January 2024 Wrap-Up Post

February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Ah, January, the new start to the year and the time when “new year, new me” expectations weigh heavily upon us. As much as I try to temper that feeling in January, this year it felt more like December 2.0 as I tried to wrap up the projects I had left from 2023 before diving into my main goals for 2024. Let’s get into it. Here were the goals I made for January:

Finish/edit “An Unexpected Question”
Format/upload/send out “An Unexpected Question”
Start brainstorming The Reanimator Mysteries #3 and doing research
Research selling books on my website/Etsy (and if I want to do it)
Start checking/proofing the audiobook of The Reanimator’s Soul as the chapters come in
Do Sarra Cannon’s 2-3 day class on long-term goal setting
Write more days than not (aka get into a better habit)
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my January newsletter with “An Unexpected Question”

Books

In January, my goal was to read 8 books, and I read 10.

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail (#2) by Ashley Herring Blake- 4 stars, a stuffy interior designer who is also stuck in her life falls for a carpenter still mourning her last relationship but trying to start anew by fixing up her family’s B&B.
J. C. Leyendecker: American Imagist by Judy and Lawrence Cutler- 4 stars, a great coffee table book of artwork that has a lot of good info on Leyendecker as a person/queer artist.
Never Whistle at Night collected by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.- 4 stars, a fabulous collection of horror and dark tales by indigenous authors. I added so many new authors to my tbr pile.
This Lord’s Father (#3.5) by KJ Charles- 4 stars, a short epilogue to the Will Darling series.
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (#9) by Seanen McGuire- 5 stars, I really love this series, but this one in particular hints at other books to come and takes care of some older threads.
Therapy Game (#1) by Meguru Hinohara- 4 stars, a serious veternary students belatedly realizes he’s queer after a bad break-up with his ex girlfriend and falls for a prickly photographer who works at the local drag club.
Therapy Game (#2) by Meguru Hinohara- 4 stars, see above.
Fence: Redemption (#6) by C. S. Pacat and Joanna the Mad, a fun volume where we get to see the MCs have a little date and the tension grows between two of their teammates.
Ivy, Angelica, Bay (#2) by C. L. Polk- 5 stars, I adored this historical-fantasy. It’s short but has so much crammed into it about family, community, and there’s also bees.
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain- 4 stars, an interesting look at the culinary world, and with Anthony Bourdain narrating the audiobook, his voice as a writer truly shines.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

Attended Sarra Cannon’s “Your Path Forward” class, did all the lessons and such for that
Approved the first chapter of the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Soul (coming in late spring as long as all goes well)
Researched selling books on my website and such (not doing anything with this yet)
Finished writing “An Unexpected Question” (TRM #2.5), #1.5 is here
Edited and proofed “An Unexpected Question” (TRM #2.5)
Formatted, uploaded, and sent out “An Unexpected Question” to my newsletter subscribers
Was interviewed by Chaos Gays and Teatrays
Started teaching my spring classes
Paid Q4 2023 taxes (barf)

Blogs

Writing

Writing went pretty well this month. I didn’t finish “An Unexpected Question” as quickly as I would have liked, but that’s all right. Truthfully, I was dealing with a lot of anxiety in the latter half of the month due to work starting again and some random Twitter bullshit (hence why I’m on Twitter less now), but I got my shit together and edited the story. Of course, the day after I sent it out, I found a typo and a word that magically unitalicized itself. It’s not the worst hiccups I’ve had with a release, so I’ll take it. I am super excited that some of you are already reading the #2.5 story. It means a lot to me to know that you all are enjoying it. It was a blast to write. I don’t often get to write a story that’s basically just my characters having fun, so it was a refreshing change of pace. In February, I’m going to turn my focus fully to book 3, and within the next few months, preorders should go up.

Hopes for February

Put together the elliptical and use it
Do the bulk of the historical research for The Reanimator Mysteries #3
Start actually writing The Reanimator Mysteries #3
Proof any audiobook chapters that come in
Stay on top of grading
Blog weekly
Send out monthly newsletter
Read 8 books

My 2024 Goals

January 14, 2024December 31, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Some of you may know that I do quarterly goals and use the HB90 system, but this year, I also wanted to make a goal list for my year overall. I’m not a fan of making wild or grandiose goals that assume you are magically a new person when the new year starts, so I try to keep my goals realistic or at least doable. I’ve broken these goals down into writing goals, publishing goals, personal goals, and other.

