tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59899645470014093702024-03-05T18:24:15.385-08:00Comet JackSteve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-49006166341903320202014-09-28T06:17:00.000-07:002015-02-14T14:40:32.755-08:00AVAILABLE NOW!<br />
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Introducing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NY411F2">Comet Jack 2: The Dark Sea Uprising</a>, the sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-Steve-Kopka-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ">Comet Jack</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NY411F2" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdTFZgM2PJZ_Zh8BGDJqVVSmyiUCY9pwbGY21OgmdKVbFVrLZEnoGZleF7ka4U0P60gTNScFRmK6gIR2w39mJUwM0Ud8YvadBsxZyylj6GbBGnDNBtZ5Y4LBxuDj09SHupnASIvOnMW5A/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+cover+hand+6x9+final.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been almost a year since Jack fell through his attic window and found himself drafted into the Comet Corps, orbiting a war-torn alien world halfway across the galaxy. Now safely back on Earth, with Summer Break just around the corner, Jack’s brain only seems to focus on one thing: Jennifer Mitchell. His thoughts are far from the stars…</span></i></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />…Until a mysterious message arrives through the portal, landing loudly in Jack’s attic. Jack can’t read the alien language. He throws it back, but it just returns, again and again.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Jack needs to find Regent, his super-smart sidekick from the other planet, but this time when he jumps through the portal, he ends up on a much different world. In a much different body.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Before, he was mistaken for a superhero. Now it looks like he’s a slave…</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />On Earth, Jack’s secrets are piling up. His friends can’t understand why he seems so distant, his parents are concerned with his odd behavior, and worst of all, Jack’s nemesis, Dirt, the biggest bully in school, just noticed Jennifer Mitchell too.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Off-world it’s much worse: Jack may have started a war that will destroy an entire alien race.</span></i><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Av</span>ailable at Amazon.com for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NY411F2">Kindle - only $2.99</a></li>
<li>Also available as a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-The-Dark-Uprising/dp/1502401932/">Trade Paperback</a> if you want to hold it in your hands old-school.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cometjack.com/p/contact.html">Contact me</a> if you need a different format.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNh1ErHLpETZiBv2-kZIFUfap9LaEh7fmh2i2Mltpx345voDPzuuWtM_fH47rV6RGQzHfjIYSo4jV27KCimZHQmDrhlivgh6z5zk_IwfCUURE6MycfOE_EASzPl8QyDimjtD5UIrSd_3tp/s1600/cheapcheap_canary.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNh1ErHLpETZiBv2-kZIFUfap9LaEh7fmh2i2Mltpx345voDPzuuWtM_fH47rV6RGQzHfjIYSo4jV27KCimZHQmDrhlivgh6z5zk_IwfCUURE6MycfOE_EASzPl8QyDimjtD5UIrSd_3tp/s1600/cheapcheap_canary.png" height="200" width="163" /></a><br />
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And, for those who haven't read the first book, I'm celebrating the release of <i>CJ2</i> by reducing the Kindle price of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-Steve-Kopka-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ">Comet Jack to 99 cents</a>!</div>
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Please enjoy and tell me what you think!</div>
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...Even better: please consider telling others what you think by briefly reviewing the books on Amazon. If you wish to add your honest review, please click one of these direct links: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B005HXALXQ">review Comet Jack</a> or review <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00NY411F2#">Comet Jack 2: The Dark Sea Uprising</a>.</div>
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-72797408170200121542014-09-25T12:41:00.000-07:002014-09-25T12:42:14.629-07:00The Proof is Here!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPseKOcF6g_f-E5qlpmRTdcudoKt559lY0NjBKXF1U_iICNFizxq5ojDk05whix_HWAutq4xameWERO0wXIUw8ibqoxkbWAgPZDNsrajkjfpZq-OQTVPpm5G0vhc14GOTPiP_Q73unIl5/s1600/cj2_proof_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPseKOcF6g_f-E5qlpmRTdcudoKt559lY0NjBKXF1U_iICNFizxq5ojDk05whix_HWAutq4xameWERO0wXIUw8ibqoxkbWAgPZDNsrajkjfpZq-OQTVPpm5G0vhc14GOTPiP_Q73unIl5/s1600/cj2_proof_pic.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a>I'm holding the first ever copy of <i>Comet Jack 2: The Dark Sea Uprising</i>!<br />
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It's the proof, the copy I need to check for errors. I'm combing through it now, making sure it's fit for general consumption.<br />
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When can you hold your copy? SOOON. I will fix a few typos, tweak something on the cover, then release it into the wild--both in print and eBook format.<br />
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Stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-18582866014881491012014-09-16T06:48:00.001-07:002014-09-16T06:49:22.316-07:00Upgrade!Here's the final cover for the new book. No, I haven't just been playing in Photoshop this whole time. I've been rewriting, reworking, formatting, relearning Kindle formats and Createspace specs and how to get Scrivener to put it all together. The book will be out very, very, very soon, but for now, please enjoy the cover upgrade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DRt1l8BHVL163rByA-pnIjnBkLZyD7FQUdar1NnJEYbfSFHYHV4RE907xYJF9t7Wj1zEYTFhR3-vjL_sISHbiBSDZFvS6uWpR1TqwHFv-jeSEYiTn8-guYJ0ejCTRzEoZBdkn4gyj9h4/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+cover+hand+6x9+2v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DRt1l8BHVL163rByA-pnIjnBkLZyD7FQUdar1NnJEYbfSFHYHV4RE907xYJF9t7Wj1zEYTFhR3-vjL_sISHbiBSDZFvS6uWpR1TqwHFv-jeSEYiTn8-guYJ0ejCTRzEoZBdkn4gyj9h4/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+cover+hand+6x9+2v.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned.</div>
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Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-26577270766346528242014-02-28T15:18:00.000-08:002014-02-28T15:21:13.590-08:00Something to Judge the New Book ByComet Jack 2's cover is getting closer. I'm tackling it myself this time around, which involves much learning on the fly. I have a few chops, but not enough to generate something good on my own. Luckily I have lots of help.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2MXgL6Us7d5Z-wS6o5OU0ULHE3Vl5EXXMmBzmhwR8NVet5WKY5YbdllfGSfecznNBgX82hZcS9xCPvhm0m5ejAPPehn92VYb8CXJZq4EJLzxGhweaFzRqbtIYKUUueZgF7sStde87R70/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+cover+hand+2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2MXgL6Us7d5Z-wS6o5OU0ULHE3Vl5EXXMmBzmhwR8NVet5WKY5YbdllfGSfecznNBgX82hZcS9xCPvhm0m5ejAPPehn92VYb8CXJZq4EJLzxGhweaFzRqbtIYKUUueZgF7sStde87R70/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+cover+hand+2_1.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>First and foremost, the Comet Jack logo was designed by <a href="http://octophant.us/">Phineas X. Jones</a>, for the first book. So that will stick around, of course, to keep the series unified. The red 2 is all me, so don't blame him for that. I also pasted in the star field he created for the first book, so Phineas deserves much credit. But again, none of the blame.<br />
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Next I took a photo of my son's hand. I removed the background, stretched out some of digits, played with the color and contrast and such, and then painted a texture over it. I found a set of free fish/reptile scales brushes <a href="http://www.brusheezy.com/brushes/48195-scales-brushes">here</a>. Thanks, <a href="http://www.brusheezy.com/members/tijo">Tijo</a>! I used some other tricks to play with lighting, add shadows, wrap the scales a bit. Oh, and generate webbing of course.<br />
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NASA provided the ocean-world planet. I searched for "ocean and clouds" on their <a href="http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/UTILS/search.cgi">Great Images in NASA website</a>. I pretty much pasted that on as is. Which ocean-world is that? It's actually the one we live on, though here it's standing in for an alien world. Thanks, Earth!<br />
