I’ve put off announcing this one for a little bit because I wanted to be sure I was committed, but I’ve been blogging daily for a couple of months and right now I’m feeling really good about it, SO…
Blogging about the Warcraft series (yes, series) and occasionally other video games too. I’m even writing Hunter Kindergarten posts again! I know, right?
Come check it out if you aren’t already there – and Happy Easter!
First of all, I encourage you to read this post here about why you want to support your local Pike in the first place!
Now then. I love writing novels for you guys, but unfortunately they take a long time to do. While I can knock out a first draft in a month or two, the editing progress can take many more months after that. As a way to provide new books to everyone quicker, I’ve been thinking about brancing out into things such as short stories.
As a proof of concept and test-run, I actually went an entirely different route– that of non-fiction– and cobbled together some prior blog posts I’d written about fishkeeping and compiled them into a handy little guide for anyone interested. That guide is now available here, and explains in simple language how to set up a new tank so that your fish don’t die and also how to read test strips. I realize it’s probably a bit of a niche guide but if you are interested, it’s there, and any sales of it go directly to the Pike & Mister Adequate Fund of course!
Until next time!
<3, Pike
Friends and readers, this is a VIP: Very Important Post. Here at Clockwork Hare HQ, we are trying to get Pike’s other half, Mister Adequate, across the pond so that they can be together. Unfortunately, visa and immigration fees cost somewhere in the ballpark of $2000 USD. This isn’t impossible to scrape together by any means, but the saving process will take several months which we would prefer to spend, you know, already being together and playing video games and the like.
So! This Very Important Post will tell you all how you can help.
Many people have suggested we start an IndieGoGo or GoFundMe or the like. While this may occur in the future, for now we would like to focus on getting you guys something for your generosity. We are, of course, referring to our books.
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WINDSHIFTER is Pike’s book about dragons and steampunk and demented chinchilla creatures wearing goggles. It’s sort of like Redwall meets Final Fantasy. You can read more about it here, and the Amazon link is right here.
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CRICKET SONG is Pike’s book about art and imagination. It’s sort of like Alice in Wonderland meets Hayao Miyazaki with a bit of Tim Burton thrown in for good measure. You can read more about it here, and the Amazon link is right here.
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THE ROAD LEADS UP is Mister Adequate’s book about how great humans are and how we’re going to go to space and do all sorts of neato stuff. It’s a unique “future history” book which is probably unlike anything else you’ve ever read when it comes to style. One reader said it was “H.G. Wells meets Isaac Asimov.” You can read more about it here, and the Amazon link is right here.
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Please, check them out. These are stories we have worked on for years, hopefully to entertain you and make you think. And even if you don’t read them it’s still a couple of pennies you’re flicking our way.
If you have already bought the books and still want to help:
As I said, a fundraising job may be happening in the future but for now the very best things you can do are to:
Heck, you don’t even have to write a review, just give us whatever stars out of five. The more reviews we have, the more visibility we will get when people see that their friends reviewed or starred whatever book.
Alright, that should do it for this time around. Once again this isn’t imperative; we aren’t about to die or anything, so if you don’t have 99 cents laying around, then that’s cool. But if you DO have 99 cents lying around, and want to help a couple of dorks get together, well… you could do a lot worse than chucking it our way!
As always, thank you for your support over the months and years. We look forward to continuing to bring you stories and blog posts for a long time to come! Thank you in advance for any help and also for taking the time to read this Very Important Post. We love you, random citizen!
Hello all! Today I’m here to tell you about a nifty website I’ve discovered called Hemingway. Basically you paste in some writing and it not only gives you an idea as to the reading level of your piece, but it also points out where you may want to change passive voice or turn adverbs into a more descriptive verb. (For example, it will let you know if you want to turn “She slowly walked towards the door” into “She tip-toed towards the door”.) It’s rather handy!
Do note that, of course, none of this is supposed to be a Bible or a set of unbreakable rules – rather, it’s a very neat and easy to follow way to get some ideas on how to spice up your writing a bit.
Check it out! I’m liking it quite a lot so far.
If you are in the US, a writer, and on Twitter, then here’s a deal for you.
Amtrak is offering up to 24 lucky writers a special writers’ retreat where you get your own private room on a passenger train and get to write whatever you want while the scenery zips by your window.
Sound awesome? Sound especially comfy?
That’s because it is awesome. And probably incredibly comfy.
I recommend you take a moment and fill out the form if you are interested. The worst that could happen is that your life continues as is, and the best that could happen is that you’re writing on a train holy fork how awesome is that?
Ladies and gentlerobots, I would like to turn your attention outward for just a moment.
See, I’m not the only writer in my little circle– my fiance is as well.
He has recently published his first book, and it is a fascinating “future history” which sweeps across generations with true Asimovian flair. I recommend you buy it for two reasons.
Firstly because it’s very good.
And secondly because all money earned from it will go directly into the “Get Mister Adequate Across the Pond” Fund. If you recall, we live on opposite ends of the globe, and the visa and immigration fees to change this are rather intimidating. We would love as much help here as we can get!
So here it is. It’s $2.99 and you can read it on Kindle or with the free Kindle app.
Your help is greatly appreciated, dear readers, and if you enjoy the book be sure to leave a review, and then tell your friends!
?,
Pike
Recently, I have been writing. Every day.
I know, right? It’s not even NaNoWriMo and I’m writing!
The trick is to write just a little bit. Myself, I’m going for 200 words a day. That’s nothing. I can pound it out in ten minutes and have it over with.
But what happens if you write 200 words in one year?
73,000 words.
That’s a lot. That’s more than a NaNo novel. For like ten minutes of work a day. And that’s not counting all the times you’re going to go 50 words over so you can finish out your thoughts.
If you go with this plan you will have a nifty novel at the end of the year. Awesome, no?
200 WORDS A DAY. IT WORKS.
Can’t read an e-book (or don’t want to?) No problem – the official Cricket Song paperback is now available from Amazon!
All college freshman Cadence Dillford wants on school break is to be left alone with her art, her thoughts, and her diminutive and wisecracking imaginary friend. Unfortunately this isn’t to be, because her mother has decided that it’s time to introduce her painfully shy daughter to the talkative seven-year-old girl next door. This wouldn’t be the best combination to begin with, but as it turns out there is much, much more lurking in the nearby forest– and in the corners of Cadence’s own imagination– than anyone could have guessed.
I’m rather fond of this little “bedtime story” and I’d love if you read it and shared it with your favorite artist (or artist-in-training). Chuck a review up on Amazon or GoodReads too!
97% of writers can't make a living from writing. That's a flaw in our culture, not a shibboleth proving that the lucky few are Real Writers.
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) October 9, 2013
Do you consider yourself to be a good writer? Great! Keep writing.
Do you consider yourself to be a poor writer? Hey, me too! Keep writing.
YOUR GOAL TODAY IS ONE SENTENCE.
If you can write more than that, that’s AMAZING, but if you hit your goal then you’ve hit your goal and you’re on the right track and deserve accolades for simply opening your word processor.
Don’t believe in yourself? Believe in me, who believes in you!