. We did a lot: swimming (since it was very hot), cinema, building a kitchen for my brother and his wife, visiting friends and more. Still, I managed to finish my current revision. That means, I've got plenty of time to print it out and send it to the publisher I have in mind for it.

To tell the truth, without Holly Lisle's "How to Revise Your Novel" the story wouldn't have been half as good. It took me ages to work my way through all the lessons but it was well worth it. Also, next time it's going to be less work, because the last lesson is about streamlining the revision process.

Now, I can focus on my 33 Mistakes project, and I will begin revising "Waffenruhe" (Swordplay), my current WIP. I never thought I'd say that but I am looking forward to the revision.

Hehe, I might even find the time to tidy up my study before I start the next project.

One last thing, remember to look at my free online, serialized Fantasy novel "The Witches of Greenwitch". We are nearing mid-point and all important characters have been introduced but two.

Happy summer holiday to everybody,
Cat

Steam Engines

2010-06-21T11:35:00.003+02:00

Hi,

I love steam engine trains. Yesterday, we went to look at one on our bikes. When I explained a couple of technical details to my kids, the drive asked us if we wanted a ride. Of course, we wanted! The kids loved it, the dog was scared stiff (you can hear him in the background if you listen closely), and I felt like in a dream come true.

Here's the video:

Enjoy, life is great.
Cat

stumbling over the finishing line

2010-06-08T12:46:00.003+02:00

Hi,

for the last few year I have been blaming my kids for being so tired. The last few days it was so bad that I couldn't stand it any longer. I knew exactly what I needed to write, the scene was there in my mind but I stared at the document and didn't get a word on (virtual) paper. I was so tired that I could have slept all day.

So I went to see a doctor, who sent me to another doctor, who sent me back to the first one. Diagnosis? Nothing dangerous, only a lack of iron (again) and hypothyroidism. Just knowing the diagnosis made me feel better. After sleeping nearly 10 hrs last night, I wrote 2500 words today, catching up on what I had missed visiting all the docs. In a few days, when my regional doc has all the results, I will get the right kind of medicine. Hopefully, my old vigor will return and with it the wordcounts necessary for the next NaNoWriMo. ;-)

Thank whoever you believe in for all the things we take for granted: health, food, peace. Life could be worse.
Cat

endings - a love and hate affair

2010-05-18T12:24:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I'm nearing the end of my first draft ( a mere 10K shorter than planned but with lots of ideas how to reach the wordcount goal in revision), and I notice that I begin to procrastinate again. This happens every time I get close to the showdown of a story (exception: short stories).

It is such a good time for writing, since life has pretty much returned to normal, but instead of my usual 1000-1500 words per day, I can't manage more that 800-900. And that's not because I have problems with my planned ending. I've been looking forward to that end ever since I started writing the story. Somehow, I just seem reluctant to let the story go. Does that happen to other writers, too?

Well, off to work we go...
Cat

Neglected

2010-05-06T11:48:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I'm very sorry that I neglected this blog. There was so much going on that I just didn't find the time to write anything useful. As you can see by my word-count-o-meter in the sidebar (which I do update regularly), I reached the homestretch of my current WIP "Waffenruhe/Swordplay". At the same time, I had a second request for the full manuscript of "Thicker Than Water" which shows me that my skills of query-writing have improved somewhat.

Also, my eldest daughter decided to move out. It wasn't easy to find the right place, took a lot of time to get everything sorted, and the rearrangements in my family life are not over yet. But she is happy in her new home and already made some friends.

All in all, a good time - if busy.
Enjoy life,
Cat

Happy Easter

2010-04-02T09:31:00.003+02:00

Hi,

just popping in to wish you a great time over the Easter holidays (regardless your religion). I so hope the weather will last (it's really warm and sunny today), so that the kids can have fun. We're at my parents, so I'll keep this short.

Just in case you wonder, my writing is flowing really well. I wrote twice as many words the last week as usually. I truly believe that I'll finish the first draft of "Waffenruhe" by the end of May.

Enjoy life,
Cat

P.S.: If you haven't, check out my free serialized online fantasy-novel "The witches of Greenwitch". You might like it.

