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GRENDEL UPRISING: BLOOD ROYAL: EPISODE 2Last night I received the final proofread of Blood Royal from my editor BZHercules. I have used her services for Dragon Badge, Die Like A Man, Proof of Death, and now Blood Royal. With all three levels of the Triangulation package complete–beta-read, editing, and proofreading–I have started my final proofread. I hope to publish the Blood Royal ebook within a few days.WEAPONS OF EARTH: THE CHRONICLES OF KIN ROLAND: BOOK 3In other news, I have decided to put Weapons of Earth into its fourth complete re-write. During the revision of the 50k words in the current version, I spotted a major character conflict/struggle that hasn’t been used to the fullest effect possible. This means that I will save 3k to 15k of the WIP and write the remained from scratch.My head is exploding with action and intrigue for WOE. With luck, I will have much of the basic outline finished in the next few days, at which point I will either start writing like a mad man or delve further into the plot, structure, and world building background. This one is gonna be good!OTHER WRITINGThursday and Friday are my best writing days, as far as available time. Clearly I have big plans starting tomorrow. In addition to the projects mentioned above I have ideas brewing for what I call my Secret Science Fiction Masterpiece  (SSFM). My writing group has been hounding me to get to work on this particular premise, and I will; when it is as ready as it can be. Last but not least I have about 5k words already complete on Episode 3 of the Grendel Uprising series: Heavy Weapons. This story involves Aefel’s buddies from the First Armored-infantry Lightning Division as they chose between a corrupt general and their much loved leader, Aefel 70391. Some of their past exploits and battles are revisited with plenty of action.Best wishes,Scott

As writers, we must define success and hold the definition dear. To do otherwise is to invite depression. Creative types are vulnerable to all the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster. For example, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t dream of hitting number one on the Amazon Best Seller List.It’s fun, kind of like when my dad and I used to buy a lottery ticket at the beginning of a long trip and while-away the hours planning how we would spend the interest of the grand prize.The danger lies in vesting real emotion (and hope) in unreal daydreams. There is no forward progress, individually or as a society, without daydreams. But it takes maturity and experience to manage such remarkable enthusiasm.So my advice, to myself if no one else is listening, is to define success and remember the definition. I have sold more books each year than the previous year. All the experts agree that this is the road to success. There has to be a slow boil before a rolling boiling, yes?Recently, the world of writers has been a beehive of speculation about the new rules of Kindle Unlimited. Starting on July 1st, 2015, Amazon began paying authors and publishers page by page. Finding the rate of pay is a bit harder than it seems, because as in the past, it varies depending on how many pages are read each month, the size of the fund, and a writer’s individual share.The general consensus seems to be that the rate of Kindle Unlimited payment will be around one half of one cent, or $0.005. (Please check my math, I suck at it.) Last night I looked at the reported pages read of my five books and one story-story-novella and used my calculator. The result was a little over $14.00. As far as I can tell, the result is about the same to me as it was before the changes in the Kindle Unlimited program.I have just violated one of the big rules of self-promoting. I have risked exposing myself as not successful. The thing to do, say the marketing experts, is brag about all the money you are making. Allegedly, that makes it easier to sell books.So here it is. I am going to shuck it down to the cob for you, give you the Paul Harvey, the real deal in all my reckless honesty.

During this late date in July 2015, I have made about $15.00 in Kindle sales and $15.00 in Kindle Unlimited page-sales. With luck, I will multiply that by many thousands in the next three days!Sorry, let me get back on track here.The definition, the ground rules, the way I maintain my sanity is this. I love to write. I did it for thirty years without making any money and sharing it by way of a few beta readers and rejection letters from editors and agents. Now there are people who read my stories. I still love to write. Each year I find more financial success. And since everyone likes a happy ending, let me say that my audio book sales often surprise me.I don’t have to win the lottery. I would, as much as I love my job (most of the time), embrace the chance to earn a full-time living writing stories.It could happen.It can only happen if readers take a chance on an indie author like me. Will you take a chance? Maybe read something on Kindle Unlimited or purchase Enemy of Man, which is on sale for one more day at $0.99? Tell a friend?Best wishes. Have a perfect day.Scott

Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by Earth Fleet, Kin Roland hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole. When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than the nightmare hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever. 

