• Publish my first book by July 1^st, 2018.
• Read 24 books by December 31^st, 2018
• Blog 4 times per month
• Be active on social media daily

Unfortunately, I was unable to publish my first book last year. However, I did start two more projects that I am planning on working on this year. Although this may seem like a failure, I believe that I achieved small stepping stones through research. I was able to clearly identify exactly what genre I want to publish in and began working on two books.

I was short of my goal of 24 books. However, I did read 18 books in a variety of genres. I am a member of a book club now and it forces me to read books in genres that I wouldn’t consider otherwise. This has definitely been an exciting experience. At the beginning I thought I was not going to enjoy reading in genres that I do not find interesting but I have been pleasantly surprised by some books. These are the books I read in 2018:

• Passive Income: 40 Ideas to Successfully Launch Your Online Business by Adam Ovechkin
• Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
• Fahrenheit 451: A Novel by Ray Bradbury
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
• The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity by Steven Strogatz
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
• A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
• Five Chimneys by Olga Lengyel
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Origin by Dan Brown
• The Witcher: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
• The Witcher: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
• Payton by Connie, Jarrett and Brittney Payton
• A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
• Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous

I unfortunately became very inactive on my blog and my social media. However, I became a member of authors groups and have learned a lot about publishing, the challenges of publishing, and advertising. It is important to educate myself as I go through this process.

On a positive note, and not to justify falling short of my goals, I did start my eBay business this year. Getting back into the mindset of having an online store and doing product research took my mind and focus away from my writing. But now that I have the eBay store up and running, I will focus more on my writing and on creating quality content to help authors who, like me, are starting their publishing journey.

With that being said, I now have a vision for 2019 and these are the goals I have set for myself for this year:

• I will publish my first book by October 1^st
• I will be active on social media at least twice a week
• I will read 20 books by December 31^st
• I will blog at least 4 times per month
• I will continue to grow my eBay business

I have made the commitment to achieve these goals and I am looking forward to a successful 2019.

Happy writing, everyone!

The post 2019 Goal Setting appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

In order to better understand which type of writer you are, let’s define what a plotter and a pantser are.

A plotter is someone who plans out their story before they begin to write it. He/she is very detailed-oriented, knows their characters and their story very well.

A pantser is the total opposite of the plotter. This type of writer “flies by the seat of their pants” and doesn’t plan out anything. This creates a more organic type of writing.

Now that we have defined them, let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

PLOTTER

ADVANTAGES

• You have focus. As a plotter, you know what to writer from beginning to end. You know what is going on in your story, how your characters will develop and have a clear vision of what the story will convey.
• When you plot, you have a guide that is by your side throughout your writing journey. This guide is your map and provides the structure you need.
• You have a better perspective of your story. You can identify if your characters are balanced, if your chapters are too big or too short, and it even helps you identify possible weak areas that you might need to further develop.
• Having a plot also helps you avoid deviation. Given that you have a map from beginning to end, your story tends to stay on track.
• A plot also helps you with structure. You can create a schedule of when and what to write, which in turn makes you a faster, more efficient writer.

DISADVANTAGES

• As a plotter, you might feel limited as to what you can write since you already have a structure.
• The story may become boring because you already know what is going to happen.
• If inspiration strikes in the middle of your story, you might have to rearrange the plot.
• Sometimes it is time consuming to plot, which takes away from actually writing your story.

PANTSER

ADVANTAGES

• As a pantser, you let your imagination guide you. You do not have a specific way of beginning or ending your story, it can go anywhere you want it to.
• You can always change the way the story goes. If you do not like something in your plot, you can always change it, rearrange it or simply remove it. This holds true for your characters as well. You can either further develop a character or eliminate it – this is when we tend to kill off many of our beloved characters that we thought would make it alive to the end of the story.
• There is a sense of excitement as you don’t know where the story might take you. The process of writing each chapter becomes an enigma because you don’t even know what would happen.
• Inspiration stroke in the middle of the night? No problem. Write whatever comes to mind and add it to your story.

DISADVANTAGES

• As a pantser, you might read a portion of your story that, all of a sudden, you no longer like. This will perhaps cause writing repeatedly the same chapter or rearranging chapters. It also prompts you to cut off or add characters.
• Every now and then you will encounter a character that just pops out of nowhere that doesn’t really follow the story. Uncle who? I don’t think I introduced him before. Oops!
• You will unfortunately face distractions. If you do not have a space of solitude for your writing, chances are, life will get in the way and distractions will happen. This can easily kill the rhythm you have and some great ideas may vanish because of it.
• Writer’s block. Although plotters also face this disadvantage, pantsers are more prone to it because there is no structure. In some cases, the block is so strong that you might jump to another writing project, leaving your work unfinished.

Now that you have seen the difference between a plotter and a pantser, which one are you?

I would like to think of myself as a plantser, which is a combination of both. When I am writing nonfiction, I like to have an outline that guides me through my writing. However, when I write fiction, I like the more organic approach and let inspiration lead the way. I usually know the beginning and the end of my story but I let the plot and the characters develop as I write.

Whether you like the rigidity of a plot or the flexibility of your inspiration, it is important to do what works best for you. There is not right or wrong approach to writing. For as long as you let your imagination flow, there will always be a story to be told.

Happy writing!

How to write fiction – A basic guide

How to write nonfiction in 8 simple steps

The post PLOTTER VS PANTSER appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

There are eight books written about The Witcher: The Last Wish, Swords of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of Swallows (also known as The Swallow’s Tower), Lady of the Lake, and Season of Storms. If you are interested, I suggest following this order when reading the books.

The Last Wish and Swords of Destiny are a collection of short stories. However, they should still be the first books to read before the following five-book series. The last book, Season of Storms, is a book that can be read before or after the series but I suggest sticking to the order making this your last book to read.

In this post, I will talk about the very first book, The Witcher: The Last Wish. It was originally written in 1993 but its English edition was published in 2007. This book is a collection of six stories that are focused on the main character, The Witcher Geralt of Rivia, who is a white-haired mutant with incredible healing powers and heightened senses. His main job is to hunt monsters and help people get rid of creatures in exchange for money.

