Tag: creative writing prompts

Fiction Blog, Writing Updates

Month-End Update: October 2016

Kate M. Colby

With a productive October behind me, I can feel the wintry winds of November nipping at my heels. Despite how much I accomplished in October, I don’t really have much to say about it. The month revolved around finishing up my nonfiction prompts series, which I did, with the writing and publication of 100 Horror Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 10). I also had a great reading month and blazed through quite a few titles on my to-be-read list.

As November begins, I feel like a race horse prancing at the starting gate. It’s NaNoWriMo season, and for some reason, I’ve decided I have time to take on the challenge. I’m out of excuses, and I will finally (with much anxiety and cautious excitement) be returning to the world of fiction with Desertera #3. Wish me luck – and feel free to add me as a writing buddy @KateMColby!

Writing & Editing

  • Blog Posts Written – 7 and one guest post
  • Fiction Words Written – 0
  • # of Days I Wrote Fiction – 0
  • Nonfiction Prompts Written – 100 prompts (plus work on the prompts anthology)
  • # of Days I Wrote Nonfiction – 20
  • Drafts Revised – Proofread of 100 Horror Writing Prompts
  • # of Days I Revised – 1
  • Outlines Written – 1 (upcoming prompts anthology)
  • Days Without Creation/Production – 11

Reading

  • Books Begun/In-Progress

*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.

Author Business Activities

Goals for November

  • Participate in and “win” NaNoWriMo 2016
  • Finish and decide on publication date of the prompts anthology
  • (Beta-)read and review books on TBR list

What did you accomplish in October? What goals are you working towards in November? What is your NaNoWriMo project? Share below!

Fiction Blog, Writing Updates

Month-End Update: September 2016

Kate M. Colby

Goodbye, book launch month! As you likely noticed, September was all about the release of The Courtesan’s Avenger (and, of course, this month’s booklet: 100 Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Writing Prompts). Unfortunately, my fiction book launch dominated the month, and the booklet took up what little time remained. While I’m thrilled to have them both out in the world, I’m even more excited to get back into creation mode. Desertera #3 has been calling my name for weeks now, and it’s about time I answered. Fingers crossed that October can be a strong start leading into November (aka National Novel Writing Month).

One thing that I did manage to make a lot of time for was podcasts. When I first started on my indie publishing journey, I would listen to podcasts all day at work. They helped me get up to speed on the industry and gave me a sense of community in what is an often lonely journey. I’ve really missed listening to them, so making time to do so on my commute (and at the gym – gasp!) has been really refreshing.

On a personal note, my husband and I also took a very bookish anniversary trip to Salem, Massachusetts, in September. I share more about the trip, my inspiration, and a few travel tips in this post. For now, allow me to recap September and get sorted for October.

Writing & Editing

  • Blog Posts Written – 12 and one reblog
  • Fiction Words Written – 0
  • # of Days I Wrote Fiction – 0
  • Nonfiction Prompts Written – 95 prompts
  • # of Days I Wrote Nonfiction – 15
  • Drafts Revised – Final proofread of The Courtesan’s Avenger (Desertera #2)
  • # of Days I Revised – 4
  • Outlines Written –  1 (100 Horror Writing Prompts)
  • Days Without Creation/Production – 7

Reading

  • Books Reviewed on Blog
    • None

*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.

Author Business Activities

Goals for October

  • Begin writing Desertera #3
  • Write and publish 100 Horror Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 10)
  • Reflect on one year as a published author and set goals for year two
  • Catch up on my friends’ books and help a few out with special projects

What did you accomplish in September? What goals are you working towards in October? Share below!

Fiction Blog, Writing Updates

Month-End Update: August 2016

Kate M. Colby

August went so quickly that I almost feel like it didn’t happen. As in July, I enjoyed a much-needed break from author work toward the end of the month while I visited my family and friends in Kansas. However, my mini-vacation also left me a little behind heading into September. The next two weeks will be especially busy, as I prepare for the publication of The Courtesan’s Avenger, but I’m ready to tackle my monster to-do list. Stay tuned for more updates – there are a lot coming very soon!

