The Epic, Fantastical Journey of a Black Female Sci-fi Writer

VLOG VERSION

SO, last week I was feeling grungy, down, stuck, and slow in my creativity and creative output. THIS week, though, I’m feeling like I’m on FIRE! Find out why in my short update.

JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM

Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6

JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!

We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome! Check us out at: http://newadultnoir.com

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more! Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/211447?v=6

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR AUTHORS: Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform

OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):

— Authors! Join our Back-to-School Blast” YA/NA Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2raIOey

— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS

FOR READERS:

CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS:

1. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/

2. Fantasy-Lovers Loaded Kindle Fire Giveaway! http://jasonpaulricebooks.com/giveaways/fantasy-book-loaded-kindle-fire/

3. Start Reading Diverse! Giveaway: http://lcmawson.com/srdgiveaway/

4. 30 FREE Contemporary Fantasy & Urban Fantasy Books: http://www.eliciahyder.com/giveaway/free-ebooks/

5. The Ultimate Paperback Giveaway: http://sffbookbonanza.com/paperbackgiveaway/

6. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/

VLOG VERSION

We’re getting really reflective today with my weekly journal update. The eternal battle against creative isolation… and the four actions I’m taking to fight it!

JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM

Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6

JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!

We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome! Check us out at: http://newadultnoir.com

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more! Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/211447?v=6

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR AUTHORS: Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform

OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):

— Authors! Join our Back-to-School Blast” YA/NA Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2raIOey

— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS

FOR READERS:

CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS:

1. FREE YA Boxset: https://books.pronoun.com/otherworlds-the-ya-scifi-fantasy-boxset/

2. Fantasy-Lovers Loaded Kindle Fire Giveaway! http://jasonpaulricebooks.com/giveaways/fantasy-book-loaded-kindle-fire/

3. Start Reading Diverse! Giveaway: http://lcmawson.com/srdgiveaway/

4. 30 FREE Contemporary Fantasy & Urban Fantasy Books: http://www.eliciahyder.com/giveaway/free-ebooks/

5. The Ultimate Paperback Giveaway: http://sffbookbonanza.com/paperbackgiveaway/

6. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/

VIDEO NOTES:

00:39  CALLING ALL AUTHORS! Sign up for the upcoming New Adult Noir(e) Giveaway Opps!

03:02  The Challenges with Organizing an Author Giveaway & Some Solutions

04:45  Reflections on My Creative Challenges: Being a Creative of Color

06:10  Reflections on My Creative Challenges: Dealing with Creative Isolation

08:55  Potential Solution #1 to Killing Creative Isolation: Reaching out to Author Groups, Asking Questions, Finding Moral Support, and Recognizing Negative Self Talk

14:58  Update on My Graduate Program — My Roll Dogs are Leaving!!

16:32  Being a Single Mom and a Creative + Finding a Support System as a Parent

20:13  The Voices of Our Nation (VONA) Workshop for Writers and Creatives of Color

23:49  BEING Successful as an Author vs. FEELING Successful as an Author

25:45  My End-of-the-Year Goals for Content Creation & Building Community

28:00  My Four Solutions to Creative Isolation

— SOLUTION #1: Forming a Writing Group

— SOLUTION #2: Diversifying My Creative Projects throughout the Day (30:26)

— SOLUTION #3: Traveling & Planning Trips… both Nationally & Internationally! (31:01)

— SOLUTION #4: Replenishing the Creative Well — Upping Brain Input and Balancing My Brain’s Output by Reading More, Watching More Movies, Playing Video Games, People Watching, etc (31:56)

 

VLOG VERSION

JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM

Get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes! https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6

JOIN NEW ADULT NOIRE!