Major Spoiler Alert!

Below, I will provide a summary of the book, story-by-story. If you are interested in reading the book, please keep in mind this summary will most likely spoil key moments.

The Witcher: The Last Wish

The Voice of Reason

The book follows the main story, The Voice of Reason, throughout the entire book while providing other short stories in between. The story begins with a very brief encounter between Iola and Geralt. Iola wakes Geralt up at night to make love to him. After the encounter, Geralt falls asleep again. The story then jumps into the first short story, The Witcher.

The Witcher

Geralt enters Vizima and goes to a bar. There, he is approached by three men who ask him to leave immediately. The men decide to attack him after he refuses to leave. Given his skills, Geralt has no issues fighting the men and kills them. He is then escorted to the Castellan of Vizima, Velerad. Once he gets there, he is told the story of King Foltest. The king got his sister, Adda, pregnant. When his daughter is born, Adda and the baby die. The king decides to bury them both in a sarcophagus beneath the palace instead of burning or burying the baby in the forest like he was supposed to do. After seven years, the daughter awakes as a striga, killing the guards of the castle at night.

When Geralt meets with the king, he is asked not to kill the striga but rather reverse the curse. The king was advised by a wizard that the curse could be broken if the striga is prevented from returning to her sarcophagus by the third crowing of the rooster. However, he asks the Witcher to kill the striga if the curse is irreversible.

On the night that Geralt spends at the palace, Lord Ostrit, a magnate, tries to convince Geralt to run away by bribing him. The Witcher refuses and decides to tie him to use him as bait for the striga. When Geralt is aware that the striga is awake, he cuts Ostrit loose who immediately runs away. Soon, Geralt finds Ostrit killed by the striga.

Geralt finally meets the striga and fights her, being careful not to kill her. He is able to scare her away and jumps inside the sarcophagus to wait until morning comes. Once he wakes up, he finds her on the floor next to the tomb now in the form of a girl, naked and dirty. He gets close to her to check her teeth to make sure she’s not a striga anymore. When he reaches for her hand, he knows it is too late. The striga opens her eyes and cuts his neck with her talons. He wrestles her as she is trying to attack him. He manages to knock her unconscious. Aware of his injury, he ties a piece of cloth around his neck, knowing that he will soon faint due to the loss of blood. At a distance, a rooster crows for the third time. When he regains consciousness, he is greeted by Velerad, who assures him that he will receive his reward and his silver sword. He then falls asleep again.

The Voice of Reason

The story goes back to The Voice of Reason. Geralt is awaken by Nenneke, the priestess of Melitele. Geralt attempts to talk to Iola, who accompanies Nenneke, about what happened the night before but Nenneke told him it is pointless to talk to Iola because she does not speak. Nenneke checks Geralt’s neck and encourages him to take part in a trance. Geralt refuses arguing that his lack of faith wouldn’t allow it. At this point, the next story is introduced.

A Grain of Truth

Geralt spots two bodies as he travels in his horse, Roach. The woman, who has no face or throat, wearing a blue dress. The man, who lays face down, died from a blow to the neck. Upon further examination of the bodies, Geralt notices that the woman has bite marks on her neck that were not those of a wolf.

The Witcher, looking for the creature that attacked the merchant and the woman, arrives to what seems to be a deserted mansion. However, Roach gets uneasy. A girl is watching them. When Geralt greets the girl, she disappears into the forest. As Geralt enters the house, the owner asks him to leave immediately, otherwise he would tear him to pieces. Geralt refuses to leave and instead asks the owner for water.

The owner accepts Geralt’s request and is invited into the house. Once inside, the owner, a monster named Nivellen, provides Geralt with something to eat and drink. Nivellen mentions to Geralt that his house in enchanted and it does what he asks. He proceeds to tell him about his curse and how he was turned into a beast by a priestess. However, the curse could be reversed but Nivellen doesn’t remember how. All he knows is that it has something to do with blood and love. He has had relationships with women but with no success, though Geralt knows Nivellen is not living alone.

Nivellen tells Geralt about his current partner, Vereena. Before Geralt leaves, he warns him that she could be a rusalka, a water nymph.  Although Nivellen suspects that as well, he doesn’t want to break the curse because rusalkas do not have contact with humans and he has come to love her.

As Geralt is ready to depart, Nivellen and Roach interact. He mentiones that animals like him and Vereena. Once Geralt leaves the manor, somewhere on the road, he notices that Roach is uneasy. At first, he tries to calm Roach with The Sign but then remembers what Nivellen said, “animals like me.” Geralt immediately goes back to see Nivellen and is confronted by Vereena, who is actually a bruxa, a vampire-like creature. They start to fight each other, Geralt with his silver sword, the bruxa with her telepathic abilities and loud screams that would hurt Geralt’s ears and head. Suddenly, Nivellen appears and forces a sharp pole through the bruxa’s chest. The bruxa presses herself against it. She confesses her love to Nivellen but then tries to kill him. As Nivellen is trying to push her away, Geralt delivers the final blow. The curse is broken and Nivellen is now a young, handsome man.

The Voice of Reason

The story goes back to The Voice of Reason where Geralt meets Count Falwick and the knight Tailles, both from the Order of the White Rose, who were there to escort Geralt out of the land by order of Prince Hereward. Geralt mentions he will do so in three days. Tailles insists that Geralt leaves immediately but Nenneke interrupts him stating that Geralt is her guest and will stay in the temple for as long as he wants. The Witcher addresses Falwick, who seemed calmer, and tells him he will leave in a few days. Falwick addresses Nenneke ordering the departure of Geralt per the prince orders but without success, both knights leave cautioning that they will return.

The Lesser Evil

The Witcher arrives at Blaviken with the body of a kikimora in possession asking Caldemeyn, the town’s alderman, if there is any reward for it. Although there is none, Carrypebble, who is one of the town’s guards, suggests taking the kikimora to the wizard of the town, Master Irion, to see if he would pay anything for it. Although Geralt doubted the wizard would pay anything, he agrees to pay him a visit.