Working hard

2010-03-24T13:16:00.005+01:00

Hi,

for the first time in 8 years I am child-less again but this time it doesn't pain me. My eldest is trying out assisted living and my two little ones visit their grandparents. What does that mean for me? I can catch up on many things I didn't do during the winter. For example, I will start to work in my garden which is in great need (I didn't do much for the last 5 years).

Also, I'll be around the Internet to promote my free serialized online fantasy-novel "The Witches of Greenwitch" (also available in German). My first interview is up on Beth Revis Blog. She is a wonderful author and I am itching to read her first novel (a Sci-Fi that will be published sometime soon).

I will put a lot of time into my writing. Currently, my agent is at Bologna Children Book Fair and I want my new project to be nearly done when she's back.

But most of all, I will spend time with my husband. We haven't been a true couple for several years. Always, time is running short and work or children interfere. The last time we were able to do something without the kids was a birthday dinner. We had a marvelous three hours just to ourselves. I can't begin to contemplate what a whole week will do for our relationship.

Oh, and as a final treat, I found this truly hilarious video on the net and thought I'd share.

Enjoy life. It's wonderful!
Cat

New Chalenges Ahead

2010-02-26T13:56:00.003+01:00

Hi,

finally, my free serialized fantasy-novel "The Witches of Greenwitch" goes online on March the 2nd. It will launch simultaneously in English and German.

In the story, a mysterious stone magics book-rat Melissa to the world of Greenwitch where she meets fairy tales creatures that are not at all what she expected. Desperately, she looks for a way home and tries to ignore her past which pops up at the most inappropriate moments. At the same time, dangerous pursuers are at her heels getting closer by the minute.

I very much hope you will like the story and promote it to your friends. It's absolutely free and if all goes as planned it will update regularly.

Also, I forgot to update my word-count for the current projects. I am getting words on the page faster than ever before (it's still slow but no longer at a snails pace) and I am having fun with it. It's an Urban-Fantasy mystery this time. I'm looking forward to my agent's reaction since it's a little different from what I wrote before.

Enjoy the spring. It's coming: slow but strong.
Cat

another contest

2010-02-08T09:30:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I'm finally back from my health retreat. It was great and I feel invigorated. Maybe I'll post a picture or two some time later. But for now, an announcement:

I'll take part in a writing contest for MG/YA books on Chuck Sambuccino's blog Guide to Literary Agents. It is a recurring contest but the subjects will change with every contest. The first one was "Memoirs and Narrative Nonfiction". Come and join. It's fun.

The big price is a 25 pages critique by agent Jennifer Laughran. Since the contest will be open for several days (till 21st of Feb) I do not envy her. It will be a lot of work!

Enjoy your life,
Cat

Contest

2010-01-02T22:45:00.004+01:00

Hi,

First, A HAPPY NEW YEAR to everybody!

For those with a MG or YA novel finished and polished, there is a great oportunity to win feedback from Mary Cole, and agent of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Enter your forst 500 words in her Kidlit Contest, set a few links and you're in. Good luck.

Cat

Merry Christmas everyone

2009-12-21T16:41:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I wish you all a merry Christmas. This year is the first since my hubby started his job here that he won't have to work. So we'll enjoy it and visit our families for a few days. Also, it's going to be a white Christmas. What more can the kids wish for... (actually, the lists are long ;-) )

I will try to post a picture of our Christmas tree some time early January. Keep your fingers crossed that I will find enough time to write with all the celebration stuff going on.

Have a wonderful time,
Cat

New Project

2009-12-08T08:35:00.004+01:00

I’m getting started on my new project and hope to complete it (incl. revision) some time in May. I had planned to start it during NaNo after I finished my last project but I got ill and wrote short-stories instead. I’ll send one of those (a ghost story aimed at kids 6-12) to a competition today.

My new project is a Fantasy-murder-mystery called "Swordplay" and I plan to market it as Urban Fantasy. It’s aimed at older teens, so it needs a good love-sub-plot. I did all my dot-and-lines and my Sentences Lite in November, so I can did right into it first thing tomorrow morning.