We hook readers into THE darkest, grittiest, heart-pounding-est sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance to ever exist. All hearts of darkness welcome! Check us out at: http://newadultnoir.com

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR READERS: Join New Adult Noir(e) for unlimited access to THE darkest, grittiest sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance reads, amazing giveaways, free books, amazing series, free bundles, and more! Grab your FREE NA Noir(e) starter library at: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/211447?v=6

NEW ADULT NOIR(E) FOR AUTHORS: Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your rabid readership and join our joint promotions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform

OPEN GIVEAWAYS AT NA NOIRE (FOR AUTHORS):

— Authors! Join our Back-to-School Blast” YA/NA Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2raIOey

— Authors! Join our “25 Days of Box Sets” Christmas Giveaway: http://bit.ly/2qcG5DS

FOR READERS:

CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS:

1. LAST DAY TO ENTER! Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card + a FREE YA Boxset (all entrants get the boxset at the end of the giveaway): http://www.colbyrrice.com/giveaways/win-50-amazon-gift-card/

2. Fantasy-Lovers Loaded Kindle Fire Giveaway! http://jasonpaulricebooks.com/giveaways/fantasy-book-loaded-kindle-fire/

3. Start Reading Diverse! Giveaway: http://lcmawson.com/srdgiveaway/

4. The Ultimate Paperback Giveaway: http://sffbookbonanza.com/paperbackgiveaway/

5. The Book Depository (grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre): http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies/

VIDEO NOTES:

1:18 Awesome Giveaways for June!

8:54 How to Organize a MASSIVE Giveaway and Segment Your Reader Lists by Genre (for Authors): My Process

14:17 The Birth of New Adult Noir(e), a reader blog and giveaway host for dark & gritty SFF/H/ROM reads. Whether you’re a reader or author, check us out!

20:04 Working on HOLLOW POINT + Join the HOLLOW POINT Launch Team + Worldbuilding for the ASYLUM trilogy and the SENTIENT trilogy

VLOG VERSION

JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT LAUNCH TEAM!

Join the Launch Team and get free advanced copy of the novel, free gift cards, and other prizes): https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/149478?v=6

FOR AUTHORS WHO WANT TO EXPAND THEIR READERSHIP:

Join New Adult Noir(e) today to expand your readership and join our joint promotions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeElicXmpH3YO7gDZbj9DoflIkHajMEGRRU1g7BeuwqUqCFYg/viewform

FOR READERS, CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME GIVEAWAYS:

1. Win a Kindle Echo + Kindle Fire + E-books + Audiobooks

2. Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card + a FREE YA Boxset (All entrants get the free boxset at the end of the giveaway)

3. Taste of Darkness Giveaway (Grab FREE dark fantasy, dystopia, urban fantasy, and dark romance novels)

4. The Ultimate Paperback Giveaway

5. The Book Depository (Grab over 400 free e-books in ANY genre)

VIDEO NOTES:

2:25  Hosting Giveaways, Author Marketing, and Becoming the (Unexpected) Author Services Entrepreneur

4:50  Starting “New Adult Noir(e)”: a Dark and Gritty SFF/H/R Book Blog & Author Services Station

7:38  MEGA CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY I’m Hosting, the “25 Days of Box Sets” Giveaway

12:00  How to Sign up to a Giveaway as a Reader OR as an Author

12:40  Benefits to Joining a New adult Noir(e) Giveaway as an Author

14:30  My Upcoming Romantic Suspense / Paranormal Romance / Erotica Pen Name!!

15:40  Developing a Large Readership

16:17  Worldbuilding & Research for My Novel Series

20:05  JOIN THE HOLLOW POINT BETA READER LAUNCH TEAM!

22:35  Update on SANDMAN Horror Film

23:58  Creative Uni & Creative Classes I’ve Taken in the Past Month

25:45  Running The Bohemian Badass & Our Upcoming Writing Courses

28:00  Getting Back into My “Hollywood Camera Work” courses & Learning the Craft of Filmmaking

28:52  The Importance of Consuming What You Want to Produce

29:31  Still Working on Rose n’ John Does + Loosey. Goosey (the first novels of the Hitmen of Happily Ever After)

30:41  Turning my “Creative Achievements” Vlog into a PODCAST! (called “The Epic Journey of a Black Female Sci-fi Writer”)