Writing Goals

Write more consistently- I have been struggling to get into a writing routine this past year, so in 2024, I want to be better about writing more days than not and doing more sprints than I am currently doing
Finish, edit, and send out “An Unexpected Question” (The Reanimator Mysteries #2.5) to my newsletter subscribers in January
Write and edit The Reanimator Mysteries #3
Write The Reanimator Mysteries #3.5 short story
Start brainstorming The Reanimator Mysteries #4

Publishing Goals

Publish The Reanimator Mysteries #3 in October
Have a good launch/preorder period for book #3
Make REDACTED in sales overall (about 15% more than I did in 2023)
Proof and publish the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Soul
Look into selling books directly on my website/Etsy
Publish 1-2 books

Personal Goals

Assemble and use the elliptical I bought months ago (oops)
Stay out of other people’s chaos
Be more mindful of my mental health and do more to support myself before it gets bad
Work more on my office renovation (that has been basically shelved since last summer)
Be better about refilling my creative well with things like crafts, movies I enjoy, reading, art, etc.
Take a trip to HMart with my partner

Other Goals

Read 100 books (which is my usual goal and includes graphic novels, manga, short stories, etc.)
Play extensively/finish 2 video games
Have 5 2,000+ word writing days
Have 2 5,000+ word writing days (I’d really like to work my way up to having large writing days. Out of all my goals, these two are probably the least attainable, but I can try)
Keep crafting and/or learn a new craft skill
Continue to blog weekly and send out monthly newsletters
Commission more art of my characters, as a treat

I’m sure for some people this looks like a lot while for other authors, this is nothing compared to how many book they publish. At this point, I think I can only publish 1-2 books a year, and while I’d like to be able to write more or get ahead of my publication schedule, I am trying to be conservative and/or realistic with my goals. Nothing makes me feel worse than dreaming wildly and completely missing the mark. Overall though, I think this is very doable.

My hope for all of us is that 2024 will bring a very boring, peaceful time. I hope for Palestine to be free, for people to take public health seriously, for all of us to have more public safety nets and prosperity that isn’t at the expense of others.

Monthly Review

December 2023 Wrap-Up Post

January 7, 2024January 4, 2024 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

This month is going to be sort of a weird one for updates and wrap-ups because I tried to take it easy. Between the holidays and the end of the semester, I worried I would become very fried, so my December was spent mostly void-staring and trying not to fall into a pit of despair over Palestine (self-explanatory) and covid (if you’re immunosuppressed, you feel very left behind and left for dead at this point). Basically, I could feel the specter of depression looming at the end of November and tried to chill this month to avoid a total mental meltdown. Let’s review what my goals were for December before we get into it:

Finish the semester/my grading
Finish writing “An Unexpected Question”
Start editing “An Unexpected Question”
Finish all remaining Christmas stuff/prep
Prep for Q1 and get my new goals together
RELAX with my partner
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my December Newsletter

Books

My goal this month was to read 8 books, and I read 10 in December.

Ennead Vol 1 by Mojito- 4 stars, an interesting twist on Ancient Egyptian mythology that is apparently queer (not in volume one, so we’ll see).
Greywaren (#3) by Maggie Stiefvater- 4 stars, the epic conclusion to the Dreamer Trilogy. For a while, I was very confused and concerned as to how this series would wrap up, but it was quite satisfying and we even get a little cameo of some old favorites from the first series.
My Pancreas Broke But My Life Got Better (#6) by Nagata Kabi- 4 stars, Nagata Kabi is back and talking about her health issues during the pandemic, her sobriety, relapses, and more.
My Wandering Warrior Eating Disorder (#5.5) by Nagata Kabi- 4 stars, while Kabi usually talks about her alcoholism, this mini volume talking about her eating disorders was very humanizing and illuminating.
Best Supporting Actor (#3) by Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm- 4 stars, a hate-to-love romance between an established actor and a rising star who get cast as the leads in a new play. There’s some great discussion of crappy relationships, anxiety, nepotism, and much more.
Saga Vol 11 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples- 4 stars, I love Saga so much. This was a significantly less traumatizing volume compared to the previous one.
The Ancient Magus’s Bride Vol 19 by Kore Yamazaki- 4 stars, we finally finished the school arc, and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
On the Fox Roads by Nghi Vo- 4 stars, if Nghi Vo writes it, I will read it. This time, we have glamorous Asian bank robbers, a trans MC, and magic.
The Garden (#1) by Tomi Adeyemi- 2 stars, this was my least favorite novella in the Into the Shadow series. It was too loosey-goosey in terms of prose and plot for my taste.
Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman- 4 stars, sacchrine but enjoyable. I thought this was the final volume, but there’s one more.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

The Reanimator’s Heart won third place in BBNYA 2023! Third place out of 252 entries is just mind blowing to me.
The Reanimator’s Heart and The Reanimator’s Soul were nominated for several categories in the Indie Ink Awards.
The Reanimator’s Heart was an Amazon sale item (picked by them) for a day.
Finished all of my grading for my fall classes in a timely manner.
Dissociated and did very little from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve- I needed this desperately. I was feeling very fried and a bit depressed by the time NYE rolled around, and this fills my goal of relaxing during December.
Made the syllabi and Blackboard accounts for my classes in the spring (this is an annoying bit of prep that I used for procrastination when I should have been writing, lol).
Setup all of my author/writer spreadsheets for 2024 (social media, sales, sales by book, etc.)
Made my Q1 2024 goals.
Set up my 2024 bullet journal spreads (various yearly ones and my Q1 weekly spreads).

