text: How do I know? Because I hit 80K words in my first draft the other day. Eighty thousand is generally accepted as that sweet spot in novel writing. The word count that officially makes it a full length novel and not a novella. Unless you’ve got a big science fiction tome cooking, 80-100K is the industry standard. And I just hit it, which means even though the book isn’t finished yet, by god it’s close.
  Four years ago, almost to the day, I published the first book (with less than 80k words!). Four years is a looooonnngg time. It makes me feel like a bad author when folks I follow seem to pump out a novel every year. I could’ve done it sooner, but I wrote a movie (and filmed it). I started a new novel (and abandoned it when it didn’t work) and all those other life events that get in the way of writing.
  Why do I call it the Dreaded 80k? Because it’s not just exciting, it’s horrifying. When the novel is done, it isn’t just done. The editing begins. The proofreading begins. The beta reading begins. The cover designing begins. All these necessary steps to publishing your work to a wider audience and none of them, NONE, are as fun as actually writing the damn book. Writing a full length novel is a massive amount of work. It’s monumental really. Even if it’s a bad book! Writing eighty thousand words into coherent sentences with characters and events and plot is a difficult task. And I’ll reiterate, that’s the fun part.
  Then you’ve got to polish it to a shiny gloss. Which leads to the worst part of writing a book: marketing it. Trying to convince the general public that this piece of art you poured your soul into is worth their $15 or their precious time. Because you’re not a big name author. You’re trying to make a name for yourself, why should they trust you?
  I, like many others, fell into a trap of my own making. You see, I went and self-published my first novel. No agent or traditional publisher wants to touch a second novel. So I’m going into this knowing that all that jazz taken care of by a traditional publisher, I’ll have to do . This is what I want out of my life though, so there is no turning back. There is no other option for me. I HAVE to do this. It’s a compulsion everyone with a creative mind suffers. We need to make our work and then we need others to see it. Because I can enjoy my own writing, but I’d rather see someone else enjoying it. I’ve loved so many books and I want to give that same feeling to someone else.
  That is why I called it the dreaded 80k because it means the fun is soon to be over. The exposed, personal hard work is about to begin. And I can’t wait.
  Zombies in SPAAAAAAACE (and the library)
  November 12, 2021 Chris O'ConnellLeave a comment
  Two super cool updates for my first novel The Afters. My good friend wrote some code and put an ad for my book in space!! You can see it floating around in the above video. Greatest nine seconds of my life.
  And then! On the same weekend, I discovered that my local library put me on the shelf! As a self published author it is super nice of them to support a local. Also libraries are the best.
  Fundraising Campaign for Mass Hysteria
  January 18, 2019 January 18, 2019 Chris O'ConnellLeave a comment
  It’s almost alive!!!!
  Mass Hysteria is the second movie from my good friends’ production company. Both of which I had a hand in writing and creating. Unlike our first fundraising campaign, this one is exclusively for post-production work. We already filmed the movie in the month of August. Which means we actually have trailers and stills to show you and get you as excited about this project as we are.
  Please click on the link below or check out our little mini-trailer:
  https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/masshysteria#story
  The One That’s The First Post
  October 2, 2018 October 2, 2018 Chris O'ConnellLeave a comment
  I’ve got to start somewhere, right?
  Welcome to my official author website! This is where you can find out what I’m up to, what I’m working on next, and how to connect with me. Updates, previews, and the like.
  All in all, this website (and my associated social media accounts) will be all about books, movies, and my attempts to market both of them.