Writing

  • Blog Posts Written – 9
  • Fiction Words Written – 0
  • # of Days I Wrote Fiction – 0
  • Nonfiction Prompts Written – 105 prompts (plus two rounds of front/back matter material)
  • # of Days I Wrote Nonfiction – 9
  • Outlines Written –  1 (100 Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Writing Prompts)
  • Days Without Writing and/or Editing – 16 (thank you, Kansas!)

Editing/Revising

  • Drafts Revised – Final line edits and first proofread of The Courtesan’s Avenger (Desertera #2)
  • # of Days I Revised – 7

Reading

*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.

Author Business Activities

Goals for September

  • Final proofread of The Courtesan’s Avenger
  • Finish cover design process (now that my designer is back from vacation)
  • Publish The Courtesan’s Avenger
  • Write and publishing 100 Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 9)

What did you accomplish in August? What goals are you working towards in September? Share below!

Kate's Nonfiction for Writers, Writing & Publishing Articles

100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts is Out Now!

Kate M. Colby

EDIT: The free promotion on this title has ended. However, you can still buy it on Amazon for JUST $0.99.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve published my August booklet. The genre this month is Science Fiction. Since it’s one of my chosen genres as a writer, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make these prompts genre-appropriate and inventive. Did I succeed? Well, you can let me know in a review!

8 Science FictionDo you want to explore a new universe or create an alternate reality with your fiction? This booklet contains 100 writing prompts to help you get started.

Do you have an imaginative tale burning inside you but feel trapped by writer’s block?
Are you an established author looking for fresh, new ideas?

If you’re ready to stop staring at the blank page and start writing NOW, 100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts is the booklet for you. There’s no fluff and no wasted words – just 100 fiction prompts to get you back to what you do best: writing.

100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts is packed with character- and story-focused prompts to jumpstart your fiction. The prompts have been carefully designed to address the various motifs of science fiction stories – from calculated alien attacks to governmental conspiracies to post-apocalyptic wastelands.

Inside, you’ll find prompts related to the following subgenres:

1. Alien Invasion/First Contact
2. Alternative History
3. Cyberpunk
4. Dystopian
5. Exploration & Invention
6. Genetic Engineering
7. (Post-)Apocalyptic
8. Space Opera
9. Steampunk
10. Time Travel

Each section contains 10 thought-provoking prompts. Practice them in order, or dive right into to what inspires you most. You’ve already wasted enough energy on writer’s block. It’s time to craft your next great science fiction story.

Push the limits of reality. Download 100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts today.

Fiction Blog, Writing Updates

Month-End Update: July 2016

Kate M. Colby

Wow. As I recap July, I feel like these mere 31 days were two months instead of one. For the first 20 days, Daniel was in Australia visiting his family. I eased my loneliness by working my ass off, putting in extra hours to write, revise, and do all the little things that come with being an authorpreneur. And then I got on a plane to Australia to join Daniel…

…and promptly did zero author work for the final 11 days of the month. A much-needed rest that has left me feeling a bit disoriented as I head into August (aka the final march toward the publication of Desertera #2!). Here are my notes on what I accomplished in July and my goals for the coming month:

Writing

  • Blog Posts Written – 7 (and two reblogs)
  • Fiction Words Written – 0
  • # of Days I Wrote Fiction – 0
  • Nonfiction Prompts Written – 100 prompts (plus front/back matter material)
  • # of Days I Wrote Nonfiction – 8
  • Outlines Written –  1 (100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts)
  • Days Without Writing and/or Editing – 13 (thank you, Australia!)

Editing/Revising

  • Drafts Revised – Line Edit of Desertera #2
  • # of Days I Revised – 10

Reading

*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.

Author Business Activities

Goals for August

This month is all about getting Desertera #2 ready for publication in September!

  • Finish line editing and proofreading
  • Finish cover design process
  • Format for ebook and paperback
  • Set up preorder on online retailers

I also plan to write and publish 100 Science Fiction Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas Vol. 8).

What did you accomplish in July? If you participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, did you meet your goal? What are your plans for August? Share below!