When they arrive at Irion’s tower, the wizard is more interested in having a conversation with Geralt and invites him in. Caldemeyn and Carrypebble leave and the kikimora is sent to the cesspool. When Geralt enters, he finds out that the wizard is Stregobor, who he last saw in Kovir. The Witcher inquires why the change of name. After some conversation, Stregobor admits that he is hiding from a monster who has been hunting him and asks Geralt to kill it. He also confesses that the monster is a woman born under the Curse of the Black Sun. Geralt refuses to help him and leaves.

Geralt goes back to The Golden Court, the town’s inn, where he finds out that six men and a woman carrying swords have come for the market. Geralt goes to meet with Renfri, the woman who arrived with the six men. Renfri tells Geralt the purpose of her visit and shows a letter of immunity from the king stating that they can’t be touched.

When Geralt goes to his room to sleep for the night, he finds Renfri there. She goes on and tells him her story and speaks of the wizard as a monster. She proposes the same deal to Geralt as the wizard did, to choose the lesser evil. Geralt refuses and asks her to forgive the wizard. Although she refuses, she makes it seem like she will leave with her band and will take care of the wizard some other time. Geralt and Renfri end up making love that night.

The next morning, Caldemeyn tells the story of Tridam and Geralt realizes Renfri’s plans. Every wizard has a duty to protect the people of the town. Renfri and her band’s plan is to use the market to kill as many people as possible to draw the wizard out of the tower so that she can have her revenge and kill him once and for all.

Geralt goes to the market to prevent the massacre. He sees the six men approaching and once face to face, they deliver Renfri’s message, who at the moment is trying to get Stregobor out of his tower. Geralt refuses once again to side with Renfri and kills them all before they can hurt anybody. When Renfri returns, she finds out that Gerals has killed the men and decides to fight the Witcher with no success.

The wizard arrives after the fight is over and asks Geralt to help him take Renfri to his tower to perform an autopsy but the Witcher refuses and warns him not to touch her body. Geralt asks him to leave and the wizard mentions he will return to Kovir. The people of the town start to throw stones at the Witcher but Caldemeyn stops them. He then asks Geralt to leave and to never return.

The Voice of Reason

Back to The Voice of Reason, Geralt tries to talk to Iola. Although she does not say a word, Gedralt tells Iola who he is and the mutation that he underwent to become a Witcher. After telling her some of his early encounters with monsters, the story goes into A Question of Price.

A Question of Price

Geralt is invited to Cintra, as the guest of honor, to the party organized by queen Calanthe. With her husband dead and her daughter, Princess Pavetta, turning fifteen years old, the queen organizes a party to find a suitable man to marry her daughter. As expected, many show up to the party as contenders for her hand.

Geralt, who is seated next to the queen, asks her what she thinks about witchers and their profession. He thinks that the intention of the queen is to ask Geralt to kill someone. However, he makes it clear that he would never just kill people for money.

After a feast and joyful atmosphere, it is time for Pavetta to be called. She makes her appearance causing everyone to go quiet and to admire her. Once Pavetta is seated, conversations resume amongst the guest. Suddenly, an armored guest enters the hall. Apologizing for the feast interruption, he introduces himself as Urcheon of Erlenwald. The queen requests to have his helmet removed but Urcheon insists that he must remain with his helmet on until midnight strikes. The queen grants his request and asks him what is the motive of his visit.

Urcheon starts to tell the story of how fifteen years ago, he saved King Roegner from dying. However, his help didn’t come without a price. He asked the king to give him “whatever he had left at home without knowing or expecting.” When the king returned, he found the queen in labor. Urcheon was there to claim his reward after fifteen years… Pavetta’s hand.

All the guests start an uproar wanting proof of his words. Geralt senses that something is wrong as his medallion starts to stir. Urcheon points out that the queen’s face is proof enough of his truthful words. The queen is questioned if what the armored man says is true. When she asks what if it were true, the consensus is that she must honor the promise made by the king. The queen, reluctantly, verifies that what the man says is true but is hesitant to give him Pavetta’s hand.

Geralt intervenes and proposes that Pavetta should only leave with Urcheon if she wants to. At this point, midnight strikes and the knight is asked to remove his helmet. When doing so, it reveals a beast with fangs. The queen turns to Pavetta and asks her if she’s willing to leave with Urcheon. To her surprise, Pavetta accepts. The queen looks at Geralt, almost as if commanding him to kill the beast but Geralt does not move. In fact, he is feeling a strong force that is almost crushing his temples. The queen then orders the guards to kill Urcheon.

A fight breaks as the guards try to kill Urcheon. Geralt and the uncle of Crach an Craite, a suitor, jump in to help Urcheon. Pavetta then cries loudly, making everything fly around and chatter against the walls. Geralt knows that Pavetta must be restrained because she doesn’t know how to control her force. After she is restrained, a moment of silence falls in the hall. Slowly, the guests start to raise from the rubble. Crach an Craite’s uncle, who was secretly in love with the queen, went to Calanthe’s aid. Urcheon’s features slowly turn into a man’s. Pavetta runs to him, calling him Duny.

Duny explains his curse; from midnight to dawn he is a man and from dawn to midnight a beast. The queen finds out that Duny and Pavetta have, in fact, been seeing each other for about a year. The queen agrees to give Pavetta’s hand to Duny, which then breaks Duny’s curse. Eist Tuirseach, Crach an Craite’s uncle, accepts the queen’s proposal to marry her. Duny, who feels in debt with Geralt for saving his life, tells the Witcher to ask for anything. To this, the Witcher replies “that which you already have but do not know,” pointing out what was not known by anyone, that Pavetta was pregnant. Geralt requested for their child to be raised as a Witcher.

The Voice of Reason

The story goes back to The Voice of Reason. Dandilion, Geralt’s friend and a troubadour, stops by to see Geralt. He asks Dandilion how he knew where to find him and the troubadour responds that he heard about the striga. They both engage in a conversation where they talk about how the demand for a Witcher is less and remember the old adventures. This is where the next story is introduced.