Today, I will finally be able to finish my assignment for Holly’s HtRYN-course. I had troubles getting it done because my printer refused to print the last few pages and Holly specifically said: No reading on the screen. I hate that printer and need some money to buy a new one. So keep your fingers crossed that my short-story wins (because that would earn me enough for a printer)

Help Fundraising

2009-12-03T09:25:00.002+01:00

Hi,

as an author my main goal is to get people to read more. What better group is there to imprint reading habits than children? When I stumbled over TU Publishing on Beth's blog I immediately thought their plan a worthy goal. Stacy Whitman is trying to raise the funds to start an independent publishing company (called Tu Publishing) to publish YA and MG stories with a fantastical and/or multi-cultural background. They hope to get more young readers to identify with the characters in the book if ethnic background isn't all Western. If you want to help too, click here:

If you need more convincing watch this movie:

Live your dreams,
Cat

Final NaNo for 2009

2009-11-30T15:52:00.002+01:00

Hi,

this will be the last post on NaNo for this year. I surprised myself by winning. After feeling to numb to write a single line for several days I never thought I'd catch up. But I did. Now I can concentrate on revising my last novel while planning the next. That is the rhythm I like.

I'm looking forward to writing my next project (Urban Fantasy) and I expect to begin some time in January.

Oh, and welcome to my followers. I never thought I'd get any. ;-)

I wish you a wonderful advent,
Cat

more NaNo

2009-11-25T09:05:00.000+01:00

Hi,

I started so well and now I am behind. What happened? My story is well planned and my fingers itch to write but ... I caught a cold and didn't go to the doctor. It turned out to be a bad infection of the lung and it took me two weeks to get back on track writing wise. Every word I write leaves me exhausted. By now I am feeling better. The last few days were a mad dash to catch up but I am feeling exited enough to keep trying. If all goes well I might still make it.

Hope you are all well,
Cat

NaNoWriMo

2009-11-04T12:20:00.003+01:00

Hi,

so, I am doing it again, this year. Am I crazy or a word addict? Maybe a bit of both. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those who don't know) has come again and I am already fully involved. I wrote 6.984 words in the last four days and it was fun to do. I didn't even had to hustle like last year. With all my kids in school till noon, I finally have the time to write the whole morning. I am surprised about myself how much I get done in 4 hours.

Currently, I am finishing my Amadi-project because I like it too much to abandon it. And I don't feel like returning to it after writing another novel. That means I won't be able to start my NaNo-novel before the 12th. I decided to "cheat" a little and count both novels. After all, I began the third part of Amadi (planned 25.000 words) on November 1st and even if it is more of a novelette, I'll get a finished draft by the middle of the month. Then, I'll dig into my brand new, shiny project called "Swordplay". I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and for all those NaNo-ers out there: Have you already donated to keep the fun going for another year?

Finally, here is an announcement. Since I finished translating "Victor's Rage" in time, I will do a special pre-release print run for all people who loved "Ann Angel's Freedom". Everybody who is interested in owning a copy long before it will be officially published, should contact me or leave a comment with his/her email address on this post. I will try hard to get it done in time for x-mas.

Follow your dream to wherever it may lead,
Cat

Finished

2009-10-30T16:22:00.007+01:00

Hi,

I'm tired. I've been working really hard and I did get "Victor's Rage" translated. Also, I managed to finish two of three parts of Amadi, my current WIP, only to hear from my agent that not many publishers are interested in the story. She is still waiting for the answer of one or two publishers but I don't have high hopes. Now, I know how Holly Lisle must have felt when the last part of her "Sun and Moon"-trilogy was canceled.

Still, I won't whine. Also, I will finish Amadi because I really like this story and it would be a shame to drop it. I might just take more time than I had originally planned. Out of sadness, I decided to take part in NaNoWriMo again, this year. I will write a fantasy-mystery - again a project that doesn't fit neatly into a box.

I think it is time for publishers to start thinking outside of boxes. With the current developments in e-book-reading devices, it is likely that shelf-space won't matter much in the future (not the very near future but not too far away either). To get my own career started, I am looking for ways to built up an audience but I have to think and plan some more before I can go public.

Hope you don't feel as down as I do,
Cat

Nearing completion

2009-10-22T11:20:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I am slowly getting to the end of "Victor's Rage". There are only 8 pages to go and a last read through to make the language as polished as I am able to. Then it will go out to a proof-reader (I'm lucky enough to have found one who's really fast). If all goes well, it should be done by the end of next week.