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There's still more work to do on the cover, but I think it's coming together. If you have any advice, please leave it in the comments. When you stare at something for awhile, you tend to miss the obvious, so please feel free to point anything out.<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-85289496686052500542013-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:002015-07-12T06:30:47.568-07:00Year End Writing Wrap UpAfter finishing writing much of Comet Jack 2<br />
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in 2013, I just <i>yesterday</i> finished the massive edit on it! So that's exciting. It's now ready for beta-readers, who will help me further tweak it. I also have a short Epilogue to write (which will include some appetizers for Comet Jack 3), a cover to do (I'm trying to tackle it myself this time around), and of course the post-beta-reader edit. After that, I will release CJ2 into the wild.<br />
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But that's all 2014. This is supposed to update you on 2013.</div>
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In 2013, I also wrote a rhyming kids book called <i>You Can't Eat A Duck Like That</i>. My incredibly talented nephew, illustrator <a href="http://davekopka.com/">Dave Kopka</a>, agreed to illustrate it. So far it's been fun to collaborate. His job on the project is much, much larger than mine, so this one is "in development."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Zxaxvfo0YmYIDMKPAgUtgIPVsajIMS0KHvDNnVHeClfKKLdpzjOOmzgEtmcol4do6cyVkOUEYpzEuKNQIsa0E1MbheEOqTZg54yFcbMU9QDU2qbx0VesSYwWefawjJc6ZPHIxQFMyDc/s1600/pepperjane+gingersnap+Jill+2+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Zxaxvfo0YmYIDMKPAgUtgIPVsajIMS0KHvDNnVHeClfKKLdpzjOOmzgEtmcol4do6cyVkOUEYpzEuKNQIsa0E1MbheEOqTZg54yFcbMU9QDU2qbx0VesSYwWefawjJc6ZPHIxQFMyDc/s1600/pepperjane+gingersnap+Jill+2+closeup.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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Also still "in development" is Pepperjane Gingersnap. Jill Thompson has been crazy busy in 2013. Check out the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1327932176/the-scary-godmother-doll">Scary Godmother Doll</a> she successfully Kickstarted! Perhaps she'll have time in 2014 to work on Pepperjane. Her initial artwork for it is, of course, spectacular.</div>
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But back to me: I also read through several old novels I've written and found at least two I think are worthy of polishing and publishing. So there may be some news of that in the future. But I'm supposed to be looking in the rear-view mirror here, right?</div>
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At the beginning of 2013, I resolved to write every day. With the exception of a handful of days (no more than two handfuls), I actually accomplished this. Some days it was a mere sentence or two. Others were stream-of-consciousness rhythmic nonsense lyrics (some of which I quite liked). Sometimes I changed a word or two during my editing of Comet Jack 2 and called that my daily writing. Other days, though, I managed to get a solid hour, occasionally two. During the end of writing Comet Jack 2, I had a couple of marathon days. It's amazing to see your daily wordcount hit 4,000 or more when other days it's like pulling teeth to hit 400 (or 40).</div>
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In 2014, I want to do the same thing--write every day--but this time I want to schedule better. I want to actually block out two solid hours to write (or 1.5 hours or whatever I schedule) and then only write during that time, like it's a job. It <i>is</i> a job--it just doesn't pay much yet. In fact, it's more important than a job, or should be. Creating art is one of the most important things a human can do. (So now that I've said that, I better make my target "art". Hmm. That's a moving target by definition, always a little better, always a little out of reach. I've got work to do.)</div>
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But here I am writing about 2014 again. Guess it's not a bad thing to be looking forward, especially for a science fiction writer. I wish the same for you--eyes wide and open, looking ahead. Something amazing is just around the corner.</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-89719220682689622152013-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:002013-10-17T14:39:36.349-07:00On Display<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little bird told me Comet Jack was prominently displayed at the <a href="http://www.parkridgelibrary.org/">local library</a> so I rushed right over flapping my hands giddily like Homer Simpson. Low and behold, I found my baby sitting on its own easel, in the Young Adult loft, facing cover outward like like it had been picked best in show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLr9BT1lDpXpQYpexo0OHBPDACflc5NEXV2nswnJWrfjxHURTu52vvmwru6ykR8U6gUup-05NF_3Uv9hfmK6Wzfh9wjfXedbbidsskVNg-6i1YoSE9R2lvTnf1tvyfUizJaPBY3-01Npw/s1600/20131017_144055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLr9BT1lDpXpQYpexo0OHBPDACflc5NEXV2nswnJWrfjxHURTu52vvmwru6ykR8U6gUup-05NF_3Uv9hfmK6Wzfh9wjfXedbbidsskVNg-6i1YoSE9R2lvTnf1tvyfUizJaPBY3-01Npw/s320/20131017_144055.jpg" width="179" /></a>Even better, the copy shows signs of wear. <br />
Which means readers. Which means I'm a <i>very happy writer</i>.<br />
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Soon I'll provide this worn copy with a brand new friend. I hope to have the (first) sequel out by the end of the year.<br />
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While I was at the library, I also snuck a peek at their computerized catalog, <a href="http://parkridgelibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1915379035_comet_jack">pulling up my book</a>. (That's a rush too. Seeing your name and your book on a library card catalog makes you feel like a Real Writer. I know, I know: what an amateur.) The Comet Jack entry had a new description, written by someone other than me. It's pretty good, so I may have to borrow it. Anyway, here's the description:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgQXT1kQvBD8L06_YMoo-oD6oC1CYTMrRQfm77l00NlWgttzmN4FgaHbZckNlM0sgrHAb0IlGuXvpMxsFSp7Hm8lwZ8IY2-1GjwGlaUKMAPGtC0Q_JyQ_aHghDzZ2wovm1KaOIYqJeev_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-17+at+4.25.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgQXT1kQvBD8L06_YMoo-oD6oC1CYTMrRQfm77l00NlWgttzmN4FgaHbZckNlM0sgrHAb0IlGuXvpMxsFSp7Hm8lwZ8IY2-1GjwGlaUKMAPGtC0Q_JyQ_aHghDzZ2wovm1KaOIYqJeev_/s200/Screen+Shot+2013-10-17+at+4.25.32+PM.png" width="200" /></a>"Jack is just an ordinary fifth-grader trying to adjust to life in a new school and deal with the schoolyard bullies who torment him. Then one day he accidentally falls out a window and suddenly finds himself whisked off to another planet, where he has been sent on a mission by the mysterious Comet Corps."<br />
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Okay, back to work. Comet Jack 2 isn't going to edit itself.<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-10193155691590917602013-09-20T07:44:00.001-07:002015-07-12T06:34:55.647-07:00Comet Jack 2 draft is complete!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n6LBMtiBPMrEB2-9vUz6L1W1gvz8OOMA4BJV8TCXR51AjjM0cmxQG-8CmF_g3wC7ZkasMcJ85e29Xn4-Zlo5RfZwapK9fUYRGKEnId36PiCpHdX-apdnngFBM55npem95mp9a7GIB7Bm/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+only+Type.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n6LBMtiBPMrEB2-9vUz6L1W1gvz8OOMA4BJV8TCXR51AjjM0cmxQG-8CmF_g3wC7ZkasMcJ85e29Xn4-Zlo5RfZwapK9fUYRGKEnId36PiCpHdX-apdnngFBM55npem95mp9a7GIB7Bm/s320/Comet+Jack+2+only+Type.jpg" width="278" /></a>I finished writing the first draft of Comet Jack 2 this week. What a great feeling to type END on something you've been working on for... a while.<br />
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There was a point where I was struggling to write four or five hundred words a day, sometimes not even that. It was a real grind. Sometime last weekend I turned a corner though. The words just started flowing, racing toward the finish. On Monday, believe it or not, I cranked out 5,400 words. (These will likely need some edits...)<br />