The Edge of the World

Geralt and Dandilion go into an inn looking for work. After they hear the stories of the locals, they realize that there is no work there and decide to leave. While on the road, Dandilion tells Geralt that someone is following them in a cart. The man who was following them, Nettly, catches up to tell them that he saw them speak to the alderman at the inn and that he wishes to hire Geralt. They agree to follow him to the village to continue the conversation about what the job will be.

Once they get to the village, Nettly introduces them to Dhun, an elder who proceeds to tell them about the “deovel” or devil that can be found in the fields who helps fertilize the land and takes care of it but who also has become a problem. Dhun and Nettly ask Geralt to get rid of the creature but without killing it. Geralt agrees even though Dandilion thinks this is just another imaginary monster because, according to him, devils do not exist.

Geralt and Dandilion go to the fields to find the devil. Upon their arrival, they notice bowls with seeds in them as offerings for the devil. The devil finally appears and sends them both away. They exchange words that upsets the devil who, as a reaction, starts throwing fireballs at them causing them to leave.

When Geralt and Dandilion get back to the village, they meet again with Nettly and Dhun, along with another old woman and a young girl. Dhun mentions they have tried to send the devil away following a book that has been in the family clan for many years. The book addresses how to deal with mystical creatures. When Geralt and Dandilion see the book and notice it is written in an ancient language, Dandilion asks the old lady how she can know what is written on the book if she doesn’t know how to read. The old lady mentions that the oldest woman of a village always knows what’s on the book and teaches it to a young girl. Duhn mentions that the old woman chose Lille to teach her about the book.

Geralt asked Lille why they are providing offerings to the devil but she didn’t answer. Duhn told the Witcher that the girl was strange and wouldn’t answer him. Geralt then asked why they hadn’t attack the devil and asks if Lille forbade it. Dhun tells the girl and the old woman to leave. Once they do so, the Witcher learns that it is forbidden to kill the creature and that Lille is a prophetess.

Geralt goes back to the fields to try to talk to the devil who, after all, is a sylvan. The sylvan refuses because he knows he is a Witcher and is convinced he has been hired to kill him. Geralt expresses his wishes to just have a conversation to come to an agreement but the sylvan refuses. However, he proposes to play a game but Geralt refuses this time. The devil tries and tries until they start to fight. The devil breaks loose and runs through the hemp and the Witcher follows. Geralt hears a horse approaching thinking it is Dandilion and yells that they are in the hops but the rider knocks him down. He gets up only to get knocked down again. Once on the ground, he feels someone hit him in the back of his head and loses consciousness.

As he slowly regains consciousness, he finds himself tied up, facing the ground. At a distance, he hears a conversation in the old language, which was used by elves. He sees that one of them, an elf, is being addressed as Galarr. The other one, Torque, is the sylvan. Geralt tries to turn around and hears Dandilion, who is also tied up. When Galarr notices that Geralt is awake, he signals the other elves to check on him and the troubadour.

Dandilion asks the elves what they want from them. An elf finds Dandilion’s flute and breaks it, she then turns to Geralt, insulting him, asking him what he was looking at. She gets so close to the Witcher that he is able to knock her down and hit her with his forehead so hard that it breaks her nose. The other elves separate them and as one of them is ready to kill Geralt, Torque jumps in to stop him. Another elf by the name of Filavandrel appears and orders them to tie Geralt and the troubadour to a tree. Although Torque wants to advocate for the Witcher, the elf has not intentions to listen to the devil. Torque apologizes to Geralt because he didn’t want any of this to happen.

Geralt finds out that Torque has been stealing to give to the elves. After Filavandrel tells Geralt the current elves’ situation of starvation and annihilation, he orders the other elves to kill the Witcher and Dandilion. As the elves raise their bows, Lillie shows up, this time in the form of the Queen of the Fields. The elves lower their bows and kneel before the queen. Torque cuts the ropes to free Geralt and Dandilion, who at this point fainted due to the fear of dying. The elves leave by command of the queen, though she doesn’t speak a word. Dandilion receives a new flute as a replacement for the broken one and Filavandrel tells Geralt that he will look for him when they return. At the end, Geralt and Torque converse as Dandilion plays his new flute.

The Voice of Reason

Nenneke asks Geralt to stay for a few more days but says to her that he must go. Nenneke mentions that Yennefer was there two months ago. Geralt then gives Nenneke some stones. Some of them are meant to be kept for the temple and the rest given to Yennefer. Nenneke asks him how he met Yennefer. This leads to the next story, The Last Wish.

The Last Wish

The story starts with Dandilion and Geralt fishing. However, instead of catching fish, Dandilion ends up catching a jar that contains a djinn that fulfills wishes. Geralt advises Dandiliion not to break the seal but Dandilion insists on having his three wishes granted. They scuffle and the jar falls into the sand releasing the djinn. Dandilion goes on to tell the djinn his wishes but when he is about to announce his third, the djinn attacks him. Geralt immediately attacks the djinn with his silver sword and the smoky being drops Dandilion to the ground. Geralt finds a seal and picks it up. When the djinn tries to attack him again, Gerlat squeezes the seal and screams an exorcism. The djinn stops as the seal grows hot in Geralt’s hand and leaves. When Geralt goes to see if Dandilion is okay, he finds out that Dandilion cannot talk; his throat seems to be badly hurt as he vomits blood.

Geralt tries to get help for Dandilion by taking him to Rinde but he is denied access through because it is not allowed to cross at night. Geralt and Dandilion wait inside the gatehouse until sunrise. There, two elves, Chireadan and Errdil, and a knight Vratimir keep them company. Geralt explains to them what happened with the djinn. Vratimir mentions that a spell is needed in to cure the troubadour. The knight, however, warns that wizards are hard to come by due to high taxes on spells. Chireadan tells Geralt that there is a sorceress in town, Yennefer of Vergerberg, who stays with a merchant ambassador named Beau Berrant.

