okwrites

[okwrites]

WRITEBLR INTRO

Hey, guys. My name is October and I am a published author with a to do list 200 miles long. I write fantasy, I hate writing bios and introductions, and I am also a comic script writer.

I have two books, one novella, and one short story published. I keep getting compared to Diana Wynne Jones, which BLOWS MY MIND every time someone says it, and I am trying very hard to get more stuff out and published.

I am a frequent convention guest and public speaker. I'm doing a keynote address at an event on March 20th, 2024, I am guesting at 3 conventions and speaking at a 4th but not a guest, I am waiting to hear from two more shows.

I have to write with a heater or fan on for the white noise. My ADHD is a nightmare, but my spreadsheet game is strong. My favorite things in the world are ice cream and good books. And video games. And my dogs. And...okay, I have a lot of favorites.

I am disabled, LGBTQ+, and only five feet tall.

WIPS:

At Midnight's Bell

Cinderella retelling

Transgender main character

City of Death

Third in a trilogy

Book 2 coming this summer (City of Night)

Book 1 already out (City of Day)

Scary ghosts! Political intrigue! Power struggles!

STRONG found family

The Burden of Water

First in a series of TWELVE

I have no regrets about anything but the sheer number of POVs

This book has a MASSIVE cast

The Serpent's Fault

Outline mode, not drafting yet

Dragons

Gay romance

Found family

The Quirky Cup Society

MAGIC TEACUPS

A mystery

A handsome Duke

An awkward Lord

They're in love

Saltsong

Novella, will be FREE

Available hopefully by the end of 2024

Magic singing

Changing the world one jam at a time

[okwrites]

I have decided that since I must be presentable and marketable and crap on other social medias, tumblr is where I shall become a nerdy gremlin with little to no filter and a hoard of books that I sit upon like a dragon.

[okwrites]

Note to self...

Just a little something I though of that might encourage some interactions around these parts. Feel free to use these daily prompts and ideas on your own page! Don't forget, if someone comments on your response, try to comment on their's!

Meet the character Monday: Introduce us to one of your characters!

Tip of the world Tuesday: Tell us something interesting about the world your character lives in. Go deep into your world lore/building

WIP Wednesday: Post a paragraph from your current wip. Make sure to comment on other's works!

Thirsty Thursday: Talk about one of your ships in you WIP. If there isn't any romance involved, talk to us about the kinds of relationships your character has with other characters.

Fun fact Friday: Give us a random fun fact about a character/setting/etc.

Sit down Saturday: What do your character's do in their downtime? What are some common recreational things people do in your world?

Source Sunday: What inspirations did you draw from for your WIP

[okwrites]

COMING IN APRIL -

Long time, no update, ANYWAY...

I just spent all of January and February busting butt to get this mini-series of four novellas all done and off to the editor. GOOD NEWS, the editor has them and they aren't my problem again until next week.

GOODER NEWS...

They'll all be available IN PRINT as a single volume: The Book of the Witch's Son. Pre-Orders are set to open in April, with release following soon after.

SPECIAL THANKS to Joze and Amphi, the best cover team on the planet. Joze did the art, and Amphi did the typography, and we love them for that.

[okwrites]

Okay I know I am an author, and this is meant to be my writing Tumblr, but uh. I just spent two days building a prep school in the Sims 4 with crazy amounts of detail?

Adonis Preparatory Academy, for your FANCY Sims, full of wealthy people history and prestige and they have a gym and a pool and locker rooms and gardens and clutter on their desks with individual name tags. I've been play testing it today, and everything works!

[okwrites]

I have been on such a roll that I forgot to rock.

[okwrites]

Just finished fan art for Jeth, the main character from October Santerelli's Glimmers in the Night novella. I loved this little witch boi lots and the transformation he went through by the end of the story just inspired me to make something. Please go patronize October's work, he's a friend! You can read the full novella here. You can find him at @okwrites✨ He also has a new book out, called City of Day. It rules tremendously.

[okwrites]

SO MANY people are buying my book and it's so cute to get all the little pictures.

[okwrites]

Every time I see a ‘modern au’ ft a character that has some sort of limb replacement like a metal arm or w/e and the ‘cool au version’ of it is a sleeve tattoo I literally want to reach through the screen and slap some sense into whoever posted it

They got a prosthetic in canon they gonna get a prosthetic in the au!!!! Because, I know this is a little far-fetched, but people who need prosthetics actually exist!!! In real life?! What a coincidence?!

[okwrites]

February 21, 2023 - FINAL UPDATE

For a chronological timeline of the entire Harper strike, click here.

Today was the Harper Union’s first day back at their desks.

Collective action works.