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The draft checks in at over 97,000 words, which makes it almost 45% bigger than the first Comet Jack. It will likely slim down a bit in edits, but it will definitely be a longer book than the first. Even so, it feels leaner. There's a lot going on, both on Earth and on a different world. I don't want to say too much, but let me just say that Earth troubles are getting more complicated in at least two very important ways: first, things are traveling this way through the window, to Earth; and second, there's this girl...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx7gGaREMnpHSNw4tJ2lEj-LM8nNJ0kZxpdzPqzWtDYM9moJyKspCPh_g4WGdBRD_eC0BT7iFEZJWGRihJtoxQpGK5i1_fj3qFzxPmYT7Wce7lhVTSMLeq1vM9FNCAB2yDYJTy9qY6OAg/s1600/comet+jack+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx7gGaREMnpHSNw4tJ2lEj-LM8nNJ0kZxpdzPqzWtDYM9moJyKspCPh_g4WGdBRD_eC0BT7iFEZJWGRihJtoxQpGK5i1_fj3qFzxPmYT7Wce7lhVTSMLeq1vM9FNCAB2yDYJTy9qY6OAg/s320/comet+jack+closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Part of the reason it took so long to write was that I realized I needed to plan out the third book in the trilogy at the same time. While CJ2 is a complete story on its own, there are important reveals that set up the third book in the set.<br />
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Will there be other books beyond the initial trilogy? I'm sure, but I do see the first three as a set. Like the first three Star Wars movies. Will this will be my Empire Strikes Back (which is the best of the original movies)? I better get editing and find out.<br />
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Comet Jack 2 is coming! Stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-88054948226946120822013-09-16T18:52:00.001-07:002013-09-20T07:45:45.359-07:00Putting Time in Perspective<br />
Want to have your mind blown? Take several minutes and check out the graphs here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92_3HPjW47veV6A3C_lFrYeryQhVBveBawbIJOzVSXSNSGjotn_LZzKGecLDuathFfPaZrUWfxYLesQAHGaeQmXHjpar16mmG7RMDVncMhyHVPfKI6aq_tq3OlLh8B34SYPPmdYTfZy8/s1600/Timelines+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92_3HPjW47veV6A3C_lFrYeryQhVBveBawbIJOzVSXSNSGjotn_LZzKGecLDuathFfPaZrUWfxYLesQAHGaeQmXHjpar16mmG7RMDVncMhyHVPfKI6aq_tq3OlLh8B34SYPPmdYTfZy8/s400/Timelines+1.png" style="cursor: move;" width="190" /></a><a href="http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/08/putting-time-in-perspective.html">Putting Time in Perspective</a><br />
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Each one shows a period of time, then "zooms out" to look at another period. It goes from one day all the way up to the birth and death of the universe (as it's commonly understood now).<br />
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All those very important events, inventions, ideas are just the most recent moments in our very long history. So, you know, you might want to allow for the possibility you might be wrong about something. It wasn't that long ago our ancestors thought they knew what was going on--even though they couldn't speak or make fire. (And not too far before that their ancestors were first poisoning the atmosphere with oxygen through photosynthesis).<br />
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Enjoy!Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-33166730699247769232013-04-25T15:28:00.002-07:002013-04-25T16:18:00.907-07:00Songwriting<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8SJMo6x1R-ccWgEDiuO3gV3WpxwzTtBHZAB_BTQtpN75ZKVjpzJkzkUvOoWwg1dsyeON18fcgWgW6oHDGDnyiNJYBXmVET5If3o2zCSUrlbz6TnTmpSQB5jfpS4R9lFQY-ArJIT2OG7Y/s1600/berkleelogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8SJMo6x1R-ccWgEDiuO3gV3WpxwzTtBHZAB_BTQtpN75ZKVjpzJkzkUvOoWwg1dsyeON18fcgWgW6oHDGDnyiNJYBXmVET5If3o2zCSUrlbz6TnTmpSQB5jfpS4R9lFQY-ArJIT2OG7Y/s1600/berkleelogo.png" /></a>I've just completed an online course in Songwriting. It was <i>fantastic</i>. Like all good classes, the material expands to apply to much more than just songs. The instructor spotlighted lots of concepts that translate well to fiction writing--ratcheting up the drama through instability, rhythm of language, the three act structure (as three verses in this case), and much more. The instructor was <a href="http://patpattison.com/news/">Pat Pattison</a> from <a href="http://www.berklee.edu/">Berklee College of Music</a> and he started off--BOOM--with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle">Aristotle</a>! How can classic Greek ideas on art not be helpful to those struggling to create it in the Twenty-First Century?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz7BrsCHuCKCCzpxPKpO1Aib-BS7RMJFj-vplhRfrtr-ocDvU7a0gHFccof4kvADLbh7X7VA019WtFTNK2h3rcSOyOTK0bqWakNDAG-CfCGXxN6dclFxrNSOiD_ehPzuuTVgMQQWtiWAb/s1600/Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz7BrsCHuCKCCzpxPKpO1Aib-BS7RMJFj-vplhRfrtr-ocDvU7a0gHFccof4kvADLbh7X7VA019WtFTNK2h3rcSOyOTK0bqWakNDAG-CfCGXxN6dclFxrNSOiD_ehPzuuTVgMQQWtiWAb/s200/Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aristotle - Art Analyst</td></tr>
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The idea Mr. Pattison hit us with, and which hung around the course start to finish, was that of unity. Everything must work together to serve the purpose of the work. In songwriting, lyrics, point of view, rhyme scheme, verse-chorus structure, melody, chords--everything must work together toward common purpose. In writing, you could make a similar list--characters, plot, theme. In fact, all three of those belong in songwriting too. There are many areas of overlap.<br />
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One of the coolest things Pat Pattison talked about was the idea that all art--including fiction writing and songwriting--employs techniques of creating tension and resolution. In songs, you expect something to rhyme, or a melodic phrase to resolve, and when it doesn't it creates a certain amount of drama. Stretch that out to the perfect length, where the tension is ratcheted up to the point of breaking, and then offer your resolution as relief... that is the ultimate goal of a scene or a song or a book. There are a million ways to do it (and a million ways to screw it up) and taking the songwriting course, I hope, has opened my eyes to a few new tools to use in my own work. It certainly has me listening to some familiar songs in a brand new way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7Iey4d0hAvw8yDmAxWhLsX-C_nJW8mw-eLtBcsepOuQDphtrwSQEFX6-wU78A9OfFphJN87sxWNhCZEVds50xVbUr12AOvzMf_tpxxYV1qkAbfmagNSnQpRh1wmGNW604gyeBDGtd6lh/s1600/coursera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7Iey4d0hAvw8yDmAxWhLsX-C_nJW8mw-eLtBcsepOuQDphtrwSQEFX6-wU78A9OfFphJN87sxWNhCZEVds50xVbUr12AOvzMf_tpxxYV1qkAbfmagNSnQpRh1wmGNW604gyeBDGtd6lh/s200/coursera.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anyway, I highly recommend expanding your horizons with a FREE online course. I've done three from <a href="http://coursera.org/">coursera.org</a> (sadly only completing two--my first was a bold attempt to jump into statistics and R programming without the proper prerequisites). It's like going to college for free. Also, you don't need to be college age to do it. You can be older or younger. The course description will tell you what prerequisites you need, but mostly you just need a computer, an internet connection, and a desire to learn.<br />
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All Coursera courses are free, including the ones taught by Berklee instructors. Berklee has its own online school, though the courses there cost money. If you google MOOC, you'll find other free courses from top universities. I love living in the future.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-60364489820348825392013-01-14T17:17:00.003-08:002013-02-12T13:37:39.659-08:00Heavy Stuff2012 was a crazy year. Crazy is the wrong word. Wild is the wrong word. Lots of momentous change. Since almost none of it was about writing (beyond the fact that <i>everything</i> has a way of showing up in the writing), I won't create a list here. The world continues to turn and let's just leave it at that.<br />