The next morning, when Geralt reaches the merchant’s home, he is told by Cerberus, the guard at the door, that Beau Berrant is still sleeping. Geralt mentions that he does not wish to see the merchant but the lady instead. Being sent away by Cerberus, Geralt has no option but to knock him out. The Witcher then makes his way in and finds Berrant, naked and drunk, asking for apple juice. Berrant told the Witcher he needs the juice for someone. When Geralt finds the apple juice to give it to the merchant, he finds him unconscious. Geralt decides to go looking for the sorceress and, although hesitant at first, enters her chambers to give her the juice she was asking for. Yennefer then asks the Witcher who he is and what he wants. Geralt makes a sarcastic comment and Yennefer shoots a golden lightning bolt at him but he is able to block it with the sign. The Witcher says to the sorceress that he’s come in peace asking for her help. He tries to explain to her what happened with the djinn but she tells him to meet her in the bath chamber where he can continue with his story while she takes a bath. She suggests for him to take one as well.

Once in the bath chamber, Yennefer finds Geralt just finishing his bath. She then goes into hers not before casting an invisibility spell so that Geralt can’t see her. Geralt goes on explaining what happened the day before with the djinn while she bathes. Geralt learns that his exorcism was just an indecent saying and Yennefer suggests not to use it again. After getting ready, Yennefer opens a portal to go to where Dandilion is. Although Geralt hates portals, he has no choice but to jump in with the sorceress.

As Yennefer helps Dandilion, Chireadan warns Geralt not to trust her. Sorceress know how to use their charms to get what they want. Yennefer then calls Geralt into the room to let him know Dandilion will be fine. When Geralt walks into the room, he finds himself trapped. Yennefer asks for the seal that Geralt possesses. He gives it to her but she mentions it is only part of her payment. The Witcher is then paralyzed by a spell. Yennefer instructs him to go and he walks out of the inn as if he were possessed. He does not remember what happens after that.

When Geralt finally wakes up, he finds himself in the dungeon with Chireadan. Geralt finds out that, while under Yennefer’s spell, he went on attacking authorities and anyone who offended Yennefer. Their conversation comes to an end when four guards sent by Councilor Laurelnose come in to seize Geralt. One of the guards starts to punch Gerlat in the stomach. He then asks the Witcher if he has any wishes and Geralt responds that he wishes he burst. To everyone’s amazement, the guard does burst.

The storm is finally coming down on Rinde. Geralt and the elf are brought to Neville, the mayor, and Krepp, the priest. The priest deducts that both, the Witcher and the elf, do not have enough power to do what they did; it is all the doing of the sorceress. Suddenly, Dandilion makes his appearance in the middle of the hall claiming that the Witcher is innocent. A loud roar is then heard outside. As they look, they find the djinn destroying the town as Yennefer is trying to capture it. She thinks she can bind the djinn to the inn but the djinn is much more powerful than expected.

Geralt asks Krepp to bring back the portal where Dandilion came out of. Once back up, Geralt jumps in to go help Yennefer. Geralt find himself in a communal hall, looks around and finally finds Yennefer. He tells her that he is there to help her but she sends him away saying she doesn’t need his help. The roof of the inn comes off and Yennefer realizes that the djinn has found her. She opens a portal for Geralt to escape. As he falls into it, he pulls Yennefer with him. They land in the middle of a ball, which infuriates Yennefer because she thinks she almost had the djinn. She struggles with the Witcher and manages to jump back into the portal. The Witcher follows.

Back in the commotion of destruction, Geralt wrestles with Yennefer trying to stop her from going after the djinn but she manages to break loose again. He then goes and tells her that the djinn is not fulfilling Dandilion’s wishes but his. The first wish was granted when Geralt tells the exorcism to the djinn, which sends him away. The second when the guard bursts. But there is still one more wish remaining. Yennefer asks that he makes his last wish fast because they are running out of time. The ceiling opens to reveal the djinn who is ready to launch at her. In that moment, before the djinn could get to Yennefer, the Witcher makes his last wish. The house collapses, the djinn is finally free and the town is quiet again. Yennefer heard the Witcher’s last wish and wonders why her. They both embrace each other, caress each other, and end up making love.

The Voice of Reason

Dandilion and Geralt are met by Falwick, Tailles, Cranmer, and other guards. Falwick says to Geralt that he musts fight Tailles and if he refuses, he will be hung. Dennis Cranmer, the captain of the guards, explains to Geralt that he must fight Tailles until he is helpless. Falwick adds that the Witcher must not touch him. If he’s to touch him, he will be arrested and taken to punishment. The Witcher agrees and the fight begins. As Tailles launches at the Witcher, Geralt hits Tailles’ sword with such strength that it hits Taiiles in the face as a result. Falwick runs to aid Tailles and orders the guards to seize the Witcher. Dennis Cranmer orders them not to seize the Witcher. He goes on explaining how the Witcher never touched Tailles and sets Geralt free.

Geralt and Dandilion go to say farewell to Nenneke and Iola. The young girl brings the Witcher his chest with his replenished elixirs and hands it to him. She wants to say something but the words don’t come out. The hands of the Witcher and Iola briefly touch, causing Iola to have visions. The girl collapses and Nenneke goes to her aid. The priestess asks Geralt to stay but he insists that he must go. Nenneke finally says farewell without looking at Geralt.

If you really like mythical creatures or find the videogame interesting, I really recommend you read this book. I am not sure if I found it more interesting because I pictured the characters from the videogame as I read the story but it kept me engaged. I am looking forward to the other books and I hope they are as interesting.

If you are interested in buying the game and/or the book, you will find the links below.

The Witcher: Wild Hunt

The Witcher: The Last Wish

I will be posting more summaries of books in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this summary and like always, happy writing.

The post The Witcher – The Last Wish appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

I chose this story because it is written in an unusual style. Some of the paragraphs in the story are even made out of just one sentence. I wanted to take on the challenge of writing a story that could convey the message I wanted by utilizing a style that I am not used to writing in. I really liked writing this story and I hope you like the final product.

THE LONELY MAN

Birth

The lonely man has all odds against him from the start. His parents don’t want him. An abortion, the easy way out. The mom finally decides to have him to avoid the pit of everlasting fire. Dad leaves.

Childhood

The lonely man doesn’t have an easy childhood. He is bullied in school by those bigger than him. He tries to defend himself in vain. As he brawls more, he develops a taste for blood. He likes the fights, though he loses every time. He has no friends.