The union tweeted out a full summation of their agreement with HarperCollins here, but the highlights are as follows:

Minimum wage increase, immediately to $47,500 with a ramp-up to $50,000 by 2025.

A $1,500 bonus for all union members, presumably to partially offset the costs of being left without a paycheck by their company since November

Guaranteed annual raises for all marked satisfactory or above

Union letter and membership card included in new-hire packets

Joint Labor/Management committee to meet monthly

Time on aforementioned committee and/or all company-sponsored DEI activities will be seen as and paid as work time (as opposed to the free labor junior employees were expected to contribute previously)

Juneteenth and Presidents’ Day added as permanent paid holidays (as opposed to, you know, a one-time publicity stunt a la June 2020)

Return-to-office not mandated for union employees until July 1 (currently, Harper expects employees to live and work in NYC)

The above are just the guaranteed, contractually mandated changes that will be implemented at Harper. This does not include the ripple effects that have already begun in the rest of the industry.

Collective action works.

[okwrites]

Heads Up Seven Tag

I was tagged by @thesorcererspen to post the last 7 lines of a story!

Here's the last 7 lines I wrote.

Cord was tall with broad shoulders. He was built like a hound, all lean muscle and sharp features. Still, he wasn’t that intimidating. He tried to soften his appearance and reassure her with a smile. “Sorry to bother you. I’m looking for a good inn. Somewhere with a decent bed and a hot meal will do.”

She didn’t look convinced, by either the smile or the pleasant tone of Cord’s words. Reluctantly, she twisted to point the way. 

“Thanks.”

Cord clicked his tongue and gave the reins a shake, and Nosewise was off once more. 

Now I have to tag three people! @ddbirb - @elizaellwrites - @awordchemist

Your turn! Have fun!

[okwrites]

Oh hey, this is me! :D

Author on a podcast, having a good time.

Join HC and Wolf for another episode of the Outcast as they talk with @okwrites about a few different things, but most importantly their new book City of Day releasing February 23rd. As always we hope you enjoy, and let us know what you think. And go give October some love.

-Wolf

[okwrites]

I have a book launch on the 23rd

so basically I haven't done anything but marketing work and it's been CRAZY. I am very tired.

CITY OF DAY, book one of the Nightfall series, out Feb 23.

[okwrites]

Just got back from a massive writing conference.

My take away? I need to nap more.

[okwrites]

Writing Space (especially for those without space):

So not everyone has access to separate spaces for writing and fun stuff. Not everyone has more than one computer they can set up in various rooms of various houses. So here's a few of my ways that I establish a difference between 'work' and 'fun' in my mind, even in the same spot.

Slippers, socks, or shoes. Have a work set. I have a set of slippers I wear for comfort, and a work pair that fits tighter and kind of feels like shoes. Can't stand that? Try a work hoodie/sweater or a work hat.

Candles, lava lamps, etc. Set up something that makes a visible difference on your desk when it is 'on'. A neon light on the wall, a lava lamp, lighting a candle or incense, even just a regular table lamp you only use during 'work' time.

Sounds. I have a list of soundtracks from Chronicles of Narnia that I only listen to when I am working. Makes great background music, doesn't interrupt me, I don't even register it half the time - but my brain knows that is the work music, and that helps me get stuff done.

You can use any visual indicators you want, like putting a citrine crystal on your desk (for creativity!), or a tactile element (like a headset for gaming, no headset for work), or whatever you like, really - but try to cover as many senses as you can. I like visual, tactile, scent, and sound.

[okwrites]

[okwrites]

Why Writing Sprints can help ADHD Authors:

So many of you might already know this, but ADHD comes with a great big heaping side of Executive Dysfunction. What that is, in its simplest form, is the inability to see the end result of a task, so we won't start it. This is a biological tie over from when we were the 'hunters' of the hunter/gatherer class - we aren't about to go follow a deer we don't think we can catch up to, kill, and eat. It's a waste of our resources and energies.

Well, today that looks like not knowing what the end of a book or story will look like, or what the finished product will be like, or looking at all the steps that come AFTER writing, and we're like: Oh no, nope, too much.

One of the ways to overcome that is with adrenaline, which is why procrastination is a motivator for us. However, that puts us in a negative space in order to accomplish things and it can feel kind of crap.

So writing sprints (where you set a timer and write for 15, 20, or 30 minutes at a time) overcome this whole thing by creating an artificial deadline. It's not quite a kick of adrenaline, but your brain can see the end. It's not even that far away, 15 to 30 minutes can FLY by. This is not for everyone, but if you are struggling to get words down, give it a go for 3 or 4 days, see if it grows on you and gets you writing.