Plan B! Reevaluating your Goals!

Hey fam, 

So the Indiegogo campaign is over. 

Unfortunately we didn't make our goal. Heck to be honest we didn't even make 10%. 

Whenever you don't make a certain threshold or goal you have to go back and reevaluate your choices. Was it my novel idea itself? Did I not explain in it a more engaging way? Or maybe the chapter I put up to entice people actually turned them away?

Fam, I went through every possible scenarios. But one conclusion came increasing clear. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. I'm a firm believer that this process for me wasn't supposed to work. If it was suppose to, it would've. But!! It doesn't mean the overall plan to become a writer is in the trash. It just means we have to go another way about it. 

Ever have something happen to you where it reaffirms you commitment to your dream but you think you have better way to go about it (or don't trust what happened) and you go a different route? That's exactly what happened to me. I had attended a conference and made a couple of pitches to agents who were genuinely interested in reading. But in the fear of rejection (also because of the genre I'm in) I thought it would be best if I didn't go traditional. At least I knew I could publish myself. So I tried to raise money. Didn't happen. TWICE. 

You don't need a third time to tell you the first way was the way to go. Especially after all the effort, money and energy I put into making this campaign work. 

So where does that leave me? Back to the traditional. With a new novel. I've decided to put "The Balancer" on Wattpad and start on another one of my ideas. This way I can still get the exposure for my work and work on something that can have a fighting chance in this massive book market. Some of you might think don't write to simply appease the market. I'd like to think I'm not. I'm still getting my voice out there. With an idea that I genuinely like that just happens to fit in a hybrid genre (dytopian/fantasy). 

The major lesson in all this is just because one door isn't open doesn't mean others won't. Possibly before you started to learn more about the roadblocks in your way you had a simple idea. Return to the simple idea and make it happen. Listening to naysayers may educate you but possibly cripple you. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. Preserve and it will happen!

So you can check out the Balancer on Wattpad. I'll be putting up the link once I make a couple of changes to the teaser chapter I put up. But you can see the new cover I created. 

Again fam, never give up and surrender. Reevaluating your choices is never a bad thing as long as you make a decision to keep moving and evolving. And if you are out there and you need motivation, let me know. Right behind being a lawyer and writer is a cheerleader! Motivation and inspiration are my pom-poms! 😜

Until next time (more than likely tomorrow)!

The Fundraising Begins! Indiegogo Virtual Launch Party

Hello Family,

Quite a number of things have happened since I last wrote.

1. Officially launched my Facebook page
2. More editing (I'm anal about these things)
3. Launched my Indiegogo funding project.

So in my last post, I was going to tell you more about my fundraising project to complete my book publishing. The platform I'm using is called Indiegogo and it's quite fantastic. Its based on the idea of crowdfunding and many endeavors are now using it to fund various projects. Some more famous projects as been The Boston Strong Project to raise money for those effected by the Boston Bombing and Whoopi Goldberg's biopic film about women comedians. It is such a great tool - it allows anyone really to be part of the process and be the defining factor whether a project gets off the ground or not.

And this is what I need your help with - Please help me get my project off the ground! Any amount will do! And what is also very great about my project is that your contribution will not go unrewarded. There are giveaways for amounts given. Free copies of the future book, signed copies, t-shirts - basically awesome stuff! For the full list of things being given away you can check out (and donate) at my Indiegogo page:

http://igg.me/at/bamnovellife/x/2444285

And the best thing you can do for me is to spread the word to those who could help me out. Every penny counts! Whatever you can give to help is one step closer to helping me realize my dreams. 

Oh and I almost forgot! I'm launching a virtual launch party for the fundraising! You can tune into my LiveStream on JUNE 24 @ 7PM for the festivities. You'll get to see me, get more details on the what's the situation and did I mention that there will be giveaways as well? It will be a great time.

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/4402239/events/2181410

We are hitting the ground running my friends and I can't wait to see where this road takes us! As I end this, I will leave you with a little video that I made and the musical styling of Beyonce singing one of my new favorites "Grown Woman."

Thanks everyone for your continues support!

Major Announcement for the Novel!

Hiya Family,

A great couple of things have happened that have officially pulled me from the quagmires of despair into totally and absolute joy.

I've finally taken the plunge and contacted a group about self-publishing my book. IT'S OFFICIAL!

You must be like "You've been saying that for the longest time. What's so different now?"

The difference is pushing the button.

Since a couple of months ago, I have been on fence about really writing. Work and getting my Masters got in the way of everything and it made me question whether I really could do this. Be a writer? Barely had time to get myself out of the bed in time for work!

Then about two weeks ago, I randomly decided to read the first novel-length piece I ever wrote. And this may sound really self-absorbed but I couldn't put my own work done! It wasn't that I didn't what was going happen but it was the story that kept me captivated. And I can be my own worst critic! But I honestly thought to myself, that wasn't half bad.

Then I got to thinking, if I am able to write something that I can honestly enjoy reading several years later, I might have something there. So today I took the plunge! I contacted my book publishing adviser and set the official timeline. EEEEKK!

And I push the other button that I had been putting off for a while - my Indiegogo funding page. The publishing world has now allowed others to self-publish and take control of their own work. It is my wish to do the same. I'll discuss more about my goals for funding in another post but you can take a look at it if you want a sneak peak! Bring My Novel To Life!!

But honestly I can't tell you how siked (yes, I still use that word) I am about this entire thing. I started officially writing just about three years ago. Finished my first novel-length piece in a couple of months. Finish my current novel in 5 months and I still have much more to give!

Stay tuned and thanks for your continued support! Your comments and well-wishes give me the mojo to continue!!

Ciao,

Kristina

How Pinterest Saved My Novel

Family, I gotta testify and tell YOU how Pinterest save my book, gave it a second life and raised it from the dead.

I'm getting ahead of myself so let me back up a bit. You see, when you have been working on something so hard and take a break from it, you can lose your initial vision. How you saw your characters, how you saw the world you created. It's like a film that covers your eyes. Like sunglasses that are stuck to your ears and you can't get them off without doing yourself much harm.

Well, family, I had some dark sunglasses on. I couldn't get a handle on my protagonist. I started to forget my how evil my antagonist was. I was starting to forget how steamy the love connection between characters was. I was losing why my character would do certain things in certain places and I was losing why certain places did the things it did. And let me tell you that is the worst thing to happen to a writer. Sweat was pouring, itches broke out and panic was starting to come around the corner.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

It's not everyday that fantastic things happen that renews your invigoration for life. Or where a series of events breathes life back into the things that you hold dear. My friends, many great things have happened over the past couple of weeks that have lit a fire underneath my butt to fully seize my dreams of becoming a writer.

I believe that things happen for a reason. You can call it a divine plan or something written in the stars but there is some sort of master chain of events.

Getting Back in the Game

Hey family,

You must be looking at me and saying..."Who are you again? Oh aren't you that girl who disappeared like seven (7) months ago?"

As I hang my head in shame, I admit it - yes, I disappeared. But I did have good reasons! The move to NY, getting back into the school game and just getting used to the new lifestyle can really suck out a girl's motivation to get back into the game.