First Win

The lonely man grows suddenly taller and stronger. Those bullies from elementary school are now in high school. A different story is now in the making. The bullies try to pick on him again. After all, he won’t fight back, or so they thought. The lonely man delivers his first blow after receiving a punch in the face. The bully falls down, knocked out cold. His gang of bullies draw back in fear. He has his first successful fight. The bullies don’t mess with him again.

Mother’s Death

During the month of October his mother dies. Cancer, doctors said. He’s now lonelier than ever.

Maria

He meets Maria, who works at a dinner. He visits often, hoping she notices. One day, he finally builds up the courage to talk to her. “Hi” says the lonely man. “Fuck off!” says Maria. This breaks the lonely man’s heart. He won’t talk to another woman again.

Work

Graveyard keeper during the night, fighter at the local fight club during the day. He writes stories every now and then in between both. He loves the solitude of the graveyard and, in the ring, there’s no one by his side but his shadow. He makes some money, not enough to live comfortably though. I need another job; he says to himself every day. But the graveyard is lonely, quiet, peaceful. He likes that.

Babies

Those are the worst. People of all kinds are buried at the graveyard every day. When babies are buried, the lonely man hurts a bit inside. He steps away. Doesn’t want to be around when that happens.

Final Fight

The lonely man has an important fight. He prepares, and prepares well. The moment comes. He almost had the fight. One punch on the face, flashbacks from his childhood. He hits the canvas. Loses the fight.

Death

The night of the fight, the lonely man goes to work as usual. He sits down to take a deep breath, takes one last look at the graveyard; his sanctuary of peace and solitude. He collapses. Coroner says a blood clot in his brain took his life. He gets buried, alone. No family or friends there for his burial. He finally rests peacefully, among the graves, in the land of the dead, not so lonely anymore.

I hope you guys enjoyed today’s short story and I invite you to challenge yourself to write in a style you are not comfortable writing in. I have always said that it is amazing how, when you set your mind to it, you can accomplish things you didn’t think you could. After all, in order to grow, we need to get out of our comfort zone.

Happy writing!

The post THE LONELY MAN appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

Kiss of Death

She was sexy, breathtaking. She looked at me from across the room with flirting eyes as she gently bit half of her bottom lip, inviting me to give into my desires. She was wearing a stunning red dress that match perfectly with her lipstick. Her hair was dark, just like her enigmatic eyes. I took a sip from my glass with my eyes fixed on such beauty. I was hoping the booze would calm the beast inside me, but it fueled it even more. She knew she had my attention and decided to walk towards me, slowly, almost as if calculating every step she took. Once she got to my table she sat down.

“I’m guessing no one is sitting here?” she said.

“No,” I replied.

“Great! Let’s cut to the chase,” she said as she caressed my hand still hanging on to the glass.

I couldn’t help but to admire her wonderful body and as I was getting lost in her presence, she brought me back to the conversation.

“I’ll tell you what,” she slowly pulled a coin out of her bra. “We’ll flip a coin. If you win, you get a kiss. If you lose, I’ll walk away. Heads or tails?”

“Heads,” I said.

She flipped the coin. “You win,” she said and slowly got close to me. As I was about to give into the desire, I backed away.

“I can’t.” I pointed to the ring on my left hand.

“Too bad,” she said smiling and tossed the coin at me. “Keep it until next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.”

“It’s inevitable that we meet again, for I am death.”

I woke up abruptly from my dream, sweating, my heart racing, and noticed I was holding the exact same coin in my right hand.

I really enjoy writing short stories; maybe not as short as the Kiss of Death story but I enjoy writing them. It is important, as a writer, to let your imagination flow. That is one of the things that I like the most about writing, there are not boundaries, not limits as to where your mind can take you. However, if every now and then you set some boundaries to your writing, you might be pleasantly surprised at what you can do. I invite you to give it a try.

Like always, happy writing!

The post Kiss of Death appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

Greetings everyone.

For today’s post, I decided to share with you something that I wrote. Last year, I decided to take an Advance Creative Writing class and one of the exercises was to write a poem in response to a short story. I have never been good at writing poems, but here goes nothing. The short story that I chose is called “A Dark Brown Dog” by Stephen Crane, which was published in March of 1901. I encourage you to read the short story first so that you can better understand the poem. I hope you enjoy it.

MY FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND

I still remember how you came to me that day,

Hesitant, with a string around your neck.

Our first contact was so friendly

But your enthusiasm eventually made me scared.

I was just a child then, I didn’t know any better

That you just wanted to play with me by pulling at my sweater.

I remember that I hit you, so wrong of me to do this.

But you were so persistent and soon became my bliss.

I took you to my house not knowing what to expect.

Many times they tried to hurt you but the objects you’d deflect.

I was mean to you at times, I would hit you for no reason.

How stupid of me it was! It was almost treason.

Despite all this, you were always there for me.

You would try to show me love by putting your paw on my knee.

And one day I failed you terribly, I was scared for me as well.

My dad grabbed you violently and all I heard was when you fell.

I never forgot that day, and I promised to avenge you.

Once I grew taller and stronger, that’s when I knew.

One day that piece of crap that I once called father

Came home exceptionally drunk and again hit my mother.

I became extremely enraged and punched him in the face.

His jaw I think I broke and he left in such disgrace.

That man never came back home and for that I am so grateful.

He hurt you, me and mom, how could he be so hateful?

My heart is now at peace, my promise I fulfilled.

I carried it in my heart since the day that you were killed.

Now I look into the future with an optimistic smile.

No more fear and no more sadness, at least not for a long while.

Although years have passed in handfuls

since the last day you were here,

I want to say that I am forever grateful

For your company, love and cheer.

And in honor of that friendship that you taught me years ago,

I’ve acquired a new companion, what else? Another dog.

I promise to love him and care for him like I should have done with you,

Even when he decides to misbehave or just play with my shoe.

To my new four-legged friend, I promise not to be mean.

He will always be beside me just like you have always been.

More writing to come in future posts.