32:00  Sitting in Gratitude, Counting My Blessings, and Staying Flexible in All Areas of Life in order to Uplevel Your Prosperity

33:45 Reflections on the First Year of Grad School — MFA Program in Generative Dramaturgy

— Admitting Who I Am and Who I’m Becoming as a Grad Student

— Skills I’m Gaining by Being in Grad School

— How Grad School is Helping Me to Understand Where My Body of Work is Going (especially as a Filmmaker)

— My Deepening Love of Shakespeare and Shakespeare in Sci-fi

— My Love for Adaptation (Thanks to Grad School + Akira Kurosawa)

39:07  New Directions for YEAR 2 in Grad School! — MFA Program in Generative Dramaturgy

— Dramaturging a Gothic Horror Musical: The Addams Family Musical!

— Studying My Eighth Language, RUSSIAN! + The Importance of Languages in Life AND as a Sci-fi/Fantasy Author

— AMAZING Classes I’m Taking Next Semester: Film Editing, The Dramaturg & the Classic Play,

VLOG VERSION

This is the wrap up and run down of ALL of my creative achievements from Q1 2017 (Jan 1 – Mar 31). I go into detail and run on tangents in my video update, but here’s a bulleted list of things I knocked off my plate:

Q1 2017 CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS

* 3,770 Offworlders gained (aka readers to my subscriber list)

* 10 masterclasses finished

* 10 plays reviewed on the blog

* 8 signature courses finished

* 6 more covers for The Books of Ezekiel series commissioned

* 5 more covers for The Hitmen of Happily Ever After commissioned

* 5 video intros for Rebel Ragdoll Productions commissioned

* 4 creative opportunities applied for; 2 won and 2 pending!

* 3 logos commissioned (Rebel Ragdoll Productions, Rebel Ragdoll Press, and Chick Rogue Studios)

* 3 major giveaway cycles completed

* 3 film concepts created and added to Hustlin’ spreadsheet (Sandman 1, Sandman 2, and Surrogate)

* 2 new podcasts recorded and posted for The Bohemian Badass’ B-Badass Podcast

* 2 new software solutions learned (Zapier and Instafreebie)

* 1 new novel concept added to Hustlin’ spreadsheet (for Doe City Thriller series)

* 1 AMAZING opportunity in television (that I still can’t talk about) thrown into lap

* 1 live radio interview for iNKliNG completed!

* 1 yearly round up and wrap up for 2016 completed

* 1 2017 goal list for all creative business, personal life, and health created

* 1 complete filmmaking kit purchased: camera, lenses, bags, tripods, sound system, and lighting system

* 1 production calendar and timeline created for all three subsidiaries

* 1 theatre production wrapped for (Creeps), including actor’s packet, pre-show video essay, soundtrack, website, and post-show

* 1 poetic flash play co-written, co-curated, and co-directed (iNKliNG)

* 1 short film shot, wrapped, and in post-production (Home)

* 1 plotting template for The Bohemian Badass’ “Plot like a Badass” course polished up

* 1 course outlined for The Bohemian Badass’ “Creating Badass Characters” course created

* 1 new blog post written and posted for The Bohemian Badass Blog

* 1 email marketing system and sequence configured

* 1 horror film in progress (Sandman): worldbuilding, concept design, outlining script, planning budget, planning film concepts, blocking, themes, and cinematic look

* 1 directing & producing protocol created for Rebel Ragdoll Productions

* 1 book launch plan in progress

* 1 boxset author collaboration in progress!

* Worldbuilding, plotting, and character development for The Books of Ezekiel series

* Worldbuilding, plotting, and character development for The Hitmen of Happily Ever After series

* Worldbuilding, plotting, and character development for the ASYLUM series

* Participated in a multitude of cross-promotion activities with fellow authors

* Maintained the author blog and vlog at Colby R. Rice

* Worked on The Books of Ezekiel TV series

OTHER STUFF:

* Wrangling with the Grad School Beast: 3 classes, 1 production, and 1 TA-ship — still ongoing, but coming to a close

* Upped my self-care game

* Major progress for the little Queen: she loves her daycare, is weaned, and is now sleeping in her own bed. HALLELUJAH!