Blogs

Writing

In December, I wrote about 10k words, which made me quite happy. It wasn’t as much as I intended or wanted to write, but I had to keep reminding myself that December was supposed to be a month where I could rest and recover from the end of the fall semester along with the holidays. I’m really enjoying writing “An Unexpected Question,” even if it has been a research-intensive story, despite being only ~20k words long. I’ve been neck-deep in learning about Coney Island in the 1890s, Steeplechase Park, hot dogs, and street vendors. For some reason, historical food research always ends up being a highlight for me. I’m really looking forward to diving into the third book in the Reanimator Mysteries series, but that will have to wait for January and February, though I have been jotting down some ideas for where Oliver, Felipe, and Gwen are going.

Hopes for January

Finish/edit “An Unexpected Question”
Format/upload/send out “An Unexpected Question”
Start brainstorming The Reanimator Mysteries #3 and doing research
Research selling books on my website/Etsy (and if I want to do it)
Start checking/proofing the audiobook of The Reanimator’s Soul as the chapters come in
Do Sarra Cannon’s 2-3 day class on long-term goal setting
Write more days than not (aka get into a better habit)
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my January newsletter with “An Unexpected Question”

Personal Life · Writing

My End of 2023 Reflection

December 31, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

I’m not going to lie, I have been putting off writing a yearly review of 2023. By and large, this year has been awesome. My book won awards, I had a record number of preorders on The Reanimator’s Soul, I wrote a whole book, things have gone well– more than well. On the other hand, there were things that happened that upset me and have continued to grate on me all year. My fear is that this reflection will come off as unnecessarily bitter, which I don’t want for you (my readers) or for myself. I don’t want someone else’s assholery to poison my soul and that is something I will be working on as we move into 2024, especially since so many great things happened this year. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Things That Went Really Well

This year has been awesome, and I want to thank my readers for that. Without you all, I wouldn’t have had nearly as good a year. You all were so enthusiastic about The Reanimator’s Soul‘s release in October, and you all put up The Reanimator’s Heart for a bunch of awards/categories. As someone who is a bit self-deprecating when it comes to awards, I was shocked to see my books repeatedly put up. Seriously, thank you all. The Reanimator’s Heart won third place in BBNYA 2023 (Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Awards 2023) out of over 250 entries. My books are also up for the Indie Ink Awards in several categories, and The Reanimator’s Heart won “best historical fiction” in the Queer Indie Awards.

The Reanimator’s Heart was also Meet Cute Bookshop’s LGBT romance read for September. Hell, MY BOOK WAS IN A PHYSICAL STORE! That alone just blew my mind. I was also interviewed by Geeks Out about my books/writing. More importantly, my books got more fan art! I love artwork so much, and every time I find out that someone was moved to create something based around my characters I am just over the moon. Few things make me happier than fan art. I also commissioned art from OblivionsDream and really want to do that again in 2024.

I don’t want to go into sales numbers and all the nitty gritty of that, but I had a good year in that regard. I’ve been trying to build on the momentum of The Reanimator’s Heart‘s release with book two, and I think I achieved that. I had the most preorders I have ever had, which I did not expect at all. My sales overall have been strong (for me), and I’m hoping I can keep that up in 2024 as well. I’m also hoping that the various awards and such will sort of keep stoking that fire.

Things That Didn’t Go As Great

I need to get better at writing consistently. It’s something I have struggled with this year. Overall, I wrote quite a bit, but I often feel like my attention is all over the place. Stretching my attention muscles is something I really do want to work on going forward as well as getting into a more consistent writing routine. This year had some chaos that I know messed specifically with this. If I’m mentally doing not great, my writing suffers first, and when my writing isn’t going well, I can’t get mentally balanced. It is a vicious cycle.