  Thanks for visiting! Follow me here or on Instagram/Twitter @chrisowriting
  Follow Blog via Email
  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
  Email Address:
  Follow
  Join 21 other followers
  Follow Christopher O'Connell on WordPress.com
  Instagram
  Now reading The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Take Jurassic Park but instead cast it with some insufferable millennials you can’t tell apart. I know this novel is supposed to be fun and like a popsong but that doesn’t excuse what this book could have been. I’m all for out there premises (alternate Earth which has godzillas roaming around powered by internal nuclear power) I love that kind of stuff. But this felt like a young adult novel written for neither the young nor adults. Everyone had a catch phrase, there were so many references to real life media, and the quips, so many quips. It works in a marvel movie, it doesn’t work so well on the page. This was almost a DNF and perhaps the one saving grace was that it was quite the quick read. #amreading #bookstagram #readmore #amreadingscifi
  Now reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Book one of the Dresden Files. Pretty sure every sci-fi section of every bookstore has at least ten of these books and I’ve always wondered how they were. It’s a fantasy spin on the classic private eye novel, except the main character is a wizard and magic exists but kind of in the Harry Potter way: I.e regular people don’t really know about it. The main character is a little insufferable, his cold brooding giving off bullied emo teen vibes rather than tough detective. A few too many quips when it could be more serious but then again he gets attacked by a toad demon so I guess it is a bit silly. Anyways not horrible not something I’m dying to get the second book of. I do love the concept which might steer me into diving deeper into the series. On the plus side I flew through the pages so at least it was an easy read, I can always appreciate that. #amreading #amreadingscifi #readmore #bookstagram
  Now reading: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells. Back to murderbot! Everyone’s favorite antisocial cyborg is back for another mystery of the week. Sadly going back to novella format from the prior novel. Thought the switch would be permanent but alas. All the elements are here which makes this outing feel a little…samey. Murderbot is still the best but the shtick has lost a little of its shine. Feels like a mid season episode. Hopefully the next one is back to full length novel. #amreading #amreadingscifi #readmore #bookstagram
  Now reading: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I spent one summer in a busy Cape Cod kitchen and I’ve never had someone describe kitchen life so well, so violently, and so beautifully. There’s a chaos back there that only those who’ve ever worked in a kitchen can even begin to imagine. My experience was small but it was illuminating. It was hot, tempers flared constantly and we worked like we were in the army: twelve hour shifts, making fun of the dumb waiters who’d come in for a single night and walk away with 300$ in tips while we slaved for next to nothing. My chef drank at least 9 banquets per night. There is nothing quite like it. I look back in horror and fondness. Bourdain knows this life and captures it beautifully. He clearly loves it, loves the criminal personalities that inhabit the kitchens, loves the ballet between the front and back of house. I count it as one of my essential jobs for life: one of those experiences that make you a better person and has my utmost respect. I have the scars to prove it. Although I couldn’t relate to his fancier times as chef, Bourdain really captures the lifestyle and is a great intro to those curious about what happens behind the swinging doors. #amreading #amreadingnonfiction #readmore #bookstagram
  Now reading: Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Disappointed isn’t really the right word for my experience. It’s more…annoyance. Third in what used to be a trilogy and is now a quartet Nona is by far the weakest of the three so far, opting to begin another story with a character with significant amnesia (if it can even be called that.) Muir is such a ludicrously talented author but this book is like being gaslit in real time. Everything is a secret. The author clearly knows what’s happening and some characters do but you (and Nona) have no idea wtf is going on. Breadcrumbs are dropped throughout but unless you have an eidectic memory and the wiki at hand (which I looked up several times) the plot goes twisting into space. And don’t get me started on characters who used to be two people and are now one and others use their names interchangeably AND THEN use cute nicknames. It’s been over two years, please, I don’t remember who Babs is without looking it up. It’s just…unnecessary and I felt lost as a reader. Which sucks because the Locked Tomb is one of the most interesting worlds I’ve ever been in. I want to know what happens next and I’m tired of the detours. Although the sequences with John describing the end of the actual Earth all those years ago was a really fun addition. #amreading #amreadingfantasy #amreadingscifi #readmore #bookstagram #lockedtomb
  Now reading; The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik book 3 of the Scholomance trilogy. While I had some very specific criticisms of this book, this was an ideal ending to this series in almost every way. Frankly blown away by the revelations of minor occurrences in the earlier books coming to fruition in this final novel. From a story perspective it is absolutely satisfying as a reader. While the main character can get grating and some of the platitudes a little cliche, the overall feeling I walked away with was satisfaction and I can easily recommend to fans of magical schools, strong female protagonists, and snark. #amreading #amreadingfantasy #scholomance #readmore #idwatchtheshow