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Comet Jack #2 is chugging along steadily. More than that, as the story emerges so does the story of the full trilogy. (There may be books beyond #3, but these first three will definitely be a set.) My challenge as I'm writing is to make sure #2 is a complete story on its own, even while setting the stage for an even bigger payoff with #3. I'm really digging the big picture, and with luck I'll pull this all off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jalcG0hic7bZqub_OV9N2wlOgyWoDign8fcgQS2PbvIUDOeFWK1pAGicpA0BCZjELVv6e6Xuh-0eY11XivWk7MpVxFl-onlfPkY0_och-uLwAUpwLMeJBuMPuJFUrFEP_FVWFBEmgXXi/s1600/heavy+stuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jalcG0hic7bZqub_OV9N2wlOgyWoDign8fcgQS2PbvIUDOeFWK1pAGicpA0BCZjELVv6e6Xuh-0eY11XivWk7MpVxFl-onlfPkY0_och-uLwAUpwLMeJBuMPuJFUrFEP_FVWFBEmgXXi/s320/heavy+stuff.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm juggling a lot of things here, but it feels more right to keep many balls in the air rather than dumb it down with an easier story: Jack's getting older, facing new challenges for which there are no easy answers, and the plot and themes are getting more complex too. Here are just a few things that are sneaking into the story: slavery and freedom and grayer variations thereof, the control of information and how that relates to the control of people, when you should keep a secret (if ever), what to do when you don't know what the right thing to do is, when (if ever) is it okay to decide what is right for someone else. Heavy stuff.<br />
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There's also dating. And any 12-year-old (or 13-year-old or 14-year-old or 11-year-old or 20-year-old) can tell you, that is heavy stuff too.<br />
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Stay tuned.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-32247486855801910932012-10-11T05:36:00.000-07:002012-10-11T05:37:25.907-07:00Comet Jack gets an EpilogueSo, HarperCollins is currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts for its science fiction and fantasy imprint, Voyager. If you have a 70,000+ word novel ready to publish, you may want to send it to them. You'll want to act fast, since there is only a two week window. <a href="http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/harper-voyager-guidelines-for-digital-submission/">Details here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiEB99-O0K8WtsCuZqulpwwFgrZdiUswdwbA_iDLePVEXIpFYfbF06X_tKoIaze-K9OTdNR0LwFS7NGXuhe-gv_OAP0HbhnlOLNyqPx2-0XxgsONGx9ax6Qu8POEFNHau16yQnJg3vbrg/s1600/Comet+Jack+BW+127k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiEB99-O0K8WtsCuZqulpwwFgrZdiUswdwbA_iDLePVEXIpFYfbF06X_tKoIaze-K9OTdNR0LwFS7NGXuhe-gv_OAP0HbhnlOLNyqPx2-0XxgsONGx9ax6Qu8POEFNHau16yQnJg3vbrg/s320/Comet+Jack+BW+127k.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
They were pretty specific about their word count, and seemed to have no exception for YA books, so to give <i>Comet Jack</i> the best chance at being accepted I had to make sure it was at least 70,000 words. I wouldn't want it to get booted out automatically because it measured only 69,000 and change (not including acknowledgements, etc).<br />
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So I wrote an Epilogue!<br />
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This was the perfect time to do just that, since I'm working on <i>Comet Jack 2.</i> The Epilogue is the bridge and teaser between the two books. It gives readers of <i>Comet Jack</i> a little more information about the Comet Corps while at the same time giving them a reason to salivate in anticipation of the next book.<br />
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Early readers of the Epilogue love it, and, while biased, I'm really pleased with it too.<br />
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If you've read <i>Comet Jack</i>, don't worry. You'll get the Epilogue. Look here for more information shortly. I'm figuring out whether it would be best to make it available here or at Amazon and B&N. Wherever it will be, the Epilogue will be <b>FREE</b>. I'm also adding it to future versions of <i>Comet Jack </i>sold on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comet-jack-steve-kopka/1104969048">Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
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Wish me luck with HarperCollins. Wouldn't it be cool if <i>Comet Jack</i> (and its sequels and other books!) got a chance to get in front of even more eyes?<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-57277478109353027732012-08-27T06:47:00.001-07:002012-08-27T06:49:00.547-07:00Comet Jack 2 updateYes, I'm working on it. No, it's not done. Yes, I really should have more completed by now. The summer got away from me.<br />
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What can I tell you? Just a bit. I don't want to give too much away. Also, I find if I tell the story too much before I write it, then it's not as fresh coming out of the pen (well, out of the fingertips into <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>, but let's not split hairs).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AutOZolsIpM9mvtQqhdu8iXBdmmwbNV9FYHLvypAECgf1qgdncofTtwAjmlg473TLBaOplO-veUi0ZdREz_gjhXe8txS4tyD8nxP1NsGyyMElaf_0H1myxF5VpCxmEFCXBKgCTqUp2hp/s1600/Comet+Jack+2+ink+sketch" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AutOZolsIpM9mvtQqhdu8iXBdmmwbNV9FYHLvypAECgf1qgdncofTtwAjmlg473TLBaOplO-veUi0ZdREz_gjhXe8txS4tyD8nxP1NsGyyMElaf_0H1myxF5VpCxmEFCXBKgCTqUp2hp/s320/Comet+Jack+2+ink+sketch" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ink Sketch of Jack checking out his underwater body.</td></tr>
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In the second book, Jack finds himself on an ocean world, among a sentient water-dwelling species who look at things a little differently than humans do. The action starts at the end of the school year, right before summer vacation. A new tension has built up between Jack and his nemesis, Dirt, and that tension's name is <i>Jennifer Mitchell</i>.<br />
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Oh, and there's something else going on Earthside: things are coming <i>this way</i> through the window.<br />
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But that's all I'm going to say for now.<br />
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Back to work.<br />
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Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-33503624070667814952012-04-30T05:23:00.001-07:002012-04-30T05:23:56.454-07:00Admirable PursuitI just submitted my YA SF novel to <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/">Strange Chemistry</a>, the YA division of <a href="http://www.angryrobotbooks.com/">Angry Robot</a> books. Angry Robot rules. Among other things, they just released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackbirds-Chuck-Wendig/dp/0857662309">Blackbirds</a> by <a href="http://terribleminds.com/">Chuck Wendig</a>, a colorful and talented writer who also generously shares hilarious, NSFW, spot-on <a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/tag/writing/">advice</a> perfect for writers (like me!) who are trying to navigate publishing and improve our craft.<br />
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My novel <i>Admirable Pursuit </i>is for older readers--teens and up. I actually started it well before <i>Comet Jack</i> but finished it after. When I heard (via @ChuckWendig on twitter) that Strange Chemistry, the YA arm of Angry Robot, was running an <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/opendoor/">Open Door</a>, calling for unagented, unpublished, completed YA SF novels, naturally I jumped.<br />
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I had to jump. I heard about it with just four days left in the 2-week submission window (which ends today, April 30th).<br />
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As part of the submission process, Strange Chemistry asked for a one-sentence summary of the book. <i>Admirable Pursuit</i> is almost twice as long as <i>Comet Jack</i>. It is told through multiple points of view using short, punchy, action-filled chapters, with an interwoven twisty-turny plot set on two planets and a starship, against a backdrop of ultra-capitalist distopia/utopia (depends on your tax bracket). So, yeah, I couldn't imagine boiling it down to one sentence.<br />
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The elevator pitch might be: Indiana Jones meets Dune by way of Blade Runner... for teens!<br />
