Recent posts @ NB

Most of my writing-only posts live over at Natania Barron – Writing Across Worlds. To save you the trip, here’s a few!

• The blood between the lines: writing who we are
• Falling apart at the seems: learning to write what you mean
• Confidence vs. Arrogance – The Writer’s Temperament
• It is universally acknowledged that women English majors of a certain age always read Jane Austen

 

Recent posts @ NB

In case you’ve missed them, I’ve been posting more general writerly stuff over @ NB. Check it out!

Going for the Jugular – Killing Characters

Writing to reach you – On recent successes and writing binges

The white space: what we don’t write – On what we chose not to write about.

 

That New Year resolution thing.

Gosh, it’s hard to believe, but about a year ago I decided to get serious about writing my blog and sharing my work, The Aldersgate Cycle through a podcast.

Now, nearly 23,000 views and countless connections later, I came to a big realization.

I’m about a lot more than one book!

In fact, as we speak, I’ve got about four books either finished or in progress. I’ve published a short stories, and have more ready to go out there in the world.

What’s the big problem, then? Well, this website was created to be a hub for The Aldersgate Cycle and steampunk related goodness, with occasional quips about writing and fantasy, etc. But the more I write, the more I realize that aside from the first two in that list, the other contributions really belong on a blog about, well, uh… me?

Yeah, so. Enter nataniabarron.wordpress.com. I’ll still be updating here, of course (with a concentration on Alderpod, etc), and hopefully cross-posting most of what goes on from here to there. But if you’re intersted in discussions about writing in general, poetry, randomness, and the daily doings of a stay at home/write at home geek mom, well, that’s the place to go. It’s very much in… um its nascence at the moment, but I promise there will be coolness soon.

Thanks to all who’ve made this year so incredible! Here’s to another.

 

Interview at Steampod!

My interview at Steampod is now up! You can listen to me talk a little about steampunk in general, the AGC of course, and other things.

Thanks again to Chris Moody for inviting me to the interview! You can check out his other episodes for fun an fantastic steampunk podcasts, too.

 

Alderpod #10 – Chapter Eight: Below

Alderpod #10: Chapter Eight – Below

Podcasting has been moving at the speed of light as of late; not only do I have #10 ready, but I also have recorded and finished #11, and #12 is just awaiting editing. Funny what happens when you don’t have work every morning. Haha.

A little bit about #10. First of all: how awesome is it that I’ve hit double digits? I’m excited. Ten is also a chapter that, if you follow along ’round these parts, I’ve had some issues with. I won’t really go into it, but it’s been a lesson in letting go. Because, honestly, sometimes you have to just let the story fly, understand that things may change a little (in this case, pacing more than anything), and recognize that, in the end, you can’t be perfect. I’m far from perfect.

Ten is still one of my favorite chapters, however, due to a meetup between two characters that, until this point, haven’t met. I remember writing this for the first time, and literally giggling as I did it. Crossing wires like that can be so fun.

Anywho. Look for #11 this weekend, and perhaps #12 early next week. I’ve made leaps and bounds editing, so I want to bring the podcast up to speed with the rest of the book. Hooray. 🙂

 

On naming blogs, editing, and a host of other things…

When I started this blog, I had finished The Aldersgate. The idea was that I’d post the edited chapters, one at a time, and podcast them. Seems like a pretty straight-forward plan, right? The name made sense, the format and structure made sense.

It’s all fine and good, but I realize I painted myself into a funny little corner. As editing has progressed I realized my little novel isn’t so little, nor uncomplicated. The more I edit, the more I discover; the more I discover, the more I change; the more I change, the more the book looks less and less like the first version and more like something new entirely.

And since my pace isn’t anywhere near as fast as I thought it’d be, this blog has become, ultimately, a writer’s blog about a host of subjects, from the process of writing, to trends in steampunk writing and culture, to music and history, to fantasy writing and science fiction.

Ultimately I realize I made a blog for a book, when I should have made a blog for myself as a writer. I suppose in a way it’s comfortable to hide behind something, like a book–but eventually personality wins out. So I’m contemplating renaming the site (not the address, as that’s impossible) and rethinking my approach a little more. The Aldersgate is a well-intended endeavor and, I keep telling myself any, a worthy one. But the more I edit and rewrite, the more I want to challenge myself and get it right. It’s a big story–a huge story, the largest and most ambitious I’ve ever tried to tell. And I don’t want to risk the telling by taking shortcuts.

So, suffice it to say, this blog jumped the gun a bit. Although, in my defense, when I sat down to serialize the novel I really did think it was 90% there. I just found out it was really closer to, oh, 20%. I’ve never been good at math.

To all the readers and friends I’ve made in the last few months, thank you. I’m rapidly approaching 10,000 views (?!?) and am ever amazed and inspired by the people I’ve come to know through this blog. Expect lots more from me as the months pass into the next year, and prepare yourself for new adventures!