“Eating Smores around a campfire doesn’t necessarily solve writer’s block, but it might help.” – Scott Moon, camper
Most writers have other jobs that pay the bills. Many have families. Some have serious physical disabilities that make every task, including self-motivation difficult. I was reading an article about Andy Rathbone (who writes books for the “Dummies” series and has 15 million in print) when something jumped out at me. He said that when he was a college editor for the Daily Aztec, that he learned to crank out stories whether he felt like it or not. Journalism has deadlines. Writers from this background definitely have that going for them.Fiction writers? Well, we all think we are artists. We wait for the muse, even if we deny that is what we are doing. For example I might write a blog article instead of revising my latest work-in-progress for the umpteenth time. “Blogging is important. Gotta build that author platform, right?”Crush writer’s block with these easy steps:

Regarding blogging: I’ve found that creating worthwhile content as a fiction writer is difficult. There are thousands of writers, some better than others, sharing writing secrets on the web. What do I really have to say that might be helpful? The best way to avoid too much time suckage is to make a realistic determination of how much blogging is enough, then stick with that amount regardless of insecurity or verbosity. No bonus credit for five extra blogs when you are on a roll. Put that energy into your primary project, whether that be fiction or non-fiction.

Regarding family and other loved ones: Stephen King, once upon a time, wrote a book called On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft. There is a section on closing the door. In short, set the ground rules with your family and help them understand how important writing is to you. They may resent it a little less if they understand it is your one true passion.

Regarding the muse: Again, Stephen King handles this one. In his book about writing, he describes his muse as being a task master. He works at the same time everyday. Period. He waits for his muse, so long as the task-master-muse shows up and punches the clock every day when he does.

Regarding unfairness: Sol Stein, in his book Stein on Writing, relates the story of Christy Brown, an Irish writer and painter who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and had the use of the toes of one foot. This made me wonder if my excuses were kind of lame.

Regarding momentum: This one is solid gold. How many times have you been surprised when your imagination took off? Showing up is half the battle. The Vice President of Musclepharm, Cory Gregory, started out working a hundred hours a week in a coal mine. He saved his money, became a personal trainer, and eventually rose to the top of the fitness industry, promoting events and developing sports supplements. He has a radical training program that involves squatting heavy every day. Okay, okay I will shorten this story. He explains that while following this program, a person will feel sore and beat up, but once in the gym will often set a personal best squat. (The last I check he squats about 700 pounds and weighs around 185 pounds.)

So this is how you crush writer’s block. Commit to success and limit distractions, even legitimate distractions like blogging. Get your butt in the chair on a consistent, or better yet, fanatically consistent schedule. Understand that other people have greater challenges to overcome than you do and act accordingly. Don’t take your gifts for granted. Last, but not least, remember that nothing succeeds like success. Do it every day. Build momentum. Achieve every worthwhile dream in your head.I write fiction. It is my passion. Without it, my world would really suck. So thanks for stopping by. I sincerely hope you succeed brilliantly in all things. Do you have advice we might all benefit from? Please leave a comment or share this article and make a writer’s day.Thanks,Scott

Right now it is 8:10 in the morning on a Saturday that promises to be busy. I have worked a lot of extra hours and accepted an overtime shift tonight as well. There hasn’t been as much time for family as I would like, so I have some play dates and honey do lists to complete. These things I am looking forward too; I also plan to get some things done for me. Normally, this is the only day off I have.
The first thing on my agenda is something that has been on my mind a lot over the last few years–feeling good. I love fitness, especially weight lifting. The post-workout feeling of a hard cardio session is also decent. (Doing the cardio, especially if it is hard and boring, is the not so fun part.) But what I am talking about her is feeling good all the time. This is where I take action to deal with joint pain and all the joys of getting old.
Years ago my doctor sent me to a knee specialists who sent me to a physical therapist after an examination and an MRI. We thought I had torn meniscus, but lucky me, it was mostly a muscle imbalance and an IT-band issue. I received physical therapy and a list of stretches, hip strengthening exercises, and foam rolling to do regularly.
Sadly, I have not done my part and it has been years since I went to the physical therapist.
To add to my woes, I think I have a pinched nerve in my upper back where I subluxated vertebrae in my upper back a very long time ago. The low grade, nearly constant pain is annoying. I also understand it is aggravated by bad posture, reading or watching my phone too low, primarily.
I refuse to give up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or lifting weights. Today I have started a routine of joint mobility first thing in the morning followed by static stretching as I watch BJJ instructional videos (today was Saulo Ribeiro ½ Guard: Freestyle Revolution). Later I will do my foam rolling and IT-band stretches, and strength training. Maybe cardio as well; that might need to wait until tomorrow.
As part of my joint mobility, I broke out my DIY Indian Clubs and loosen up the shoulders. I forgot how effective this can be if done right.