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Those of you pulling for me will be encouraged to know that's <i>not</i> what I put in the submission. After much hemming, hawing, and eyebrow pulling, here's how I boiled it down:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Admirable Pursuit </i>in one sentence:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wendy Veritage, the teenage heir to her Family's fortune, runs away to carve her own path in a future world of haves and have-nots, and ends up in the middle of a battle for humanity's future on a far away planet where a mysterious power allows people to experience their full potential.</blockquote>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Does that sound like something you might be interested in?<div>
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Strange Chemistry will let me know.</div>
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</div>Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-64421185976946019612012-03-02T15:13:00.002-08:002012-03-06T18:22:31.707-08:00Pepperjane Gingersnap lives!Pepperjane Gingersnap is alive, thanks to the incomparable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Thompson">Jill Thompson</a>!<br />
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Check out Jill's absolutely stunning first painting of Pepperjane Gingersnap:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfECg-O7xJQUKbFFA_Yzp9bqyOxatIq3445k-HJ5O3NDHU0Zby6bkI1pH1m7NSKsgVWTA7KhyphenhyphentKoUXqNx6gXhir5_zqZQQ5TQw6UERNUo5ZHB2etW3QEIp_Y9c0BGRR-kmrrEJqKC_6Hrw/s1600/pepperjane+gingersnap+Jill+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfECg-O7xJQUKbFFA_Yzp9bqyOxatIq3445k-HJ5O3NDHU0Zby6bkI1pH1m7NSKsgVWTA7KhyphenhyphentKoUXqNx6gXhir5_zqZQQ5TQw6UERNUo5ZHB2etW3QEIp_Y9c0BGRR-kmrrEJqKC_6Hrw/s400/pepperjane+gingersnap+Jill+1.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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It would not be an exaggeration to say this illustration was created by the "World Famous Jill Thompson." Or "World Famous multiple-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisner_Award">Eisner Award</a>-winning Jill Thompson." Here are just a few highlights from her extensive and impressive artistic resumé: creator of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scary-Godmother-Jill-Thompson/dp/1579890156">Scary Godmother</a>, creator of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Trixie-Jill-Thompson/dp/0061170453/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_6">Magic Trixie</a>, illustrator of countless comics (check out this upcoming <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/21/occupy-riverdale-its-happening-heres-the-jill-thompson-art-to-prove-it/">Archie cover, for "Occupy Riverdale"</a>). She's worked with <a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/">Neil Gaiman</a> on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman_(Vertigo)">Sandman</a>, then created her own successful <a href="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/05/jill-thompsons-sandman-for-tots">Endless characters and stories</a>. Last year, the National Cartoonists Society honored her with its prestigious Reuben Award for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beasts-Burden-Evan-Dorkin/dp/1595825134/">Beasts of Burden</a>. Jill is the first woman to win a Reuben in the Comic Book category in the Society's 75 year history (that's a mind-blowing statistic right there). The list of her accomplishments goes on and on.<br />
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I'm lucky enough to know her (and her also World Famous multiple-Eisner Award-winning husband, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Azzarello">Brian Azzarello</a>) from a long-running dinner club where we take turns hosting and cooking 4-course meals. Yes, there appears to be a correlation between creative artists and excellent cooks. That's a different story though.<br />
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Jill has really nailed the character here, including many important quirky details. While I'm not sure Jill intended this particular illustration to make it into the book, it's so good that I'm already thinking we can use it somewhere, possibly on the back cover of the printed version. (And of course Jill gave me permission to post this here. Thanks, Jill!)<br />
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Needless to say this is all big, big news for Pepperjane Gingersnap.<br />
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"Who is Pepperjane Gingersnap?" some of you might be asking. Short answer: A capable adventurer and star of my (and now my and Jill's!) upcoming chapter book. Stay tuned for more details.<br />
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(You can follow <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/thejillthompson">Jill</a> on Twitter.)<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-66880945213813987932012-02-03T15:20:00.000-08:002012-02-03T15:21:43.816-08:00Amazon/Penguin Breakthrough Novel ContestSo I entered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/" style="font-style: italic;">Comet Jack</a> in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011">Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest</a>. It qualifies because it's self-published. Unpublished work qualify too. I basically did this because CreateSpace sent me an email telling me there were still spots open in the Young Adult novel category, and because it was super easy, especially since I already had a CreateSpace account. (That's who prints the books when people buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-Steve-Kopka/dp/1466273100/"><i>Comet Jack</i> trade paperbacks</a>.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqHEN_5er1Xvqs3jAeV7q3If9kg5S_MN6Vrg4mJcpVF9pEQ1A77XD4H0RuqEFo14v-C1Xu4epdYm5__0gIChe3Qlow72F73j8C34ejDIkFuCINgxQC4PSzLxGhxPAKxTJx5ST-JBR_dLA/s1600/411596_2709128521612_1058811176_32858158_2048664736_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqHEN_5er1Xvqs3jAeV7q3If9kg5S_MN6Vrg4mJcpVF9pEQ1A77XD4H0RuqEFo14v-C1Xu4epdYm5__0gIChe3Qlow72F73j8C34ejDIkFuCINgxQC4PSzLxGhxPAKxTJx5ST-JBR_dLA/s320/411596_2709128521612_1058811176_32858158_2048664736_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>The contest itself surely exists in part to drive contest participants to self-publishing with CreateSpace. Perhaps that's why I'd avoided it years ago. However, now I'm already doing that, and must say I'm pretty happy with them. The books are high-quality (see the photo -->), and relatively inexpensive, and my investment in them is mainly time, time, time. (Yes, it's a lot of time, but at least it's not a lot of money, like in the old days when "self-published" meant "I spent tens of thousands of dollars so I can keep a bunch of copies of my book in the trunk of my car".)<br />
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The award itself makes some self-published people nervous. You get $15,000 (sweet!) and Penguin publishes your book (sweet!). However, they own the first rights to it then, and self-published authors are all about owning our rights. Basically, what you're winning is a one-book publishing deal. The potential downside? You might be able to make more money on your own.<br />
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I'm not as concerned about that right now, for several reasons.<br />
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First, I'd have to win. I do think <i>Comet Jack</i> is a good book (and <i>Comet Jack #2</i>, which I'm now working on, looks to be even better), but no doubt there will be many, many stellar entries. I believe there will be up to 5,000 entries to start, all first judged by their "pitch". (As in elevator pitch--300 words to hook someone's interest.)<br />
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Second, if I did win, the publicity and $15,000 would probably be worth what I'm signing away. (And I'll double-review that if it comes up.) I might not be as cavalier about this if this were my one and only Work of Art baby. I guess I kind of figure if I end up making a mistake and feel burned, I just won't do that again. I already have several more books "in the pipeline" (and by that I mean in various states of completion and editing). It's even possible that <i>Comet Jack #2</i> will be on the virtual shelves, available for sale, before the contest is even over. Some other works certainly will.<br />