THINGS READ AND/OR STUDIED: 20 plays

TOTAL Q1 WORD COUNT: 16,116 words

PAGE COUNT (FOR PLAY I’M WORKING ON): 35 pages

VLOG VERSION

Had an AMAZING kick-ass spring break, where I did tons of awesome, creative, artsy stuff, including:

1. Shot my first short film, “Home”! (I was the Producer and the DP, lol!)

2. Worked my ass off on my next “Books of Ezekiel” novel, “Hollow Point”

3. Continued my work on my first horror feature, “Sandman”

4. Continued plotting, worldbuilding, character design,and series design for “The Hitmen of Happily Ever After” series

5. Resurrected The Bohemian Badass blog and podcast

6. Worked on an upcoming course from The Bohemian Badass, called “Plot like a Badass”

7. Rested, actually COOKED, and did some serious self-care

It was awesome, and it gave me a taste for the kind of life I actually want: making my own hours, having a flexible work life that I can adjust around my daughter, and of course, writing / filmmaking / creating ALL DAY LONG!

FOUR FREE GIVEAWAYS THIS MONTH!

1. FREE Kindle Fire HD Giveaway: http://jasonpaulricebooks.com/442-2/ (ENDS MARCH 25!!)

2. Women in Fiction Giveaway: https://www.ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/giveaways-promotions-by-nd-jones-author/1st-annual-womens-history-month-giveaway-celebrating-the-power-of-female-characters-2017/

3. 300+ FREE Books in over 20 Genres: http://melanietomlin.com/tpr-freebies

4. The FREE “Start Reading Diverse” Book Giveaway: http://lcmawson.com/srdgiveaway/

5. JOIN THE VIP GIVEAWAY LIST: To get a VIP early peek at these giveaways before they’re announced publicly, join the giveaway VIP list here to get them delivered RIGHT to your inbox: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pa…

“PERSONAL CREATIVE UNIVERSITY” COURSES:

1. Black Money 102: How to Invest in Stocks (includes Intelligent Boss Moves course w/ Damon Dash): theblackbusinessschool.com/p/black-money-102-how-to-invest-in-the-stock-market

2. Tiffany the Budgetnista’s Live Richer Challenges: http://www.livericherchallenge.com/

3. James Patterson’s Masterclass on Writing: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/james-patterson-teaches-writing/enrolled

4. Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass on Screenwriting: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/aaron-sorkin-teaches-screenwriting/enrolled5. Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass on Writing for Television: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/shonda-rhimes-teaches-writing-for-television

5. Werner Herzog’s Masterclass on Filmmaking: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/werner-herzog-teaches-filmmaking7. Hans Zimmer’s Masterclass on Film Scoring: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/hans-zimmer-teaches-film-scoring

6. Steve Martin’s Masterclass on Comedy: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/steve-martin-teaches-comedy

7. Dustin Hoffman’s Masterclass on Acting: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/dustin-hoffman-teaches-acting

8. Kevin Spacey’s Masterclass on Acting: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/kevin-spacey-teaches-acting

9. Dialogue & Subtext Course (Screenwriting U): https://dn143.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Subtext-Secrets-Special

10. Check out Hollywood Camera Work to Learn Directing, Visual Effects, and Blocking / Staging: http://hollywoodcamerawork.com

VIDEO NOTES:

00:21 I JUST HAD THE BEST CREATIVE SPRING BREAK EVER!

01:14 My Ideal Life as a Creative Professional, Novelist, Screenwriter, and Filmmaker

03:50 My Daily Schedule as an Independent Creative Entrepreneur

04:30 Creative Updates!!

05:15 Marketing for Independent Creatives + my Q2 “Loyal Reader” Giveaway!

