Updates from Dan Kenner
Sep 21, 2023 4:41 pm
Hey there!
As much as I wish I could say every week had all good things, it's not always rainbows and butterflies. Early last week, we discovered that Emma, the adorable little kitten that made waves on Tiktok, had been run over by a car. She was such a sweet kitten, and was really friendly and loving. She was also explorative and curious, which ultimately led to her straying into the busy road. Definitely not my favorite part of the week, but we're trying to look forward to happier times.
In much better news, there has been some great things as well! One of the more notable things is that we were able to find new homes for the three baby goats we still had left. This has been something weighing on us for a very long time, so it feels good to have that load off our shoulders.
My Progress This Week
The Voice in the Noise, Book 2 of the Kids of Cybercity, is coming along really nicely! Because editing is not my favorite part of the process (as in, I shy away from it more than anything) it has been going at a slower clip than I would have hoped. However, knowing this about myself, I decided to set a deadline. I told myself I have to finish my edits by the end of this week. And by golly, I'm actually going to do it. Then it's on to editing book 3! Fortunately, my co-author is a very patient person.
I mentioned starting a short story for the Writers of the Future contest. This last week I was able to not only finish the story, but run through my edits. Given that it's my first try at a short story, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Is it still nearly 16k words? Absolutely. My Epic Fantasy brain struggles with anything deemed 'short', but I've been told it reads like a lot fewer words. I intend on giving this short story free to those who sign up for my email list (yes, alongside Shielded) so you'll be getting a copy of that soon. To celebrate the completion of the story, here's an image of Jovin, the main character in the story brandishing his elementite power stone.
New Episodes of The Casual Author!
Success is measured differently by every author, but sometimes, wherever that is, it feels so far away. Join E.A. Winters and me as we discuss her writing journey and how she has made progress toward her success.
Many people have a story close to their heart, but getting that out on a page and doing something with it is easier said than done. D. Alexander and I explore how he took his passion story from his teenage years and was able to put in in front of readers formally. We discuss how, despite getting it done, it wasn't as smooth and clear-cut as he'd hoped. Along the process, he learned many lessons which changed the framework for his publishing experience and finding readers.
Goat Matters, The Goods and the Bads
I wanted to give a little more context as to why selling the goats is such a big deal. When we bred the goats last year, we decided to try doing it a little later. That meant it was unlikely that we would be delivering any baby goats in snow storms, and more likely on warmer days. While that turned out to be true, it also meant we missed the peak 'goat buying' season. So naturally, we got a lot more quality time with the baby boy goats since no one was looking.
While we loved having them (even if they hated living with the mean old buck), it was sucking our hay resources at an alarming rate. We thought we'd purchased enough hay this year, but with three extra mouths to feed it was getting dicey. Fortunately, another farmer with tons of other sheep, cows, pigs, etc. decided to add them to his family. They are now happily living with the other animals on his farm.
And just for kicks and giggles, here's Adell, one of the goat-kid-moms, was being sassy this week as she waited for her turn to get milked. We find so much joy in caring for them and enjoy the milk we get twice a day.
And Now for the Free Books of the week!
Another great book to check out!
Gil was a regular guy before he was transported to another world. In a world of magic and monsters, he must struggle to survive. Here he is, the chosen one. But the world is familiar to him. It reminds him of his favorite RPG video game but now he is living it. When monsters attack him, the pain and struggle are real. Does he have what it takes to be the Warrior of Light?
In this new found fantasy world, he first encounters a female thief who reminds him strangely of a beautiful young woman from his past—in the real world. Will she be the key to unlocking the secret of his quest in Ultimate Fantasy?
warm regards,
Dan