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Third, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/" style="font-style: italic;">Comet Jack</a> is still available for purchase during the contest period. Nothing has changed! Yes, under contest rules, I'm forbidden from shopping it to agents (and that certainly might turn some folks off who are pursuing that route), but since <i>Comet Jack</i> is already out and selling some copies, this doesn't bother me one bit.<br />
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So, there you have it. In case you were interested in how I justified entering this contest. You might also be interested to know that it took longer to write this post than it did to enter the contest.<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-79634339082835234232011-12-31T13:40:00.000-08:002012-10-19T06:34:01.024-07:00Year End Wrap Up2011 was a very eventful year for me. I published my first novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/">Comet Jack</a>. I tested for and attained the rank of sandan in Aikido. I wrote and illustrated my first picture book, <a href="http://www.cometjack.com/p/i-like-my-dog-true.html">I Like My Dog (True)</a>, and published that for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-like-my-dog-steve-kopka/1107084539">Nook</a>. I wrote the first Pepperjane Gingersnap book, but alas it will not be published in 2011 (since that would require me doing it in the next few hours). So, while I predicted Pepperjane Gingersnap would be out this year too, it appears I set my sights a bit too high. The possible good news on the Pepperjane Gingersnap delay is that a talented and well-known artist is considering illustrating it. My fingers are crossed. If that comes through, I'll be ecstatic, and I'll be loudly announcing here.<br />
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All this pales, of course, to what my family has accomplished. I won't go into details here, because it involves other people, but let's just say my extended family triumphed over adversity this year. As did my immediate family, in large and small ways, over and over. They also started learning the piano and have been kicking butt, which is impressive because I can hear the difference day by day. Working on something every day yields impressive results. There's a painfully obvious message about writing I should take from that.<br />
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Back to writing... The three books are all very different, but in some ways very much the same. They fall into specific age-groups:<br />
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I've got a picture book for infants and beginning readers, a (forthcoming) short chapter book for intermediate readers, and a novel for, well, everyone. While Comet Jack might officially be a middle-grade novel (or middle-grade/young-adult... is that a category?), I'm very happy that both kids and adults have found Comet Jack entertaining and enjoyable. I was hoping the book would work on many levels and apparently I've achieved some measure of that.<br />
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So what's next? Comet Jack #2, naturally. The response to Comet Jack #1 has jazzed me up to roll my sleeves up and continue Jack's story. And while I work on #2, I find Comet Jack #3 is knocking at the door, clamoring to be heard. Also, I've got several first and second drafts of other novels, these decidedly more adult. By this time next year, maybe I'll have two or three Comet Jacks as well as a book or two in the next age category: adult. That'll make at least one Steve Kopka offering for every age group, cradle-to-grave.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest change for me in 2011 was my attitude toward writing and publishing. I went from thinking self-publishing was an experiment I'd try to thinking that it may be a primary avenue for being read (and with luck and perseverance, making a living). I'm big on math and it's hard to argue with the math. Instant and more or less free distribution, world-wide--that's hard to argue with. That would be the retail equivalent of having a store on every corner. In every city on the planet. While I'm a needle in the haystack right now, at any moment all eyes in the haystack could focus on my books. My plan? Write the best quality pieces I can publish. I hope more and more readers will find them and enjoy my work.<br />
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And when they do, I want them to have more than one or two pieces to read.<br />
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So I'm off to write! Please tell anyone and everyone if you've read and enjoyed Comet Jack or the others. Write a review. Tell your mother about them. Give one as a gift to a nephew. Pester your librarian. Ask me to speak at your school. Send me a note: give me feedback so I can make the next one better. Do the same for any author you like. Readers have more power than ever with digital publishing. You have direct access to the author, you have power to get the author read (or not). This new publishing world is not being built top-down, by someone who deems particular works worthy or not. It's being built from the ground up, by everyone, by all of us, readers and writers alike. It's pretty cool.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-92083731044167418342011-12-20T09:45:00.000-08:002011-12-20T09:51:24.894-08:00A "Working" LunchI had the great fortune to have lunch with <a href="http://marcussakey.com/">Marcus Sakey</a> the other day. In case you don't know, he's a talented and successful crime writer who lives right here in Chicago. He also just launched a <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/hidden-city">television show</a>. And Ben Affleck bought the rights to one of his books. And Tobey Maguire is going to star in another one. The guy is busy. A friend of a friend put me in touch with him and, really, I don't know how he found time to squeeze in a chat with an up-and-coming writer like me.<br />
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But, man, am I glad he did. We had a nice long chat, over some delicious spicy food and BYO beers at <a href="http://bellyshack.com/">Belly Shack</a>. It was fascinating to hear some of the inner workings of publishing and how someone who is shooting up on a successful trajectory sees the current state of publishing. While I don't want to go into too many details, here's one thing he said (paraphrased):<br />
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If we were meeting two years ago, he'd have all sorts of advice for me and my publishing career. Now, though... the industry is in the midst of a storm.</div>
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Everyone on every level of writing and publishing knows something of that storm--bookstore struggles, publishers operating under what suddenly seem like old-fashioned models, e-readers, amazon.com changing everything. It's not news (except that it's changing almost day-to-day, which I guess means it <i>is </i>news). What was new for me was hearing something of it from the point-of-view of a successful insider. I mean, this guy has award-winning, great-selling books, a publishing deal, movie options, even a TV show (that he writes himself). He's the definition of writing success. You'd think he'd shrug off this upheaval in publishing. Well, maybe not shrug it off, since obviously he's got some serious vested interest, but, you know, you'd think he'd be comfortable with it, or have some kind of steady mantra, a set and settled black-and-white opinion on the state of things.<br />
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Judging from his books and his show, though, he's obviously comfortable in gray areas, so it shouldn't surprise me that he's still watching the storm, waiting, riding it out. (At least that's what it seemed to me.)<br />
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Everyone who tries to tell me exactly where publishing is heading sounds like a lobbyist. And, really, give me a smart person's not-wholly-formed thoughts on a subject over an on-message canned speech any day.<br />
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We also talked a bit about what a writer <i>can</i> control. Good stories, good quality writing, good editing. The work has to be excellent. That's what you shoot for.<br />
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And with a little luck a good writer finds an audience. I'll work on being a good writer and, if you're reading this, you can help with the audience part by pointing a friend to <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/">Comet Jack</a>.</i><br />