07:23 Finishing Up the Black Money 102 Course + Tiffany the Budgetnista’s Live Richer Courses + Get Your Business Financial Health on Point!! + #BlackMoneyMatters

12:30 The Splitting of “The Iron Maiden” & The Birth of “Hollow Point” in The B...

VIDEO RESOURCES:

The Indie Film Hustle Podcast by Alex Ferrari: https://indiefilmhustle.com/podcasts/

VIDEO NOTES:

Sooo… this is a long update, BUT in short, the giveaway has officially ended and the winners have been announced!

Also, I go into super detail about cool stuff that’s been happening, and talk to you guys about my experience with the giveaway, how I grew my subscriber base to literally nearly 300% its size, and how it’s been collaborating with other authors in my genre.

I also give you another round on the birth of Rebel Ragdoll Productions (which is so epic that it merited its own video)!

VIDEO TOPICS:

00:34  Creativity and Motherhood

02:20  Directorial Debut (sort of) of Slam Poetry Piece

05:25  Cover Design for the Hitmen of Happily Ever After Series

06:50  Author Collaboration and Building an Author Community (+ Tabling Conventions)

08:00  Good Conventions to Attend & Table as an Author

10:30  Giveaways and Promotion Opportunities to Consider as an Author

11:09  Prizes Ideas for Giveaways!

12:10  Working with Illustrators and Art Directing a Concept Art / Licensing Book for The Books of Ezekiel

15:03  Growing a Subscriber List as an Indie Author

19:45  Using Zapier to Automate Your Author Business

24:00  How to Join My VIP Giveaway List!

25:00  The “Story Engines” Class

27:53  Rebel Ragdoll Productions is Armed and Ready!!

30:17  Building a Business Plan and Marketing Plan for My Film

35:11  Planning Pre-Production for My Film & Developing a Directing Style

37:30  Fan-girling Over My Film Equipment!

39:30  Fan-girling Over My Production House Logo!

40:16  Empowering Yourself as a Self-Sufficient Filmmaker, Author, and Creative!

42:00  Notes on Grad School, Thoughts on Writing, and Writing Plays (Playwriting)

44:21  Self Care, Putting Yourself First, and the Snaps Jar

Check out the NEXT video for the Rebel Ragdoll Productions Debut!

VLOG VERSION

THE KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY ENDS THIS WEDNESDAY! Click the link and enter your email to get a chance at winning: http://bit.ly/2j81xX0

Also, the B-BADASS PODCAST is also now available on iTunes, Google Play / Android, Stitcher, and on RSS. Subscribe and vibe, boos!

B-Badass Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t…

B-Badass Podcast on Google Play / Android: https://goo.gl/app/playmusic?ibi=com….

B-Badass Podcast on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127757&…

B-Badass Podcast on RSS: http://www.thebohemianbadass.com/feed…

—

I’ve been away for about a week y’all, but there are LOTS of exciting things that have been happening while I’ve been gone! (Which is why I’ve been gone, lol).

Updates on novel writing, filmmaking, and grad school as I get back in the swing o’ things, so stay tuned!

VLOG VERSION

I’ve got a surprise for you guys! FREE Giveaway where you can win one of 3 Kindle Fires, a $25 Amazon gift card, and/or a library of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror novels!

There will be four main winners, but ALL entrants get a prize!

CLICK THE LINK TO JOIN THE GIVEAWAY BEFORE IT’S OVER: http://bit.ly/2j81xX0

Also, updates on launching 2017 with a bang… or a puff. Both are great, so long as you’re making progress!

VLOG VERSION

Happy New Year, guys!

I hope you’re ready to grab your creativity by the horns and RIDE that bih! Here are my massive goals for 2017, which are then interrupted by my screaming toddler, so make sure you also watch part II as well for the rest of the journal.

By the way, check out the links to the film cameras & the movie I’m talking about:

Canon Rebel T6i (combo pack)

DJI Osmo (combo pack)

Go Pro Hero 5

Hardcore Henry (1st Person POV movie)

VLOG VERSION