When I was called for jury duty in July, my OCD kicked up. This was compounded by some assholerly caused by another author who repeatedly made my life miserable by being a bully to me and others I know. The first instance of this didn’t cause me that much angst back in February because, while angry about how they treated someone else, I muted/blocked them, deleted my reviews of their books, and said good riddance. Unfortunately, several months later (when my OCD was already acting up) they reappeared when they got in a beef with someone else I know. The bullying person somehow got access to conversations where several of us talked about our shared experiences of them being weirdly passive aggressive or being a straight-up bully, and they made our lives miserable. I ended up having to lock my Twitter for a bit because I was getting cryptic replies and ghost rts, despite having the other person blocked everywhere. It was stress I neither needed nor wanted.

Going forward, I need to move on. I know I have been stewing on this because this person hasn’t been negatively impacted at all, despite bullying ND people several times this year that I know of, because they sick their followers on anyone who even mentions they have behaved poorly. If you follow me on social media, you may have heard me mention that my hair fell out from stress; this was why. My brain doesn’t want to leave it alone, but it isn’t healthy to dwell and frankly, calling them out on it will only backfire on me. I have to accept that and focus on maintaining my mental health in 2024 and working on my stress levels. Taking care of my brain is something I need to get better about. My plan in 2024 is to forget they exist and wait til karma catches up with them or they pick a fight with the wrong person.

Things I’m Thankful For

Let’s clear the air of negativity by ending with talking about the people and things I am very thankful for this year.

All of you. Seriously, every one of my readers who have read my books, suggested them to others, left reviews, made art, replied kindly to my posts, you all have made my life so much brighter this year. I wish nothing but the best for you in 2024, whether that’s success, prosperity, peace, healing, I hope you get it.

My partner. My partner has been going on a journey of their own with their gender, mental health, neurodivergence, etc. This year has been tough for both of us, but my partner has been nothing but supportive, kind, and loving, even when dealing with their own stuff. I love them immensely and cannot wait for another year with them.

My author friends who are my social network, my moral support system, and vast wells of knowledge. I couldn’t ask for better peeps to hang with than all of you. I plan to keep cheering you all on in the coming year.

And of course, my students, who make my daily life so much brighter, richer, and sillier.

Overall, this was a really fantastic year, and I just wanted to thank all of you [again] for making it one.

I’ll be posting a goals for 2024 post soon, so stay tuned for more on that in the coming weeks. I hope you all have a safe and happy new year!

Monthly Review

November 2023 Wrap-Up Post

December 3, 2023December 2, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

This month I decided to be kind to myself and take it easy. November tends to be a month I struggle mentally due to the time change and the amount of grading I get in throughout the month. I also don’t do so well seeing everyone’s astronomical NaNoWriMo numbers. For once, I focused on grading and said f-it to writing. It helped as I have entered December feeling more refreshed than I have felt in a while. Before we get into what I did this month, let’s get a little refresher on November’s goals.

Less chaos overall (not quite within my control, but one can hope)
Write most, if not all, of The Reanimator Mysteries #2.5 short story
Start brainstorming more of The Reanimator Mysteries #3
Maintain my mental health during November to avoid No-Words-November
Grade all the papers I receive in a timely manner (I have been bad about this lately)
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my November newsletter

Books

My goal was to read 8 books, and I read 9.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joanna Chambers- 4 stars, a slightly oblivious computer programmer has a bad day but realizes perhaps he overlooked his officemate
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram H. Kendi- 5 stars, an introduction to how racism colors numerous aspects of life and how to challenge our biases to continually work on being antiracist
A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (#2) by KJ Charles- 4 stars, a newly inherited nobleman deals with his horrid extended family and teams up with a local secretary who has plenty of secrets of his own
Medicinal Cannibalism by Louise Noble- 4 stars, an academic book on medicinal cannibalism in culture and literature from the Early Modern period on
Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville- 5 stars, a fascinating read about how cemeteries reflect societal values (and problems/prejudices) and how they have influenced amusement parks and suburban planning
Under the Smokestrewn Sky (#4) by A. Deborah Baker- 4 stars, the conclusion of a Wizard of Oz-like series featuring two children who enter an elemental world, meet some friends and enemies on their way home
“A Heart Between Teeth” (#2.5) by Kerstin Hall- 4 stars, a side story for a series set in a world where people go after death filled with gods, demons, monsters, and humans struggling to survive their second deaths
Sky Breaker (#2) by Addie Thorley- 3 stars, a YA fantasy that didn’t work too well for me due to the world-building and the way the characters were aged down to make it YA
Monstress (#8) by Majorie Liu and Sana Takeda- 4 stars, a fantastic volume where we find our characters transported to a strange new world they have to fight their way back from