Also, my new project is coming up nicely. Yesterday, I had a great idea concerning the magical system for it. The best time for planning new project is a boring wait while one of the kids is doing something interesting (like sport or music).

Please leave a comment if you want to be notified about my secret plans for "Victor's Rage", the sequel to "Ann Angel's Freedom".

Have a great time,
Cat

Plans

2009-10-14T11:33:00.004+02:00

Hi,

it seems that I haven't been as back as I had planned. Sorry for that but I did get a lot done meanwhile. I have most of my historical novel translated (translating "Ann Angel's Freedom" took a year, this one will be done under 3 months), finished part two of my WIP and did a last revision on a story that I plan to post online for free both in German and English. Also, I found a very talented girl who will do illustrations for every chapter I post but she need to built up a buffer before we can start. After all, she is just taking her final exams in school and that is a lot of work, too.

Now, I am working double time to get my WIP done before NaNoWriMo starts again. I got all the planning done but need to close my WIP first before I can concentrate on a new project. I am really looking forward to that. It's going to be a fantasy Who-Done-it and I'm really eager to start. December and January will be devoted to revision. After all, I will have two finished first drafts lying around by then - if all goes as planned.

I wish you as much fun as I am currently having,
Cat

I'm back

2009-09-27T15:06:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I finally caught up with my writing. The translation of "Victor's Rage" is 3/4 done and I am happy with what I manage each day. Also my current project is shaping up nicely.
So I took the weekend off and made a film with the kids. It's an advertisement for Holly Lisle's "How to Revise Your Novel" course that will start in January (just in time for my next NaNoWriMo-project.
Enjoy and if you like it, pleas vote for me.

Have a wonderful week and go, go go for your goals,
Cat

short break

2009-09-13T12:13:00.000+02:00

Hi,

I'll not be posting for a while to catch up with my translation. I am not in best-form these days. Something is creeping up to me but wouldn't make me ill enough to justify staying in bed. So I trudge along at half speed. As soon as I am better, I'll post some more.

Cat

A Short Notice

2009-08-31T08:56:00.001+02:00

Hi,

I am glad to announce that Chuck Sambucciono from "Guide to Literary Agents" accepted my guest post. Check it out.

Cat

Website update

2009-08-24T20:04:00.003+02:00

Hi,

I finally managed to update my website. The design is fabulous (by the friend of a friend), don't you think? I also rearranged the structure of the whole site to make it more intuitive to use and I included all my Works in Progress (WIPs). I hope you'll like it. Leave me a comment if you like.

Thanks,
Cat

Sand Animation

2009-08-17T10:42:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I've never seen anything like it and it broke my heart to know that my own ancestors (grandfathers, great-uncles etc) were part of this. War lets the worst of human nature surface.

I'm sorry,
Cat

Headstart for How to Think Sideways students

2009-08-11T08:49:00.009+02:00

Hi,

I stumbled over an article on how important it is in the publishing industry to keep your deadlines. Unless your book is really, really wanted by the publisher, it can happen that they cancel the contract and ask for the advance money back if you don't hand in the manuscript in time. The article claims that this is getting more common although the publishers do not admit to it readily.

Thanks to Holly's course, we do have two big advantages: 1. we learn how to calculate deadlines that we can keep and how to keep them, and 2. we learn to write books that are really, really wanted by the publisher.

Feel free to join us over at How to Think Sideways (if you're not already a member).

Cat

closing the gap

2009-08-03T15:27:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I am nearing the completion of the first part of my WIP. As soon as I have, I will start revisions on it (which I usually don't do) because my agent has requested it. I hope to be done with revising by mid-August. My fingers are itching to keep writing part two and three of the story. Also, I want to finish this project in time for NaNoWriMo, where I plan to start on a fantasy-mystery.

I decided to put the translation on hold till Wednesday. With my kids still around and their three cousins to raise the level of noise to ear splitting quality, I find it hard to concentrate on a different language.

I'm really glad that school starts again on Thursday. Then, we'll only have to survive the school-beginning party for my youngest (Saturday) and the baptism of my niece (Sunday) and everything will return to normal.

