Xenolith: Contemporary Fantasy - Page 7

ASparrow · 01-14-2010, 08:46 AM

There's a new, very thoughtful review up on Smashwords that quite fairly and thoroughly appraises the strengths and weaknesses of Xenolith. I treasure reviews like this one because they truly help me develop as a writer. I'm already taking the reviewer's suggestions to heart in my revisions to the sequel (now at 94k words).

AdamGott · 01-14-2010, 11:53 AM

Thanks for the info!

Kemp · 01-15-2010, 12:59 PM

Yeah, congratulations: I consistently see Xenolith as pretty high on the popularity list for books available on Smashwords.

ASparrow · 01-16-2010, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamGott

Thanks for the info!

I admire your device. I love my little Palm TX and have no inclination to purchase a newfangled ereader until it dies.

ASparrow · 01-27-2010, 04:49 PM

XENOLITH has just undergone a bit of an overhaul.

I re-read it throughly a couple of weekends ago and discovered to my dismay a disturbing number of awkward phrases, unclear passages, inconsistent facts and unforgivable omissions of characters' feelings.

About a hundred of these foibles are fixed now. It won't look much different to the casual observer, the story is exactly the same, but I sure feel a lot better about the content now.

Still free, and will remain so until I get the sequel done.

ASparrow · 01-28-2010, 04:16 PM

Well, if I hadn't used free coupons so much, I doubt I would have had a tenth as many downloads. But I'm glad so many have had the opportunity to read it as a result. The reviews have been quite valuable in coming to grips with my limitations as a writer.

I made the mistake of re-reading the darn book a couple of weekends ago, and found bunches of passages that embarrassed me with their clunkiness and murkiness so I took a hard proof copy and plastered it with >100 post-it notes worth of changes, adding a smidgeon more of characterization and backstory, and a stray additional emotional beat here and there.

Those are all implemented in the latest version I uploaded, which has restored some of my damaged pride. It's still no work of art, but it hangs together better now.

Sequel (Peregrin) is at 98k. Revisions creeping along.

Also cutting down and streamlining another book (Lethe - 166K) whose early chapters will be posted on Authonomy as soon as I get enough polished.

nomesque · 01-28-2010, 05:03 PM

Eurgh, coming back and looking at a manuscript with fresh eyes can be a downer, eh? I know the feeling well - happens to me at work as well as at play!

(I write IT manuals for a living)

rlparker · 01-28-2010, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASparrow

That was my goal...

Congratulations!

ASparrow · 01-29-2010, 05:47 AM

Sequel: Peregrin is 98K and complete. Now its revision time.

ASparrow · 01-29-2010, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

Eurgh, coming back and looking at a manuscript with fresh eyes can be a downer, eh? I know the feeling well - happens to me at work as well as at play!

(I write IT manuals for a living)

It amazes me how blind I can be. Particularly with technical writing. I just want to get through it and get it away from me.

But even fiction that I've pored over word by word. My mind fills in the correct spelling, missing words and deletes extra words, even fills in the emotions of my characters sometimes.

By the way, I just experimented uploading to Wattpad.com, a mobile phone fiction site and it's been amazing: 38 reads in 3 hours.

ASparrow · 01-30-2010, 06:48 AM

If anyone wants to read Xenolith for free on a smart phone, here's a link for a cell phone version:

http://www.wattpad.com/298022-xenolith

CarolineNH · 01-30-2010, 06:27 PM

Based on the comments here, I just went to Smashwords and got this one. Thank you!

Acreo Aeneas · 01-30-2010, 07:41 PM

Bought it. Another book on a rapidly expanding list of titles.

Cheers Sparrow!

BTW, what does A in A. Sparrow stand for?

ASparrow · 01-31-2010, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

Bought it. Another book on a rapidly expanding list of titles.

Cheers Sparrow!

BTW, what does A in A. Sparrow stand for?

The A. doesn't matter really as it's a pen name. But I'm fond of Arcadia.

GlenBarrington · 01-31-2010, 09:39 AM

A. Sparrow,

Thanks for posting this! Not only for the free read, but tipping me off to smashwords, which I didn't know anything about.

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01-14-2010, 08:46 AM	#91
ASparrow Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 600000 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Boston Device: Palm TX	There's a new, very thoughtful review up on Smashwords that quite fairly and thoroughly appraises the strengths and weaknesses of Xenolith. I treasure reviews like this one because they truly help me develop as a writer. I'm already taking the reviewer's suggestions to heart in my revisions to the sequel (now at 94k words).

01-14-2010, 11:53 AM	#92
AdamGott Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 2139614 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Kindle/iPad	Thanks for the info!

01-15-2010, 12:59 PM	#93
Kemp Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 271834 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Minnesota Device: none	Yeah, congratulations: I consistently see Xenolith as pretty high on the popularity list for books available on Smashwords.

01-27-2010, 04:49 PM	#95
ASparrow Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 600000 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Boston Device: Palm TX	XENOLITH has just undergone a bit of an overhaul. I re-read it throughly a couple of weekends ago and discovered to my dismay a disturbing number of awkward phrases, unclear passages, inconsistent facts and unforgivable omissions of characters' feelings. About a hundred of these foibles are fixed now. It won't look much different to the casual observer, the story is exactly the same, but I sure feel a lot better about the content now. Still free, and will remain so until I get the sequel done.

01-28-2010, 04:16 PM	#96
ASparrow Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 600000 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Boston Device: Palm TX	Well, if I hadn't used free coupons so much, I doubt I would have had a tenth as many downloads. But I'm glad so many have had the opportunity to read it as a result. The reviews have been quite valuable in coming to grips with my limitations as a writer. I made the mistake of re-reading the darn book a couple of weekends ago, and found bunches of passages that embarrassed me with their clunkiness and murkiness so I took a hard proof copy and plastered it with >100 post-it notes worth of changes, adding a smidgeon more of characterization and backstory, and a stray additional emotional beat here and there. Those are all implemented in the latest version I uploaded, which has restored some of my damaged pride. It's still no work of art, but it hangs together better now. Sequel (Peregrin) is at 98k. Revisions creeping along. Also cutting down and streamlining another book (Lethe - 166K) whose early chapters will be posted on Authonomy as soon as I get enough polished.

01-28-2010, 05:03 PM	#97
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Eurgh, coming back and looking at a manuscript with fresh eyes can be a downer, eh? I know the feeling well - happens to me at work as well as at play! (I write IT manuals for a living)

01-29-2010, 05:47 AM	#99
ASparrow Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 600000 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Boston Device: Palm TX	Sequel: Peregrin is 98K and complete. Now its revision time.

01-30-2010, 06:48 AM	#101
ASparrow Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 600000 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Boston Device: Palm TX	If anyone wants to read Xenolith for free on a smart phone, here's a link for a cell phone version: http://www.wattpad.com/298022-xenolith

01-30-2010, 06:27 PM	#102
CarolineNH Expert napper Posts: 112 Karma: 77362 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Hampshire Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad Pro, Kindle Fire 10	Based on the comments here, I just went to Smashwords and got this one. Thank you!

01-30-2010, 07:41 PM	#103
Acreo Aeneas Kobo Aura Posts: 252 Karma: 500520 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago, Illinois Device: Kobo Aura	Bought it. Another book on a rapidly expanding list of titles. Cheers Sparrow! BTW, what does A in A. Sparrow stand for?

01-31-2010, 09:39 AM	#105
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	A. Sparrow, Thanks for posting this! Not only for the free read, but tipping me off to smashwords, which I didn't know anything about.