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

Finished plotting The Reanimator Mysteries #2.5 short story, “An Unexpected Question” (coming in January, probably, December if I’m very lucky)
Did more brainstorming on TRM #3
Was interviewed by Geeks Out
Finished buying and wrapping Christmas presents for my family
Hit my yearly reading goal of finishing 100 books/stories/graphic novels
Got my car back from the mechanic (finally) and got it inspected
Got my car inspected AGAIN because, apparently, you can’t go directly from the mechanic to the inspection station if they pulled the battery
Graded so many papers… so many ;—;
Contacted my reps repeatedly to demand a ceasefire and to end US funding of Israel’s genocide against Palestine

Blogs Posted

Writing

As I mentioned in the opening of this blog, I decided that I would write what I could, when I could and that I would try not to sweat it. I don’t know whether it’s the early darkness or people constantly posting their large daily word counts during NaNoWriMo, but I never write much during November. This month was no different. I wrote about 3k of “An Unexpected Question,” the Reanimator Mysteries #2.5 story that will go out to newsletter subscribers as a freebie. I am hoping to write the rest of it in December and get it out by January (or December, though I’m not counting on that happening). Instead of writing, I managed to plan out the major beats of the story and am guestimating that it will end up about 20,000 words, which is pretty beefy for a freebie story. I’m really enjoying writing this story and hope my readers will as well. You can sign up for my newsletter ahead of the release or check out the Pinterest board for the story.

Hopes for December

Finish the semester/my grading
Finish writing “An Unexpected Question”
Start editing “An Unexpected Question”
Finish all remaining Christmas stuff/prep
Prep for Q1 and get my new goals together
RELAX with my partner
Read 8 books
Blog weekly
Send out my December Newsletter

Writing

On Being Your Own Cheerleader

November 26, 2023November 11, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Let me tell you a little secret: no one will be as excited about your project as you are.

This might sound harsh, but ultimately, it’s true, and for newer writers, I think it’s better to learn this early than to learn it the hard way as you give up on projects because no one seems interested. Despite what others may say, writing is, generally, a solitary pursuit. You are the writer. You are the omnipotent god of your fictional world. And while others might be cheering you on, no one should be as excited about your project as you are, and expecting others to be your constant hype men is setting yourself up for failure.

I don’t want to say you can’t rely on others, but frankly, you can’t rely on other people. It isn’t your current or future readers’ responsibility to sustain your interest in a project.

When I first came across this sentiment of “No one seems interested in my work, so why bother,” I was a bit confused because I thought, “Well, the book isn’t out yet. Why would they be excited, especially if you are a new writer?” I forget that people actually show others their work while they’re writing. I tend not to. Not due to being squeamish about showing my unedited work but because I have a don’t bother anyone complex. It also slipped my mind that when people write fanfic, they tend to post things a chapter at a time and build an audience along the way. That tends not to happen with original fiction, unless you’re posting it on something like Wattpad or Ream as you write it, or you share your work in progress with an alpha-reader.

I can see how that would be a rough shift, having that built-in audience from posting your work on a piece-by-piece basis to having no one knowing what you’re working on or being excited about it until people read it and start to spread the word. No matter what though, if you abandon a project because your hypothetical audience isn’t hyped for it, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. I would definitely take a second and think if your knee-jerk reaction is self-sabotage to avoid feeling like a failure if that book isn’t popular.

I’ll let you in on another secret, first books rarely sell well. At least not until you have several other books out.

You need to find some sort of motivation to keep you going, whether it’s for the love of the story or for money, you need something that’s wholly you to keep writing when things get hard and it seems like no one cares. Above all, I care about my characters. I love them and want to see what happens to them, and my first audience member is me. If I like them, I assume others will too, but you’ll have to market the book to people like you in order to find those other readers. Look at what other people in your genre (or other writers you enjoy who are similar to you) are doing and try to emulate that when marketing your own work. Don’t go rogue with that first book. Don’t think you’re the exception. Don’t assume you’re a failure if book one is sort of a flop because that’s normal, and there’s a good chance it’ll get better.

As I write this, the thing I regret is that I can’t make you care about your work or about your characters enough to maintain that level of “screw you” needed to make art. Every artist who finishes something has a healthy (or unhealthy) amount of screw you in their system. It’s the little voice that pops up to tell off the world when someone devalues the humanities or says, “who would read that?” ME, that’s who. Over the years, I feel like my screw you voice sounds more and more like Anthony Bourdain, but I’m okay with that. When I need to summon the strength to tell my brain or the outside world to f-off because my work matters, I channel the spirit of a disgruntled, slightly world-weary chef, and it does the trick.

Whatever works to help stoke your artist ego to get your art done, do it. It may seem silly or pointless, but trust me, it isn’t. In the darker times when things aren’t going smoothly or you feel like no one gives a shit, that inner voice will get you through. In the end, you need to be your own cheerleader or disgruntled chef because no one else will.