Keep working,
Cat

writing with kids on holiday

2009-07-17T09:21:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I planned on writing 500-1000 words a day and translate 2000 words during the holidays. I didn't remember the chaos from the last time the kids were home for the whole day. Maybe I made myself forget. There are tantrums, fights over nothing, requests of going swimming (or other activities) and triple the amount of housework - plus the fruit that need to be harvested and made into jam and jelly. So far, I managed the translation goal but fell way behind on the writing. And that in spite of my fingers itching to write this story. I realize that I get more short tempered already. Luckily, I'll take the kids for a week at their grandparents, soon. That means that I might be able to catch up. But I am really, really looking forward to the beginning of the next term, especially since my youngest will start school this year, too.

Keep reading,
Cat

The world's best promotion for any writer

2009-07-03T21:23:00.004+02:00

Hi,

have you ever asked yourself what's possibly the best way to promote your books? The answer is simple yet complicated. Any serious writer always also is a reader or (s)he would not be so fascinated by books. So, the best kind of promotion should be the one that turns non-readers into readers.

I have always been a reader and I spend more money on books than I spend on shoes. I read many genres including (but not limited to) mysteries, thrillers, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, YA, MG and non-fiction. Even the occasional picture book can be found in my collection.

But only when I began pursuing my writing career I realized how important reading really is. Why then do we value it so little in our language? An avid reader is often referred to as a book-worm or a book-rat (book-pack-rat if (s)he keeps the books). Why can't we use more cuddly animals in the comparison? A book-squirrel or -fawn would be far more attractive. And "carried away by winged horses" is so much more poetic than "glued to the page".

I believe that we as writers will benefit immensely if we begin to show others (by living it) that reading is a wonderful skill, one that many people in other countries strive for and never will be able to get due to circumstances. Try a reading session at your next barbecue or a "guess the book"-game at your next family reunion. What's more, I'd suggest to stop using dismissive words for those that love to read. Writers need readers, so start promoting any kind of reading with all your heart. In the long run, every writer will benefit from your efforts.

Try not to limit your promotion to your own books but include those you treasured or that you think someone else might enjoy. Reach out to people who just haven't discovered what they would like to read. I have been doing that for a couple of years now and it is great fun. Also, with 1.500 books on varying genres in my attic and a good library in town that isn't too daunting a task.

Remember: If you take the scenic route you get to know the area better,
Cat

back to work

2009-06-29T11:07:00.004+02:00

Hi,

I managed to do most of my webpages over the weekend. Now, all that I need to do is to make the new layout out of the picture I've gotten from the designer. I'll probably do that next weekend but I won't promise. After all, the kids are on holiday and they do have the right to interrupt. ;-)

As you might have noticed, I am back into writing. This morning (after finishing my bureaucracy stuff) I continued writing "Amadi" I am quite happy with what I wrote. In the next scene she will meet her adversary for the first time. So I am very much looking forward to writing that scene.

In the afternoon, I might manage to translate a bit more of "Victor's Rage" the sequel to "Ann Angel's Freedom". I am planning to get it done in time for x-mas shopping. Since it is somehow more work to translate a novel than to write it, I might take longer. But I promise that I will give my best to reach that goal.

Keep writing,
Cat

restructuring my webpage

2009-06-23T11:30:00.009+02:00

Hi,

I did not forget to post or to write. I had been ill for a few days and then I began to restructure my website (which is taking longer than planned because I decided to include all my books - even the ones that are good enough for publication but haven't been "discovered" yet). I began to sort my books by genre - one being "Poems and Literature". Suddenly, my muse attacked and I had to write a poem for the entrance page (see below). This has happened before with surprising results. Now, all I needed to do was to translate it... and that took at least three times as long as writing it.

Once in a while, Muse grabs me good,
pulls my hair, my shirt, my foot
strangles, nips and tortures me
(I cannot stand that comfortably)
I write down all the words she speaks
on paper though my pencil squeaks.

They aren't funny and bad as well.
My Muse never rests and you can tell.
She neither stops at night nor day
until she's finished all the way.
But stunned I sometimes stare and stand
with a poem in my hand!
Katharina Gerlach, 21. Juni 2009

Enjoy,
Cat

Free weekend

2009-06-15T18:09:00.006+02:00

Hi,

last weekend I visited a friend and together we went to a concert in Dortmund. We came back very exhausted but satisfied. It was really good to do something for myself again. I haven't been able to do that since my first daughter was born. The only drawback is that with only four hours of sleep, tiredness kept me away from the PC most of today. I hope to be back to normal tomorrow.

