GHOSTS: Behind the Scenes

Hello, readers! Here’s a little update about what I’ve been up to and where I’m heading with All the Book Things in the near future …

It’s no big secret I’ve been having a hell of a hard time writing anything since ROCK came out. This summer, I took a class through Savvy Authors called “The Book Factory.” Kerri Nelson taught it. She shared great advice for authors about how to put out gobs of content despite everything (time, job, family, and other responsibilities) standing in your way. Kerri said the trick to giving your keyboard a workout amidst life’s constant interruptions is simple: write for at least 15 minutes every day and shoot for a minimum of 500 words.

I liked that. Everyone can do that. Even me, post-muse (R.I.P., Muse. You were a fierce friend and a trusty companion. Until you ditched my ass! BITCH.).

So, I took up Kerri’s writing challenge, but I added my own twist: write EXACTLY 500 words every day. One scene. Five hundred words. Not a word more or less.

I’ve been religiously writing 500-word scenes ever since. And I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it. In fact, this post is exactly 500 words. See what I did there? 🙂

The writing is moving along pretty well, but the words coalescing on my screen are … weird. They’re not like my other words, and not just because I’m writing apocalyptic dystopian science fiction with no chance of a happily ever after. These words are different because for the first time in ages, I’m not trying please anyone else. I’m writing for pure FUN. (Granted, the story isn’t much fun for its protagonist, Sarah Coolidge. Poor girl takes a LOT of shit in this tale of gloom, doom, and weapons of mass destruction–BOOM!)

It may not be my usual rock star hardcore erotica or epic Elemental battle or even Hawaiian drug lords with shadowy powers, but I’m very excited and proud of this piece.

GHOSTS will be presented in serial form, but it’s totally different (I think) from other serials you may have read. Those who follow me and my work know I don’t like boxes–especially where creativity is concerned. I like to bust open boxes, shit on them, set them afire, and put them out with a gasoline hose. In other words,  GHOSTS will be typical Kendall Grey in that it’s completely atypical. Ha!

My goal in writing this serial was to fuck readers up. To make you question everything. To annihilate the concepts of genres and order and logic. Who needs those motherhuffers, anyway? FUCK ’em!

In October, I’ll start posting mixed-up, whacked-out, completely non-linear, fucked up scenes from GHOSTS here on my web site. Five hundred words at a time. Except for the part where they become 1,000 words. Or 1,500 words. Or … well, you’ll see.

This serial will be free to anyone who wants to read it, but you certainly don’t have to. I didn’t write Sarah’s story for you. I wrote it for ME. 🙂

#MakeArtNotHousePayments

22 thoughts on “GHOSTS: Behind the Scenes”

  1. This looks and sounds fucking ace! Glad you’re killing it 500 words at a time. One question: what’s a motherhuffer, moll?

    Keep on writing to make you happy, not house payments!
    Tama

    1. Hey Tamara! Motherhuffer is a word I came up with on the fly when I wrote this post. I have no idea if it actually means anything. I was just being silly. 😉

      Thanks for the encouragement and for stopping by!

  2. I’m so freaking happy for you Kendall! I love your writing and apocalyptic type stories so I’m stoked for these. Keep writing lady, we’re so proud of you! #MakeArtNotHousePayments

    1. YAY! Thanks for your excitement, Tara. Glad you enjoy apocalyptic stories. I’ll do my best to keep you entertained. 😉

  3. Good for you, Kendall! 🙂 I have no problem with writing 500/day, but I find myself drowning in guilt if I put those words into anything other than my WIP. Like, blogging. I’ve been working on a blog post for over a month. So far, it’s at just north of 8k words. A blog post. lol Do you find that you experience guilt if the writing you do isn’t in your WIP?

    1. Hey JM! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I do feel guilty about writing stuff that isn’t my WIP. For example, I didn’t count the 500 words I wrote for this blog post as part of my daily goal. I just can’t do that. Nothing wrong with those who do–words are words, right?–but my goals are always for the WIP. Anything else is gravy for me.

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