Writing

The Money-Time Paradox

November 19, 2023November 11, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Something I have been thinking about a lot, especially since I recently had to drop a lot of money on my medicine and getting my car fixed, is how creatives get stuck in day jobs and are unable to make enough to let them go or even shift down into part-time work or less mentally strenuous work due to the world we live in, especially in the US.

These past two years I have probably made more off my books than the previous four years combined, but it isn’t enough to live off. On paper it may look like a decent amount, but once you take 30% out for taxes, it certainly isn’t a living wage. Part of me would like to spend less time teaching and more time writing, but it isn’t feasible. I will say that I do greatly enjoy my job. I love my students, and I don’t think I would want to fully stop teaching, especially creative writing. The thing is that I wish I could say no when I didn’t feel like it. I wish I didn’t have to teach the summer bootcamp class, but it’s easy money for 2.5 weeks of nonstop grading. Even though it is a skilled job that requires a masters or more, the pay is trash (that is the system’s fault, not my department’s by the way). When I’ve told my students how much I make for 15 weeks of work, they all looked appalled, but I keep teaching because it allows me enough time for my brain to reset between workdays, so I can write. If I had a more traditional 9-5, especially one where I was at an office with other people, I don’t think I would write at all. Being around other people all day is hard when you’re autistic. Every second of the day is performative and tense. By the time I would get home, there would be nothing left. When I worked at an office for one day a week, I felt my brain shrivel up by the end of the day to the point that I did nothing when I got home and that often continued into the next day. The job wasn’t even strenuous; it was all the people-ing I had to do and the sensory overload that sucked the life out of me. Bright computer screens without dimmers, fluorescent lights, and constant chatter tax my system.

What I would like to be able to do one day is live off my writing and/or make things to sell as well. None of this will probably happen until my partner has a better job. I hate the idea that I might need to rely on him monetarily because I worry that would put unnecessary pressure on him. The things that hold me back from making the leap are all tied to problems our society could easily fix. I worry about paying for my medication because it’s expensive, and while I have a discount card, it does eventually run out and my out-of-pocket cost limit isn’t insubstantial. Universal healthcare would eliminate that fear of not having enough money to pay for my meds (or my partner’s). Universal basic income would go a long way to lessening the burden placed on those who struggle to work full-time. My teaching job(s) are considered part-time or contract work. If they no longer need me, I can’t get unemployment. These low paying but very necessary jobs could keep their better employees if they either paid more or the government supplemented everyone under a certain wage bracket with UBI. It could easily lift people out of poverty or tide those artists or seasonal workers over during the lean months. It’s tough enough being a creative or starting a new business, but it doesn’t need to be nearly as hard as our country makes it.

I refuse to buy into the whole hustle culture idea of writing to market or chasing trends or upping my productivity by fifty percent. There are definitely some things I could do to potentially write more, like actually prioritizing writing over other random tasks I have to do or watching a video on YouTube, but at the same time, I don’t want to suck the fun and leisure time out of my life to reach some arbitrary writing or income goal because in the past that has led to burn-out. This is what I mean when I talk about creatives being stuck in the money-time paradox. Despite what the girl-bosses and hustlers say, we have a finite amount of resources, whether it be money, time, mental fortitude, physical energy, or creative juices, and at some point, the well runs dry. If you’re not careful, you can cause irreparable harm and erase any progress or momentum you already have.

So, Kara, if you won’t do the hustle thing or quit your job, how do you plan to write more? I have no clue. My schedule this semester has been a little weird due to when my classes fall, but next semester, that’s back to normal, which will make it easier to write. November will be a bit difficult for me, as it always is, due to the time change, darkness, and influx of student papers, but by December, I’m hoping to get a solid routine down and try to find the sweet spot again for when I’m most productive. That has gotten lost in the sauce this semester with the new schedule. Next year, if I could write two novels, I’d be really happy, but honestly, I doubt that’s going to happen unless I absolutely fry myself. Still, I cling to the hope that maybe, just maybe I’ll get that safety net I’ve been longing for.

Writing

What I’m Working on Next

November 12, 2023October 30, 2023 Kara Jorgensen1 Comment

Woo! So The Reanimator’s Soul has been out for a few weeks, and first off, I want to thank you all for absolutely amazing release. If you read any of my books, please consider leaving a rating or review (even if it’s only a few words) on your favorite review site or retailer. They greatly help indie authors like me!

Now that book two of the Reanimator Mysteries series it out, you might be wondering what I’m working on next, so let’s dig into my current project, my next project, and what projects are simmering on the back burner.