Happy writing!

The post POEM #1 MY FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

I want to invite you to put this into practice. Set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.

Specific Goals

You want to make sure that the goals that you set are not general. They must be narrowed down so that it provides you with direction to follow so that they are better attainable. Instead of saying “I will publish two books in 2018” be more specific and say, “I will publish one book by April 2018 and a second one by October 2018.” This will create a timeframe for you to work with and will also provide you with guidelines that will motivate you to complete your projects.

Measurable Goals

Goals should be measurable. This means, you should be able to track your progress through the process. Going back to the example provided above, if the goal is to publish a book by April, there are steps that you need to take from now until then. Set up timelines as to when the first draft should be done by, when the book cover will be designed, etc. You want to make sure that you can measure your progress little by little.

Attainable Goals

Whatever goals you decide to set must be attainable. They shouldn’t be too high to the point where they are impossible to accomplish. Consider whether you will be able to attain them and if the task seems daunting, re-evaluate and set different goals that are easier to achieve.

Realistic Goals

Realistic goals should yield results and you should be able to see them become a reality. For instance, you cannot expect to have a book published by April if you know it takes you longer than four months to write a book. Understand your abilities and what must be done to set realistic goals.

Time-Bound Goals

All goals should have a timeframe, otherwise you jeopardize not accomplishing them. If I want to publish a book by April, I know I must have everything ready to go by the end of March so that I only work on the minor details before going live on April. This means that I need to set up deadlines for my first and second drafts, my editing process, my cover page design, my formatting, etc.

Develop a Plan

Once you have set your goals, write them down and develop a plan of action that will guide you through the process. Try to stick to the plan of action as much as possible to remain accountable and motivated. Although setbacks will happen, whether self-inflicted or due to external forces, this plan of action will help you keep on track. Adjust if necessary but do not deviate from the original plan.

My Goals for 2018

Since goal setting is important, I want to hold myself accountable and decided to come up with the following goals for 2018. At the end of the year, I will come back to this post and compare the results.

1)      I will publish a book by July 1^st

2)      I will read at least 24 books by December 31^st

3)      I will post at least four times per month on this blog

4)      I will be active on social media daily

The list might not be long, but it is a commitment that I am making to share more about my writing and publishing journey.

I wish you all the best in this new year!

Happy writing!

The post Set Goals For 2018 appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

If you are planning on publishing on Kindle, you will come across the question of which channel will be best to publish in: Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or Kindle Direct Publishing Select. To help you answer this question, I have decided to write this blog to show you the pros and cons of each.

Pros

KDP Pros

One of the biggest pros that KDP offers is that you can publish your book on Amazon and any other websites such as Apple, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. It also offers you a lower starting sell price of $.99 and if you decide to have your book available elsewhere, you can even make it available for free in those sites.

KDP Select Pros

If you decide to go the KDP Select route, your book will be available on Kindle Unlimited, which pays per page read. Every month, Amazon determines the total amount of the Select fund to calculate a per-page rate and pays readers accordingly. Your book will also be available in the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library (KOLL) program, which is the program included in Amazon Prime subscriptions. Prime subscribers have access to one eBook for free per month.

You will also be available to earn a 70% royalty and have access to Kindle promotional tools such as countdowns, ads, etc. Kindle Select offers you the option of having your book available for free for a duration of five days every 90 days. This give you the opportunity to provide your readers with special promotions every three months or so.

Cons

KDP Cons

One of the downsides of having your book available on KDP is not being able to offer your book through the Kindle Unlimited program. Kindle Unlimited is a program that allows readers to have access to a library of over one million titles in the Kindle Store including books, audiobooks, and magazines, in exchange for a monthly subscription of $9.99.

Your earnings will be only 35% of the price of your book and, unfortunately, you won’t have access to the Kindle promotional tools.

KDP Select Cons

One of the biggest cons about enrolling your book in KDP Select is the inability to sell your book elsewhere. You will be giving Amazon exclusive rights for your book. This means, that you cannot have more than 10% of your book anywhere else, not even your own website. If Amazon finds out that there is more than the percentage allowed somewhere other than in Amazon, your book will be removed. You must be very careful because some authors have even gotten their accounts suspended for violating this rule.

If you have published your book somewhere else before going into Kindle Publishing, you will have to make sure that you remove the content on those sites before publishing on Amazon. This can be detrimental, since some books could have acquired reputable rankings in those sites. Removing the books will lose all previous acquired rankings.

Another con is that you cannot offer your book for free outside of the five days allowed during the promo period and you must price your book at a minimum of $2.99. Many authors provide their book for free for a long period of time to build a list of followers and to get reviews. This minimum price might make that process a bit more difficult, since not many are willing to pay $2.99 for books published by unknown authors. Keep in mind that Amazon will always control your per-page-read earnings as they set the KDP Select fund.

Conclusion

KDP or KDP Select? It all depends on what your publishing objectives are. If you would like to have your book available in different websites, then go with the KDP option. This will also prevent you from having all your eggs in one basket and it will allow you to reach audiences outside of Amazon. If you are planning on developing a following by taking advantage of Amazon’s reach, then go the KDP Select route. This is a good option if you are planning on releasing series.

My suggestion is to give both a try. See what works for you and what doesn’t and go from there. KDP Select might be a good option for some books and might not be for others. Just keep in mind that if you go with Select, you will be at the mercy of Amazon. If you only want to give Select a try for 90 days, do not forget to uncheck the auto-renewal box. Otherwise, your book will automatically renew.

Happy publishing!

The post Kindle Direct Publishing vs Kindle Direct Publishing Select appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

Ever thought about how you can write fiction? You are about to go over some basic steps to write that fiction book that you have been thinking about writing.

Know What and Why

The very first step is to determine what are you writing and why. You should have a clear idea as to what genre you will be writing in and the motive behind it. Some authors decide to write in a genre that they deem profitable while others decide to write in a genre that they like. Likewise, some decide to write to make a profit while others do it out of joy. During this initial phase, you should also consider your audience. Will this book be for young or mature audiences?