Soon, my website will get a new look. The layout (as a picture) is perfect but I will need some time to turn it into a website. Therefore, my writing will suffer a little. I am still aiming to get "Victor's Rage" done in time for Christmas this year and I am looking into different POD-publishers at the moment. Here is a little preview of the possible cover:

I am really looking forward to finishing the translation. It takes away so much writing time form my other project and I just love writing "Amadi". When I was a kid I enjoyed the usual fairy tales of 1001 night (like Aladin and Ali Baba). I only discovered recently that most of the stories have far more adult content. It's worth getting a copy if you don't already have one.

Enjoy your week,
Cat

Amadi and the Phoenix - part one

2009-06-07T12:16:00.001+02:00

Hi,

The main character for my new project is Amadi. At the beginning of the story she is roughly 13 years old, stealing a flute for her foster sister - the only person who treats her nice. Of course she is caught and gets into deeper trouble from there on. ;-)

This is what she looks like:

I love having a visual at least for my main character. It keeps me focused and also reminds me that those people in my head are real (in a different sense from you and I but real nonetheless).

Have a nice Sunday,
Cat

New Release

2009-06-03T09:22:00.006+02:00

Hi,

shortly, a new anthology will be published in Germany with my story "Wedding Nights" in it. My story was sparked by a nightmare I had and although it became a really good story I still feel uncomfortable reading it. It sends shivers down my spine (isn't that supposed to happen in a good horror story?)

Ganz schön bissig

I really enjoyed reading the other stories because they were so different from mine. Not all stories in this book are horror. Some tackle the subject with humor others with awe but all use a lookout different from Vampire clichés.

I hope this book will be a success.
Keep reading, writing and living,
Cat

I'm back

2009-05-31T12:39:00.003+02:00

Hi,

after a long time without Internet I am now returning. I started my new project and finished the second scene. Yesterday, we celebrated the confirmation of my eldest daughter and although it was a lot of work it also was fun.

I am planning on writing roughly 1000 words of "Amadi" and two pages of the translation of "Victor's Rage" a day, excluding weekends and Tuesdays. After all, I have a family to look after. Also, my homepage will get a major site overhaul in the near future which might take away some writing time.

The first part of "Amadi" will tell the story of a foundling girl who becomes a member of the guild of thieves in a male dominated world (in a 1001 Arabian Nights Setting) to find out who killed her beloved teacher.

Also, I found two interesting quizzes on the net. With the first one you can find out what kind of reading personality you are (I am all four in equal measures but I already suspected that). In the second you find out whick book you would be if you were turned into one (I am "Timeline" by Michael Crichton: I am energetic, passionate, scientific, and very intriguing in your history (that's what the quiz-result said, not me!). I am the perfect mixture of quantum physics and European history of the High Middle Ages. My characters are thought out, dynamic, and interesting. I am thrilling.).

And last but not least, one of the five American agents I sent "Thicker Than Water" to requested a partial (I saw a statistic on some agents blog and she didn't request a single manuscript in nearly 200, so I am reasonable proud of this success).

Keep reading and/or writing and enjoy the world,
Cat

my DSL gets more erratic by the minute

2009-05-25T10:42:00.002+02:00

Hi,

I'm using a friends PC at the moment so I'll keep it short. My DSL is somehow broken and I am currently not able to update anything. I'll focus on writing instead (my new project) a´nd if all goes well I will update all my webpages sometime in early June.

Cat

Long absence

2009-05-06T09:35:00.005+02:00

Hi,

I do apologize for my long absence. I am experiencing weird problems with my Internet connection. Something keeps disconnecting me - sometimes for several days. My provider has managed to get me onto a line that only breaks down every half hour but that is annoying enough. So I spent less time on my blogs and other Internet-stuff.

All the better that Holly Lisle has put up a new and very informative video-site where she dissects small samples of her students' writing. The first video is great and made me aware of some mistakes I am prone of myself. Here it is:

If you are interested in learning more, try out Holly's writing tools for yourself and learn to Think Sideways

Carpe Diem,
Cat

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