Current Project:

My current project is an Oliver and Felipe short story/novella (The Reanimator Mysteries #2.5) that takes place a few months after the end of The Reanimator’s Soul. Oliver hasn’t taken an actual vacation away from the Paranormal Society, ever, so now, he has been coerced into a trip to the beach with Felipe. There will be plenty of things that go awry, tender moments, Teresa, Louisa, Agatha, the pomeranians, and something I don’t think my readers will be expecting. This will be free to my monthly newsletter subscribers and probably go out in December, if all goes as planned. I think you all will really like this story, so if you haven’t joined my newsletter yet you can do so here (if you join, you also get a novella and two more short stories).

Next Project:

I like to have a little palate cleanser between major books, hence the short story/novella, but once I finish that, it is onward to The Reanimator Mysteries #3. The title is in the very, very back of book 2, but I haven’t made an official announcement yet, so my lips are sealed here for now. You’ll have to read the book to find the title for book three. What I will tell you is that it involves Oliver and Felipe traveling to a “murder town” (think along the lines of Jordan L. Hawk’s Widdershins) to solve a mystery, Oliver’s origins, Felipe facing some inner demons, Gwen on a case with them, and much more. I will tell you all more as I get more deeply into this project, but it should be out late 2024. PS- there will be at least four books in the series, so book three will not be the last reanimator book. I’ve had a few people assume it’s a trilogy, but it isn’t!

Backburner but Coming Soon:

There are two side characters in The Reanimator’s Soul that I would like to write a story about. When you read the story, you might figure out who I mean, but since it’s only been out a few weeks, I don’t want to state who yet. I’m not sure whether this will be a novella or a whole novel, hence why it’s placed in backburner territory until I figure out where I can fit it in. I think this story will be a lot of fun because it’s definitely a bitier romance, if that makes sense. These characters get on each other’s nerves, and what I envision so far is that they will stumble into each other’s lives again and think they’re on opposite sides when in reality, they need to team up to get what they want.

Another project that I have brewing is a short story about when Oliver and Gwen first became friends, but I’m not sure when I’ll get to that one. That will be a cute, low stakes, low angst type story. Just a little glimpse into how Oliver was ten years prior when he first came to the Paranormal Society and tried to befriend Gwen.

I have several other books simmering on the back burning, including (but not limited to) The Reanimator Mysteries #4, a duology set before and after WWI, Trousers and Trouble (A Paranormal Society Romance #2), and maybe a short story about Gale and Head Inspector Williams.

So these are all the projects I have on the docket for now. I will eventually update the WIP section of my website when I have time, but I hope you all will stay tuned for more news about the upcoming short story as well as book 3 in the Reanimator Mysteries series and much more.

Writing

On Not Being the NaNoWriMo Grinch

October 29, 2023October 19, 2023 Kara Jorgensen4 Comments

I’m trying this year, peeps; I’m really trying, but not to hit 50k words.

So if you don’t know, I never do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November because there’s no way in hell I can write 50,000 words in thirty days. Now, I do support NaNoWriMo’s mission of supporting creative writing classes in schools, and I often participate in Camp NaNoWriMo during the spring and summer.

The problem is that my brain doesn’t do well with writing during November. As a college professor, it is the busiest time for papers/grading, and between grading, the holidays, and some low key seasonal affect disorder, I don’t do well mentally during November on the best days. Add on top of that seeing people post, “I wrote 3000 words today!” and my brain shrivels up like a depressed, anxious raisin. In recent years, I’ve jokingly called it “No Words November” because, more often than not, I write very little in November, if anything.

It isn’t like I don’t want people to fail at NaNo or not pull those huge word counts, but seeing it en masse does something less than great to my psyche, especially as someone who can write 1,500 words on a really good day and 500-1000 words on a normal day. I am a slow writer, and the pace of true NaNoWriMo is basically impossible for me. This year, my only goal is to not have No Words November. I want to harness the synergy of NaNoWriMo and just write like I would any other month. That is literally my only writing goal for November. If I could write 10k-20k words in November I would be very happy because most years, it’s literally 5k or less, which is what I can write in a good week in April or July.

I actually bought a NaNoWriMo 2023 shirt to not only support the charity aspect but to remind myself that I need to keep my attitude up and not get discouraged by seeing giant word counts. Despite my smaller word counts, I have written and published nine books, a novella, and several short stories, so my process works for me. I never thought the smaller daily counts made me less of a writer, but it often shook my confidence because my process doesn’t match that of the visual majority (not that most do that but you see those word counts more during NaNo).

So what am I going to do to set myself up for success in November to avoid No Word November?

manage my mental health by muting words/phrases regarding NaNoWriMo as necessary
focus on my own paper, aka focus on my daily word, not other people’s
have an idea of what I’m writing, at least somewhat, before November starts, so I am less likely to be aimless and panic
be kind to myself because it is a hard month for me mentally and in terms of grading

If you do NaNoWriMo and actually hit the 50k and find the words usable at the end, how? I would love to know in the comments if you have any tips for being able to write so much and actually use it later.

