But first things first. I need to learn a lot more about Kindle Vella before starting to write, beginning with the rules of the game, so to speak. I also want to read some entries from other writers to get a feel for the format.
My incentive to explore the perks offered by Kindle Vella grew out of the realization that, as an older writer, I could benefit from shorter sessions at the computer. The eyesight, legs, and back would appreciate more frequent but significantly reduced writing times. Also, I could easily do two stories simultaneously, especially when each posting needs to be just an episode. The serials shouldn't get confused because the stories and characters are very different. One has a senior protagonist, and the other has three young main characters. The settings bear no resemblance to each other. However, both will contain some mystery and perhaps even some danger.
Unless one owns the business, retiring in the workplace may, at some age, become mandatory. Retirement from an independent writing career, on the other hand, is quite often optional. Having said that, the option may come with some adjustments as we grow older. When we were young, we might have raised children, held down a part-time or fulltime job, and written books, articles, etc. As we accumulate wisdom and experience through years of living, we also lose energy and sometimes enthusiasm. Maryann Miller's recent post titled "3 Tips for Creating More Creativity" offers some great suggestions for keeping the writing talent alive and well and working in ways it couldn't have when we were younger and less trained by life.
When we're struggling with the desire to keep writing but forced to acknowledge reduced physical endurance and perhaps changed circumstances, we might consider Amazon's Kindle Vella. As noted above, my reluctance at first to consider it gave way to waking up early one morning with my mind telling how I might have made a decision in haste that I'd regret in leisure. The cons I had thought valid began to yield to the pros that danced through my head. I once heard that a well-known actor said acting was what he did, not who he was. As a writer, I know that writing is not only what I do, it's part of who I am. Acknowledging and dignifying that part of me may well make my later years my most productive ones.
P.S. If you're a writer and you haven't read Brynette's article titled "My Venture into Kindle Vella", as well as last week's "Promoting Kindle Vella Stories", I suggest you take a few moments to peruse their content. Serial writing can become a lucrative avenue in which to gain name recognition and market your works that lend themselves to serialization.
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Editor Linda Lane has returned to her first love—writing—while maintaining some editing work. Her novels typically are character driven rather than plot driven, but their quick pace qualifies them as genre fiction. Now she is working on adding serialized novels to her works as she explores the potentials offered by Amazon's Kindle Vella. You can contact her through her website: LSLaneBooks.com |
Excellent points! And you're absolutely correct about KV providing options as our lives, perspectives, and abilities to invest in writing changes. Like many writers, I have several finished and unfinished short stories that seem right for KV but probably wouldn't otherwise get published without a huge effort to expand them into longer books. Season 1 of Duty to Love is only 24,000 words and has already brought higher financial gains than any comparable short story. I didn't feel pressure to rewrite multiple times simply to gain length. When I feel compelled to express a specific life lesson or experience, this format works well. Honestly, I feel more inspired and liberated. Had serialized fiction been an option I knew about two decades ago, I would have become published much sooner and created a larger catalog!
ReplyDeleteI am more excited about getting my stories up on KV than I've been in a long time. Being able to publish during the writing process rather than only at the end is a huge incentive to this writer, whose energy is waning. Thank you, Brynette, for introducing me to Kindle Vella.
DeleteEverything you said, Linda, is so terribly true. I am halfway through my second Vella book and am more excited than ever about this platform. Mostly because it makes me write for at least two hours daily, often far longer, and also because of the technological ease of uploading chapters and hitting that publish button. So easy. I truly am in love with writing these days.
ReplyDeleteYour enthusiasm is inspiring, Dani. Shorter, more frequent writing times will allow me to take full advantage of my most productive hours each day. Next: jumping into the episodes and mastering the technological stuff. I can hardly wait! :-)
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