Once you have decided this, think about books that you have read in the genre you chose and ask yourself what do you like and don’t like about those books? This will help you avoid some of the pitfalls and will guide you as to what good habits you should pick on.

Writing Place and Schedule

Now that you have established your audience and genre, it is time to begin the writing process. It is recommended that you find a space where you can write away from distractions and interruptions. This will help you concentrate fully on your project and accomplish more each time you work on it. Fiction comes from your imagination; therefore, it is important that you have a place where you can let your ideas flow.

You should also set up a writing schedule to stay consistent with content creation. There have been many stories that have died before they are even born due to procrastination. If you set up a writing schedule, it will help you with accountability. Include goals and deadlines in your schedule to put some pressure on yourself to keep you on track. Accomplishing small goals will also keep you motivated to continue, making you a more consistent writer as a result.

Given that fiction writing flows from ideas, it is important to always carry a small notebook where you can jot down thoughts about setting, characters, plot, dialogue, etc. One of my professors in college suggested to always have a small notebook next to my bed in case ideas just flow before going to bed, and trust me, they do. If you do not like the thought of a small notebook, use your phone to create voice notes instead. Do whatever it takes to avoid losing those moments of spark that come out of nowhere because sometimes they are some of the best.

Write Your Story

It is now time for you to write down the components of your story. Briefly, write down your setting (where the story will take place), the plot (what the story will be about), and your characters (who will be the protagonist and the antagonist of the story). During this step, you can also determine the point of view (will your story be written in first person? Narrated?).

The next step will be for you to create an outline for your story. Divide your story into three main categories: your introduction, your body, and your resolution. Divide each category into chapters. This will make the writing process so much easier. It is important to introduce your characters early in the story to engage the reader. As the story unfolds, the characters will develop.

You now have a general idea as to what your story will be about, which leads to the next and longest step: writing your story. Try to find what inspires you and create an optimal writing atmosphere. Some people like to listen to music to let their thoughts flow. Others like to read a bit before writing. Find out what works for you and capitalize on it. If for some reason you are having a hard time writing, I suggest not to force it. A story should flow naturally and should never feel like it was rushed or forced. Stand up and take a walk to clear your mind. Come back to writing after you feel rested and refreshed. Ideas will flow better with a clear mind. It is important to describe your story. This means, do not tell the reader what is happening, show the reader what is happening. Paint a picture instead of just saying exactly what characters do.

Edit Your Story

Once you have finished your first draft, read it aloud. This will allow you to pick up any disruptions in the flow of the story and, most important, it will help you with the flow of the dialogue among characters. During this step, you will be able to identify any typos. You will also get rid of things in the story that do not fit or develop the story more in parts where needed.

Although editing the story yourself is recommended, it is important to have a professional editor go through your final draft. Remember that it is important to provide a high-quality story. Fiction readers tend to be high consumers and they can easily identify when a story is poorly written. You do not want to drive away readers due to poor editing. A very good story can be tarnished by typos, which can eventually lead to its failure. Therefore, before publishing, ask for feedback. Have a few people read your story and ask them to share their thoughts with you.

Title and Cover

Now that your story is complete, all you need to do is to come up with the title for your book and your cover. Have someone with experience create your book cover. This will be one of the most important marketing materials that you will invest on. If a cover is not attractive enough to spark interest on the reader, it will not sell.

Congratulations, you have now learned how to write fiction.

Happy writing!

To learn how to write non fiction, click here.

The post HOW TO WRITE FICTION – A BASIC GUIDE appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

You find yourself sitting in front of your computer one day, ready to write that book that you have been thinking about writing for some time, when suddenly, you come face-to-face with one of the biggest questions… what is the ideal book length for this specific project? Although I am an advocate of writing a book without having a word count in mind, it is important to be aware of the general guidelines for each genre so that you know what the readers expect.

Here is a basic guide about ideal book length for fiction and non-fiction books.

Fiction

When thinking about writing fiction, you must consider four important book length categories: short story, novelette, novella, and novel.

A short story is usually about a single event and it is focused on creating a mood rather than explaining a plot. It is usually under 7,500 words.

A novelette is usually of romantic or sentimental nature. Novelettes are between 7,500 and 17,500 words in length.

A novella is shorter than a novel and usually does not contain chapters. Novellas were very popular in the 19^th and 20^th centuries and are usually between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Some famous examples are “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck.

A novel is usually long, involves different characters and it’s divided into chapters. Any book that contains more than 40,000 words is considered a novel. Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series fall under this category.

Now that we have discussed the previous four fiction categories, let’s look at the recommended book length for different types of fiction.

Western fiction usually runs between 50,000 and 80,000 words.

Young adult is usually anywhere between 50,000 to 70,000 words.

Romance novels are between 50,000 and 100,000 words.

History fiction can easily be around 100,000 words.

Women’s fiction can be as short as 75,000 but it can reach up to 120,000 words.

Crime and Thrillers tend to be a bit longer; they range from 75,000 to 130,000 words.

Science and Fantasy fiction are the most extensive of them all because of how intricate the settings and the plots are. They can be up to 180,000 words but most do not exceed the 150,000-word mark.

Non-fiction

Non-fiction does not have a word minimum or limit. The book length will depend on what topic is being discussed and how detailed it is. Popular non-fiction goes anywhere between 70,000 and 120,000 words. Other non-fiction such as Memoirs and Biographies tend to go between 70,000 and 100,000 words. But not all non-fiction is this long. There are many How-To books and Manuals that are as short as 7,500 words.

How Long Should a Book Be?

After briefly looking at the different genres and their suggested book length, it is easier to decide how long should a book be. I suggest for you to start writing your book without limitations and without worrying about having to fall within a range. It is important to keep in mind the word range for your genre but it should not be an influencing factor when you are writing.

In the unlikely event that you end up writing your first book as a novel with over 150,000 words, you can always reduce the book length during the editing process. You can also reconsider if the book should stay as a stand-alone book or if you should turn it into a series. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure that your story is of quality, avoid rambling, and provide your reader with a good story that is not rushed or too long.

Happy writing!

The post THE IDEAL BOOK LENGTH appeared first on Project Online Publishing.