If you aren’t doing NaNo, what are your writing plans for November?

Book Reviews · Monthly Review · the reanimator's soul

September 2023 Wrap-Up Blog

October 1, 2023October 1, 2023 Kara Jorgensen2 Comments

In September, I finally feel like I found my footing again. With all my major book launch/release prep out of the way, I am looking forward to The Reanimator’s Soul coming out October 24th, in time for spooky season. As a recap, here were my goals for September:

blog weekly
monthly newsletter
read 8 books
maintain mental health by gaming, reading, or crafting when necessary
stay on top of grading
Edit The Reanimator’s Soul

Books

My goal was to read 8 book this month, and I read 8 total.

The Dragon’s Betrothed (#1) by Meguru Hinohara- 4 stars, a blocked up writer returns to his family home only to find out he is supposed to be a dragon’s bride. Hi-jinks ensue as the dragon tries to persuade him to give him a shot and it eventually becomes steamy.
The Dragon’s Betrothed (#2) by Meguru Hinohara- 4 stars, see above.
Night Spinner (#1) by Addie Thorley- 3 stars, an ex-soldier finds her loyalties cannot so easily lie with her old troops after falling in with a band of Robin Hood-like deserters. I found the world-building to be… meh, and while the tone is YA, the ages feel very off for the story.
Akata Woman (#3) by Nnedi Okorafor- 3 stars, a young woman finds she is far more than she appeared and must steal back a mystical book to appease a spider god that threatens to destroy her world. While I enjoyed this, I found the world-building to be all over the place compared to previous books.
Fangs by Sarah Anderson- 4 stars, cute vignettes between a vampire and a werewolf, very fluffy.
Mammoths at the Gate (#4) by Nghi Vo- 4 stars, Chih returns to their monastery to find their home a mess as the head monk has died and the relatives want more than the monastery can give. A wonderful look at grief and the transformative power of love and devotion.
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir- 5 stars, Princess Bride meets Adventure Time as a princess saves herself with the help of a sassy pixie. Hilarious and weird.
The Candles are Burning (#6) by Veronica G. Henry- 4 stars, a horror short story set in the South, featuring a recent widow who must trick the devil to save her soul. Very atmospheric.

Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff

The Reanimator’s Heart made it to the final round of BBNYA 2023!
The Reanimator’s Heart was the queer romance book club pick at Meet Cute Bookshop
I ran a sale on The Reanimator’s Heart and a Bookbub ad
Finished playing Venba and Assemble With Care (both are available on Steam)
Finished writing the last little bit of The Reanimator’s Soul
Edited The Reanimator’s Soul twice/two rounds
Proofread The Reanimator’s Soul
Prepared and sent out ARCs for The Reanimator’s Soul
Formatted the paperback interior for The Reanimator’s Soul
Contacted my cover designer for the paperback cover for The Reanimator’s Soul
Got my covid booster
Did a bunch of event admin stuff for work
Beta read someone else’s book

Blogs Posted

Writing

Writing and editing went really well, which always scares me a bit. In my defense, The Reanimator’s Soul was a book that I spent a lot of time on, so the “done” draft ended up being fairly clean. When I keep going back and fiddling, I make less of a mess for myself at the end of the process. Another thing that I think worked in my favor for the editing process was that a) I enjoy editing, especially since I edit as I go. b) I made of list of things I needed to add/tweak as I finishing the book up, which made it far easier to go back and run through.

I’m not going to lie, I really like this book. The emotional arcs for Felipe and Oliver are as important as the mystery. There’s a bit less action than the last book, but I feel like that’s to be expected and is ultimately good for balance since I don’t want the feel of the books to be too homogenous/identical. It’s about coming to terms with being chronically ill/disabled, realizing you can be loved as an autistic person without changing who you are, setting boundaries, and how medicine can uphold white supremacy. Sadly, these things don’t look sexy on a marketing picture, so I rarely get to talk about them, but those are the core things the book is about.

Hopes for October

Post/market consistently before The Reanimator’s Soul releases October 24th
Do all the paperback setup for The Reanimator’s Soul once I have the final cover
Have a great launch for The Reanimator’s Soul
Write side/follow-up story for my newsletter subscribers (TRM #2.5)
Get ball rolling on the audiobook of The Reanimator’s Soul
Read 8 books
Send out my October newsletter
Finish putting together my Halloween plastic canvas village sets (I have one building left and need to hot glue others together)
Decide if I want to do anything NaNoWriMo related in November, despite it being a month from hell for me usually (aka is Kara feeling masochistic)