How to make Indian Clubs

How to use Indian Clubs

It is still early in the new Kindle Unlimited game. Since the beginning of this blog, I have focused on positivity, avoided rants, and tried offer something useful whenever I can. So please don’t expect to see me pulling out my hair or acting the fool here or anywhere else. I am sure the big brains at Amazon have reasons for everything they do. They didn’t become a world power by accident. In my previous blog post, I briefly highlighted some of the rules for the new Kindle Unlimited payment system. On July 1st, I looked at how many pages had been read of Enemy of Man. My confidence has continued to build as more and more pages are consumed by readers. Now maybe it will drive me crazy in the long run. How devastating will it be to my ego when sales are down and there is proof that now is reading the books borrowed. Because that will happen. People won’t be reading the book every single day. There are a lot of days when I get too busy to read. (A keen observer will notice how cranky this makes me, but it happens.) The only real problem I have with the system, is that it doesn’t say how many books were borrowed, so I have no idea what the pages mean. If my report says 699 pages were read yesterday, is that two and half books or one page each of 699 books? It is far too soon to decide if this will be a disaster, though I know some writers who are reporting a seventy-five percent loss in daily revenue already. My prediction is that there will soon be a mass exodus from KDP Select.

Where were you when you heard about Amazon’s changes to the Kindle Unlimited policy? I was having the wind knocked out of me after publishing my first serial short story, Grendel Uprising: Proof of Death. Initial reports of the new payment policy upset some authors and caused others to do the happy dance. The version I first received was that the new KU policy was going to punish writers of short fiction.I thought to myself, “Good job, Moon. Brilliant time to commit to a twelve part serial. Very nice.”I did a little research. Hugh Howey chimed in with his opinion on the matter, as he is prone to do. In his blog post, Why KU Short Fiction Still Makes Sense, he makes the argument that quality matters in this payment paradigm. If your book, regardless of length, is borrowed and not finished, you don’t get paid. This is either scary or brilliant. The good news is that readers can put the book down, pick it up again much later, and the author is still paid when it is finished. Mr. Howey also argues that books and stories that are finished are more likely to be reviewed.A six hundred page novel, read to completion, gets rewarded the same as six one-hundred-page novelettes that are read all the way through. This makes the payment scheme literally six of one and a half dozen of another. Chris McMullen offers a nice summary of the changes that begin on July 1st. (15 Questions & Answers about the new Kindle Unlimited policy effective July 1)I hope that you enjoy reading short fiction and would consider my newest publication, Grendel Uprising: Proof of Death. This stand alone science fiction tale of adventure is episode one of a monthlies series. GU: PoD was professionally edited using the Triangulation services of BZHercules.com.After July 1st, I will only get reimbursed for my effort if readers like the story enough to read all of it. :)I hope this new version of Kindle Unlimited really does effectively reward quality writing and serious authors. This has been my dream for thirty-three years. If self publishing crashes and burns, destroying the great opportunities writers of all walks of life currently enjoy, I will still be writing fiction thirty-three years from now!Thanks for stopping by.ScottGrendel Uprising: Proof of Death (17, 000 words)The longest journey begins with a single step, or a high-altitude insertion from the extreme upper atmosphere. What could possibly go wrong? Aefel 70391, a proud member of the First Armored-infantry Lightning Division, must find the Emperor’s assassin on a forgotten planet populated by blood thirsty vikings. Once, long ago when wealthy adventure tourists finally admitted they could not travel back in time, the Grendel Corporation purchased planet 0473829 for cheap and populated it with historical reenactment volunteers. Expenses soared. Bankruptcy followed. Technology went dark. The Earth System Commonwealth Military slowly withdrew protection from the economically and strategically insignificant project.Seccon 99991, First General and Chief Strongarm of Emperor Dan Uburt-Wesson, disappeared as thoroughly as a myth after committing regicide. A small, but well informed faction of the Earth System Commonwealth Military believe that he has hidden on the primitive — and privately owned — world of Grendel 0473829.Seccon must die; this is known.What is the killer seeking in the last corner of human explored space?Aefel must learn the answer or face permanent exile in the land time pretended to forget.
Episode 2, Grendel Uprising: Blood Royal, is scheduled for a July release date. Seccon betrayed the Emperor of the Earth Systems Commonwealth. Did he make a mistake? Can he keep the Blood Royal alive when modern commandos want them dead?