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Here's to luck, striving for excellence, and 2-hour lunches with beer on a Wednesday afternoon! Thanks a bunch, Marcus.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-869017331295140622011-12-06T13:49:00.001-08:002011-12-06T14:20:56.975-08:00John Scalzi: helping out the little peopleToday on <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/">John Scalzi's blog</a> he allowed and encouraged us non-traditional published authors to post to his <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/12/06/whatever-shopping-guide-day-2-non-traditionally-published-books/">Whatever: Shopping Guide 2011 (part 2)</a>. It's beyond awesome, of course, that John shares his considerable audience with people like me. He says in the post: "...as someone who published his own first novel on his Web Site long before it was available in bookstores, I can say good writing is where you find it. I hope you find some good stuff today." That is just ultra-cool. Thanks, John!<br />
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I had the pleasure of being instructed by Mr. Scalzi at <a href="http://www.sff.net/paradise/">Viable Paradise</a> in 2008. I found him generous, entertaining, and opinionated, three traits that fed one another. Of course smart too, but you couldn't swing a dead cat at Viable Paradise without hitting three people with genius IQs. Anyway, those of you who linked over here from his blog probably know him better than I.<br />
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If you came from there, welcome. You might be looking for these helpful links:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/">Comet Jack on Kindle</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comet-jack-steve-kopka/1104969048">Comet Jack for Nook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-1-Steve-Kopka/dp/1466273100/">Comet Jack in paperback</a><br />
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Try a sample. Buy a book if you like what you read. Please let me know what you think!<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-13382910344159387752011-11-23T05:53:00.001-08:002011-11-25T06:15:22.193-08:00I Like My Dog (True) art updateI was unhappy with what Amazon showed as a sample, so I changed it! Gotta love complete control of your content.<br />
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When you go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/">Kindle page for I Like My Dog (True)</a>, you can "click to take a look inside". With <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HXALXQ/ref=rdr_ext_sb_pi_hist_3"><i>Comet Jack</i></a>, you can read many pages before you decide whether to buy the book, but I Like My Dog (True) showed only the cover and <i>part</i> of the title page. Since both of those pages were based on the same art, you only really experienced one illustration. As a consumer, even if I liked that one page, seeing the same artwork twice might make me think that's all there was!<br />
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So I made a new title page, with this artwork. It includes small versions of the artwork from many of the interior pages. While you still can't read very far into the book, at least this gives a sense of the action to come.<br />
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Now, seeing that, don't you think it's worth blowing a buck on it? (99 cents, actually.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/">I Like My Dog (True) for Kindle</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-like-my-dog-steve-kopka/1107084539">I Like My Dog (True) for Nook</a><br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-72569993025831655312011-11-09T06:41:00.000-08:002011-11-09T15:21:51.871-08:00I Like My Dog (True) is out!My first picture book is now available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-like-my-dog-steve-kopka/1107084539">B&N</a>.<br />
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The girl in the story tells you about her dog and herself, as if she's putting on a play for you, and asks you some questions too. The dog is somewhat dubious of some of her claims, but it's clear they are the best of friends.<br />
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It's suitable for very young children, as a read-aloud, or for early readers. Beginning readers might find they can read the whole thing on their own. Others might memorize the text and flip through it on their own. (My daughter, while a little old for this, sat me down and read it to me from my iPad, showing me the pictures, like she was the teacher and I was the student.)<br />
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I did the illustrations myself, for better or for worse. The better: I think they look good in color, and they definitely have that independent homemade-with-care feel to them (outsider art, anyone?). Consider them folk art with a little help from the computer. So what's the worse part? Obviously there are better artists. Still, I've watched some readers chuckle where intended, so I think the pictures get that part of the story across.<br />
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What I really like about picture books is how a few words coupled with a simple drawing can sometimes create an unspoken juxtaposition that strikes a chord with a reader. If I've done a few pages like that, and they strike those chords with a young reader (or listener/picture-watcher), then I am happy beyond words. (And beyond words is the point here--the best picture books have delights in the illustrations that aren't spelled out in the text.)<br />
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But that's probably all I should say about that, lest you expect too much from my first picture book. I do really like the story, though, and hope kids will love it.<br />
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Currently available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/">Kindle</a> and for <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-like-my-dog-steve-kopka/1107084539">Nook</a>.<br />
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They look best in color, but I colored the pages such that they would look good on a black & white Kindle too. You can get apps for your iPads, iPhones, Android devices, computers, tablets, whatever, if you're like me and you don't (yet) own a Kindle.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Dog-True-childrens-ebook/dp/B006414OV0/"><i>I Like My Dog (True)</i> for Kindle</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-like-my-dog-steve-kopka/1107084539"><i>I Like My Dog (True)</i> for Nook</a>.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-30673181051720156142011-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:002011-10-27T19:36:39.840-07:00Hey, cool!Amazon.com has reduced the price of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-1-Steve-Kopka/dp/1466273100/ref=tmm_pap_title_0">trade paperback of Comet Jack</a> to $8.63! I didn't even know they could do that, but I am totally delighted.<br />
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67,000 words, most of them in complete sentences no less, a sweet cover. I know I'm utterly biased, but this sure sounds cheap for hours of entertainment:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comet-jack-steve-kopka/1104969048">Nook</a>: still $2.99<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-1-Steve-Kopka/dp/1466273100/ref=tmm_pap_title_0">Paperback</a> from Amazon: $8.63<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-82239168190981989122011-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:002011-10-21T05:46:03.227-07:00Trade Paperback Books Now Available!Comet Jack is not just for modern e-book readers any longer.<br />
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Actual, physical trade paperbacks are now available, featuring 248 real paper pages, <a href="http://octophant.us/">Phineas's</a> incredible cover, and that new book smell!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTyIjTxWMTRWUQKVJFrkPreg7sLiJyvfOHcnQOm4iyWLB-sHepJLkYSQa-cshKx59rpTpyxhUeUAoRk1xezaPiwzVxlQdUBDmlS4yf9sRs9IPt-he3IMb9AymQ0aZHrP_rQkT9xQckqsh/s1600/IMG_20111020_095505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTyIjTxWMTRWUQKVJFrkPreg7sLiJyvfOHcnQOm4iyWLB-sHepJLkYSQa-cshKx59rpTpyxhUeUAoRk1xezaPiwzVxlQdUBDmlS4yf9sRs9IPt-he3IMb9AymQ0aZHrP_rQkT9xQckqsh/s320/IMG_20111020_095505.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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You can find them for sale here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-1-Steve-Kopka/dp/1466273100/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1313763049&sr=1-5">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.createspace.com/3676999">CreateSpace</a><br />
