Year: 2012

Obligatory New Year’s Resolution Post

Posted on by kltownsend

So, it’s that time of year again. Time for us to make grandiose resolutions to change yourself for the better in the next year. If I could get paid for every resolution I’ve made and then broke the very next day…

But it wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without making resolutions. So, here I go with some of my (mainly writing) goals for 2013.

  1. Blog more often.
  2. Finish rewriting my novel.
  3. Start looking for representation.
  4. Dive deeper into my hobbies.
  5. Write at least 200 words a day or 1500 a week.

I’ve decided to let go of my short story goal for now since I would rather focus more on my longer pieces. Work to your strengths, I say.

I’d also like to carve some time for my hobbies. I don’t consider writing a hobby. That is part of who I am and part of my career. That doesn’t mean I can’t spend some time getting back to my art, trying some photography, or maybe trying my hand at making some jewelry. (Of the steampunk persuasion!)

And there’s always the other me, the teacher.

I know most of these goals/resolutions are broad and general. Made to be broken, right? Yeesh, look at the blogging one. You’d think I have nothing to say! Or maybe that’s a blessing in disguise…

These are just the overarching ideas. I plan on breaking them down one by one to make them more manageable. Plus, there are the goals I haven’t mentioned that do with health and fitness.

Somehow, I will make this all happen!

But that’s another post for another day.

How about you? What are your writing (or otherwise) resolutions for 2013?

Gears and Levers 1: A Steampunk Anthology

Posted on by kltownsend

My short story, “Of Blood and Brass,” is out today as part of the Gears and Levers anthology. It tells the story of a geisha in an alternate Japan. Here is the basic description of the anthology:

A Quest for the Mind and Soul

Come, my friends, adventure and romance awaits in worlds that never were but should have been. Magic and science blend together as Gears and Levers explores the quest for all that makes up humanity. Battle pirates, travel back in time, fly in dirigibles, explore the wonders of the Orient, and walk with automatons in twenty amazing tales set in Steampunk lands by masterful storytellers such as David D. Levine, Brenda Clough, Mark Ferrari, Irene Radford, K.L. Townsend, David Lee Summers, Shannon Page, Bruce Taylor, among others.

Feel free to check it out along with all of these great authors!

Available in ebook form on Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Recent Releases

Posted on by kltownsend

A couple of releases to talk about today. One is old. The other is new 🙂

 
December marked the release of my short historical novel, Song of the Swallow, by Hadley Rille Books. It’s available in paperback and hardcover, as well as an ebook for the Kindle and the Nook.
 
 
 
I have a short story in an anthology that was just released. It’s called Absolute Visions and put together by the wonderful people at Absolute Write. My contribution is “Kiss of the Jade Fox.” I was lucky enough to have an illustration for the story which is amazing. Watch this space for my impression on some of the other contributions as I read the anthology 🙂

Finally, it’s not due out yet, but as I’ve signed the contract, I’d thought I’d announce it. I have a short story due out in the steampunk anthology Gears and Levers called “Of Blood and Brass.” I’ll update as soon as I know more.

I’ll be posting some more in the coming weeks about some topics that are percolating. Have a wonderful day!

Setting Goals When Life Happens

Posted on by kltownsend

At the start of every year, many of us dream big. We have these lofty goals and high expectations whether in the form of resolutions to eat better, get to the gym, or stop worrying so much. For writers, maybe a goal is to write so many words, land an agent, finish a book.

I love having these goals. Every year I get fired up and ready to tackle the impossible. In those moments, nothing seems so impossible anymore.

The reality is that most of the time life happens. We fall behind. We don’t meet those insanely high expectations. Then it’s easy to give up. Why bother? Something else is going to happen anyway.

I’m urging you to keep pushing even if everything in you wants to quit.

The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 have been hard for me. A relatively healthy person, I came down with a serious infection at the end of November, then caught pneumonia, and had a relapse of the infection after. By the time I finished healing up, one of my dogs became ill. We learned he had some tumors and scheduled surgery right away since the tumors could have burst at any time and killed him. They had an 80% chance of being the worst possible kind of cancer to boot. He was 12, but in good overall health, and high in spirit. He came out of the surgery and was recovering at a rate that impressed and pleased the vets. The tumors ended up being benign. Then, unexpectedly, he died of septic shock as a complication from surgery. As we mourned the loss of a dog we’d had for 12 years, I started to deal with residual issues from having pneumonia. Next our other dog fell ill. A pipe blew in our bathroom and our dryer quit working.

That is where I am at now.

Despite being tired and having days where I don’t know why I get out of bed anymore, I had to stop and think, why quit? Why give in and take away one of the things in life that makes me happy, that helps balance out the good and the bad?

So maybe I can’t write 1000 words one day. That’s okay. I can write it the next day. Or the next. I can squeeze in 500 words on a bad day, and have a great day where I am on fire. Maybe I work slower. The important part is I’m not quitting.

If you feel like you want to quit, for whatever reason, please don’t. Hold onto what you love and just readjust your goals. It will pay off in the future.

I may never meet my lofty goals this year, but I’m writing. That’s what matters.