Yesterday, I received an email from the editor-in-chief of a publishing house. This was a result of a novel pitch I did at OWFI 2015. I hand’t planned to pitch, but something inspired me to go for it. I wasn’t ready. I had every expectation of making a fool of myself. The interview went well, because the editor was professional and just an excellent person. (I know this because I watched how he treated other people at the conference, and was impressed.)Now, I can tell you that this type of thing makes my day. I would be willing to bet that most writers do the happy dance when a traditional publishing house shows even the slightest interest in your writing. What do you think? Am I wrong?You might ask, which story I pitched.I’m not sure I want to talk about it here and now, but I will say that as I proof read it one last time, I realize it is some of my best writing in 33 years of serious effort. Maybe it will be a good fit with the publishing house in question. Maybe not.But reading the manuscript caused my adrenaline to race through my veins.How cool is that.

I just sent the first story of the Grendel Uprising series to one of my favorite editors, Samantha LaFantasie. She does very thorough work and does it without delay. As always, I am a bit nervous to see what a professional editor has to say. There will be a lot of needed corrections, I am sure. Some of it will likely be grammar. Some will be story logic or consistency issues. It still amazes me that I can go over a manuscript again and again and again and then some more, review what beta readers found, and finish revisions only to have the editor find things that need fixing.I learned the hard way that paying a qualified editor is worth every penny. Each story in the Grendel Uprising series will be professionally edited, and when I combine them into omnibus editions, there will be one final round with the pros. This may seem like a great expense, but it isn’t so bad spread out over time.Proof of Death will be available on Amazon as a digital book by the end of June if not sooner. I really hope you like it.

During the incredibly rainy month of May, I worked on the first of several serial short stories that have been dying to get out. This has been a lot of fun to write, but has been the genesis of serious distraction. First off, I started to develop a pen name for the project, mostly because I have always wanted to have a pen name. The reasons vary, and are the subject of another blog. Let’s just say I doubled my work for the same results.Like many writers, I have a regular job and a family–lots of important life choices to make. Play with the kids, yes. Pay the bills, yes. Maintain twice as many social media sites, no. Why start over when promoting and marketing is already hard enough? Why not take advantage of the modest success I have experienced thus far as a writer. When I began working with a pen name I realized the colossal amount of work I have already put into this web page and publishing project. So I decided to publish my short stories under my name, without partitioning each genre to a separate name. The genre of my Grendel Uprising series is science fiction, with a twist. One of my universe building projects has focused on a society where there are planets dedicated to various forms of recreation, like a golf planet or a NASCAR racing planet. The most common theme in this Commonwealth, are various historical reenactment societies. Grendel Uprising focuses on a planet dedicated to an imitation of 9th Century Earth, specifically, the rise of Vikings.This allows for adventures that feel a lot like time travel without the paradox issues common to time travel stories. It also creates interesting worlds where the historical reenactments have gone off course. Hello creativity, hello fun.The first story in the Grendel Uprising series (of rather long short stories) is schedule to be released in June. The advantage of shorter works of fiction, is that the editorial expenses are more manageable, since most price schedules are based on length of the work. This should allow me to put out the series monthly while still working on my novel length projects.I am really excited about this new era in story telling. Please take a moment to visit Grendel Uprising and my bibliography page for my current novels.Thanks,Scott

It will come as no surprise that I dream of earning a living with words; writing full time; going pro and whatnot. As such, I revisit the idea of writing under various pen names in various genres. I read widely, why not write in the same manner. The idea of using pen names is purely for reader convenience. When someone searches for Scott Moon on Amazon, that awesome person knows to expect science fiction adventure, urban fantasy, and a little horror.A reader would not expect literature fiction or political fiction, or let’s say erotica. Would I consider (or have I tried) writing either of these genres. Sure. None of it is fit for sharing at this point. Any writer who wants desperately to become a full time, professional author, must consider writing romance, even if said writer drops the idea. Romance writers make money. I even read and enjoy reading it from time to time.Amazon allows for authors to publish under three names on one account (the last time I checked). Currently, I am not using a pen name, but I think there is one in my future. Perhaps it will be a different type of science fiction or horror or something else.What are your thoughts on pen names? Do you currently write under a pen name? Do you plan on trying this out? If you have experience in this matter, what are the pros and cons?Thanks for visiting my blog. My currently published fiction can be found here.