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These definitely look cool sitting on the shelf. (I am clearly biased, though. Please judge for yourself.)<br />
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And, of course, Comet Jack is still available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Jack-ebook/dp/B005HXALXQ">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comet-jack-steve-kopka/1104969048">Nook</a>, for only $2.99!<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-3334692153324350662011-10-18T14:52:00.000-07:002011-10-18T14:54:51.388-07:00Quantum lockingWow. This looks like it's right out of Star Wars--a floating, flying object, trailing smoke. But this is real science, not science fiction or special effects.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ws6AAhTw7RA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here's <a href="http://io9.com/5850729/quantum-locking-will-blow-your-mind--but-how-does-it-work">an article</a> that explains how it works.<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-90810586171981553012011-10-07T08:54:00.000-07:002011-10-07T08:54:25.847-07:00Edits!So CreateSpace sent me my physical <a href="http://www.cometjack.com/2011/09/paper.html">proof</a> a few weeks ago. I checked it for formatting and everything looked fine. They recommended I read through it too. Now I've read it. A lot. Like ten times. More if you include early drafts. I was tempted to just let it go, approve it, and have the trade paperback available for purchase. There are some people waiting for it.<br />
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But I read it anyway. First I found a hyphen problem. No big deal. Then I found a paragraph that wasn't indented. Not great, but maybe not enough to hold up production. Then I found a sentence that was messed up--on my last edit, I'd changed it's structure but forgotten to delete a word. That did it. Now, this is what it looks like:<br />
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I now know how misspelled words, jarring repetition, and wrong punctuation make it into books. Seriously, I had combed through it before. And several people had read it too, catching a bunch of mistakes.<br />
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Granted, a few of these are stylistic tweaks, such as fixing a sentence for clarity or trimming some unnecessary words, but most of these are straight up editing issues. (Note: See * below for a special note on Scrivener, smart quotes, and em dashes!)<br />
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I'll be uploading the finished product shortly, and the trade paperback will be available soon. The great thing about the eBooks is that I can update them at any time.<br />
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So... if anyone who reads it finds errors (or questionable writing!), please drop me a note at <i>oops [don't forget to put at sign here] cometjack [dot] com</i> so I can review it. It takes a village, people. (And, yes, I know I just put "village" and "people" right next to each other.)<br />
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* Note: Here's another very specific editing problem I had, and its solution, just in case it'll help other Scrivener users. If you don't use Scrivener, don't care too much about typesetting, then you can probably skip this as it will bore you to tears.<br />
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I imported the original text of this novel in plain text, from Word, meaning I'd stripped out the smart quotes (those quotes that "hug" the dialogue, instead of being just straight up and down) and em dashes (those long dashes you see in books, instead of the double dash, like so: --). I realized, for appearances sake, I wanted these back in. No problem, I thought, Scrivener can handle this.<br />
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There <i>is</i> a way to convert straight quotes to smart quotes: In Group View mode, select all your scenes, have your cursor in the text window, then do: Format > Convert > Quotes to Smart Quotes.<br />
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Next, you have to find and replace all the double dashes to em-dashes. You can just type a double-dash in the text window, followed by a space, and Scrivener turns it into an em-dash. Delete the space, select the em-dash, cut it, then paste it in the Replace box of find and replace. (In Find, you obviously put your double dash.) I found the first one, hit Replace to make sure it did what I wanted, then hit Replace All.<br />
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Are you done? Not quite. One more problem: In Scrivener, the smart quotes are backwards following an em-dash in dialogue. (I predict at least one person will find this by googling that exact phrase... unless Scrivener makes an easy fix for this in the next release.)<br />
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Here's how I fixed that: in the text box (right in your document), type<br />
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--""<br />
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The dash will turn into an em-dash. By typing two quotes, you'll get one of each kind. Delete the quote that points away from the em-dash (the wrong one). Now select the em-dash and remaining perfect quote, cut, and paste into the Replace box of find and replace. Copy one of the offending em-dash/smart-quote couples into the Find box, then do your find and replace thing. (Again, I started with one or two, made sure I liked the results, then hit Replace All.)<br />
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So there you have it. I'm sure Scrivener will have a more elegant solution soon. Maybe there's one already that I don't know about. If so, please share! If not, I hope this saved you the couple hours it took me to search for solutions than invent this one.<br />
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Happy formatting!<br />
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<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989964547001409370.post-19008906793275445222011-10-02T07:46:00.000-07:002011-10-02T09:34:22.195-07:00Fermilab shuts down the TevtronAfter 28 years of smashing particles, Fermilab shut down the Tevatron last Friday. To commemorate this, I recommend you do three things:<br />
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1. Google Fermilab and look at it on Google maps. You can see the big circle right next to it. That gives you some idea of the scale.<br />
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2. Watch <a href="http://vimeo.com/29704725">this excellent video</a>, where a scientist and artist tracked themselves via GPS riding bikes around the main ring of the Tevatron. It's cool.<br />
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3. Read this excellent quote which brings a tear to my eye because of its simple truth. Over three decades ago, the first director of Fermilab, when questioned in Congress about whether the proposed accelerator would be good for national defense or for what, Robert Rathburn Wilson replied:<br />
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<i>"It has only to do with the respect with which we regard one another, the dignity of man, our love of culture. It has to do with: Are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? I mean all the things we really venerate in our country and are patriotic about. It has nothing to do directly with defending our country except to make it worth defending."</i><br />
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Wow. I got goosebumps typing it. Right on, Dr. Wilson.<br />
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(source for #3: <a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/tevatron-shuts-down-after-28-year-run-111001.html">this article</a>. Look especially near the bottom, with the paragraph that starts, "All good accelerators...")<br />
<br />Steve Kopkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08212173022247158529noreply@blogger.com