Stephen King has a way of drilling a phrase or detail into your head. The last time I wrote a blog post, it was “Travlin Jack.” I discussed how the use of this phrase and others could be analyzed through the lens of Book Architecture (a new literary technique by Stuart Horwitz). As The Talisman progresses and Jack Sawyer heads west with his werewolf buddy, each Series (as Horwitz calls certain repeating story details) varies in usage, meaning, and intensity. As Wolf might say, “It’s happening right here and now, wolf!”The “Travlin Jack” and “My Mother is Dying” series/mini-themes continue to find their way into Jack’s internal dialogue, but less frequently. Somewhere around chapter fourteen, Jack begins to struggle with a recurring memory (..Jack was six, Jack was six, when everyone lived in California and no one lived anywhere else…who plays those changes…) of his father and Morgan Sloat discussing Jerry Bledsoe, a maintenance man they employ. In the memory of a six year old, part of the conversation about a jazz album mingles with a growing understanding of what happened to Jerry Bledsoe.“Who plays those Jerry Bledsoe changes?”The fate of the maintenance man becomes a metaphor for unintended consequences. Jack sees every catastrophe as something he caused by his actions in the Territories. This mini-theme, or Series, dominates the “plot” for several chapters. Mr. King likes taking the scenic route, which is probably why I enjoy his novels!(Also, Jerry Bledsoe in the real world, the right here and now, God pound it, not in the Territories, is an American author and journalist according to Wikipedia. This could mean nothing, but I find it terribly interesting.)Today I am deep into chapter twenty-one of The Talisman, enjoying every audiobook minute, and not for the first time. The “Travlin Jack, My Mother is Dying, and Jerry Bledsoe” Series remain powerful and vivid, but Wolf has taken center stage with the changing of the moon.“You’re the herd now, Jack. A wolf who harms his herd is damned…”The interesting thing about the link between Book Architecture and Stephen King’s work, is that Mr. King is the champion of organic writers (seat of the pants, story excavators, and so forth). If you Read Blueprint Your Best Seller and Book Architecture, both books provide useful tools to coming to grips with a long, winding first draft. What do writers say? First get it written, then get it right?For several years I have struggled to understand and wield story structure more intentionally. I love the concepts in Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. What I am coming to discover, is that the entire process is faster and smoother for me if I write like King advocates and then revise and structure later. Thirty-three years of serious writing brings me to the method I currently use. In essence, it is all about story–some entertain, others do not.Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to read your comments. Presently, I have five books available here, if you are interested and enjoy a good read.

There is nothing like attending a writing conference and mixing it up with other writers. I was going to put up an article last night, but had some issues with the wifi connection. …And so wrote on Dragon Land instead. This, my friends, is a good thing. Anyone who has written a series knows the trials and travails of bringing it all together for one last hoorah and parking the plot satisfactorily.In 2012, I attended my first conference and felt young and full of energy. This is it. What I’ve always wanted to do. This is my bestest most coolest daydream, I thought. Still love the feeling and still get it.Today, though I was not planning to pitch a novel, I decided to go for it (Dark House Press). All day I had been remembering that first conference and how the most magical part, and the most terrifying, was that I pitched a novel. Win, lose, or draw–I love to pitch ideas. Even if the agent or editor says no (or calls the law to have me removed, or perhaps sicks an attack dog on me) I still had them as a captive audience of one for twelve minutes.Bam! I just told someone a story.My only regret so far is that I missed the presentation on becoming a Hybrid author.No worries.I’ve always planned to self-publish some of my writing and seek an agent and traditional publishing arrangement for other work. So from now to eternity I will have a book completely ready every year for pitching and submission, no matter how many self-published books I produce–not so much because I am chasing the a big advance or whatever, but because I love the process.It helps to have a day job at this point. In Scott Moon Fantasy-world, I write full time, teach, travel, edit, adventure, and meet fabulously creative people of numerous mediums. There will come a time when I can retire, or at least scale bag the big obligations, and I want to be ready when opportunity rears its beautiful head.How about you?