Harper Kingsley blog

November 14, 2013 0 comments

I have no idea what I’m willing to do for $5

Fiverr gig pic If you follow me on Twitter, I mentioned before that I tried Elance. I will be writing an article about my experience, listing the pros and cons and what have yous. Though I thought it was a good idea to let you all know that any job that requires a status report gives the client your full name and address.

That’s right. Some stranger receives your full name and address. And if you click the wrong box, they get your social security number too (I used an EIN, which is free to get from irs.gov) if that’s what you’re using for tax purposes on the site. You have to agree to have it added to the invoice, but you’re basically one-click away from giving someone your whole life.

I don’t know why Elance gives out that information and is so reluctant to admit it, but there you are. So if you want to use Elance — which is a great tool for some freelancers and a horror story and a half for others — you might want to get a PO box and an EIN.

Anyways, from there I followed the advice of one of my pro-blog link guys (I’ll include his link in my article, but I’m too lazy to look it up right now) and joined Fiverr. He said it was a good way to test the waters and get some experience, and honestly it looks like a lot of fun. Plus, my Peerblock doesn’t go crazy with the site like it used to do, so I take that as a good sign.

I haven’t gotten any gigs yet, but I’ve only got two posted. I have a 0 rating, which means my account is basic. Once I attain a level, I’ll be able to add gig extras, which some people have used to turn out some good money. Basically, for $5 you get whatever base gig they’re offering, but if you choose an extra it’s the $5 plus however much the extra is, which can add up to a nice chunk of change.

I’ve been having fun looking around at all the things people are willing to do for $5 (or rather, $4 after Fiverr takes their cut) and I have to wonder What am I willing to do for $5? Anyone got any suggestions?

November 13, 2013 0 comments

Cold Spaghetti and NaNoWriMo: The Perfect Combination

Ugh, it’s the middle of the night and I got up and ate a big bowl of cold spaghetti. Now my stomach is feeling all roly-poly “I think I’m going to be sick”-oly. I’m starting to feel tired again and I’ll go back to bed in a moment, but until then I’ve been planning out my NaNoWriMo.

I know, right? It’s practically the middle of the month and I’m just starting my story. But it’s actually the third story that I’ve started for NaNo, but it’s the only one I don’t think I’m going to discard. Those other ones left me feeling doubtful, this one makes me feel hopeful. It’s called “Freeform Jazz” because I’m not-so secretly a weirdo.

The rough start:

Jazz – real name: James Leopold. He was nicknamed Jazz because that’s what his parents were listening to when he was conceived. It’s a horrifying story he really didn’t want to know about, but it wasn’t something he could forget. Not when they insisted on listening to jazz music every year around his birthday and got all moon-eyed toward each other. It was disgusting.

But you never have to worry about it again, he thought. You’re never going to catch them being all kissy faced and sweaty-rumpled. You’re never going to see them ever again.

“Are you all right, son? Is there someone I can call?”

Jazz blinked and looked at the man that had stopped next to his perch on the stone planter. “What?”

There was infinite patience in the brown eyes that looked at him, a sad understanding that made Jazz want to slap the guy just because he could. “Would you like me to call someone for you?” the man asked.

“Why?” Jazz asked, cocking his head.

“Because you’re crying.”

The man pointed and Jazz realized that it was true. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he hadn’t even noticed them start. He scrubbed at his face with his sleeve and thought that he was supposed to be embarrassed. Really, he was just tired. Exhausted in a way that made even breathing seem too hard to take.

“I’m … I’m all right,” he said. “You don’t have to call anyone. I’ll be fine.”

The man didn’t look like he believed him, but gave him a nod anyway before heading toward the stone steps. He had a black cane that went with the limp in his left leg. Jazz wondered what had happened to him.

Maybe you just met the real life John Watson, he thought. A smile tugged at his lips, but it didn’t last long. Not when he couldn’t seem to stop the helpless tears that kept escaping his eyes as he tried not to think about his parents. His tragically dead parents.

Jazz mopped at his face and forced himself to his feet when what he really wanted to do was hug his knees to his chest and just break down. But how lame would that be? A nineteen year old weeping in front of the public library because he didn’t know what else to do.

He hated feeling so helpless.

Don’t tell anyone at Wattpad, but I’ve decided that it’s the origin story of GlenDal (from Heroes & Villains). Everyone knows I’m a big Sailor Moon fan, plus there’s that song from AMVHell 5: “If I were a girl, even just for a day, I’d roll out of bed in the morning and wonder what just happened to me.” The story is practically writing itself. I even came up with a little Barbie joke that I’m going to throw in.

I am really excited about NaNoWriMo. I hope you are too ^_^

November 9, 2013 0 comments

EXCERPT: Fierce (Shame) [mm contemporary] TW: previous non-con

Title: Fierce
Larger work: Shame
Author: Harper Kingsley
Genre: mm contemporary
Warning: Possible triggers for mention of past non-con.

A/N: Fierce and Conflagration will be added to the original Shame. There will be a non-Shame version called “Without Shame” too if you want to stay away from the unpleasant.

Summary: Simon Peters is dealing with the aftermath of the events in Shame. It’s a long slow road, but he refuses to give up.

There were moments in the stillness where Simon found himself afraid. He would close his eyes only to have to open them again, his every sense quivering alert, sure the boogeyman was going to get him. Again.

He hated being so scared all the time. He hated that there were marks on him he couldn’t see. He hated that someone as sick and twisted as Damien Prince had left such a permanent scar on his mind.

November 8, 2013 6 comments

To Epilogue Or Not To Epilogue

I’ve been told that prologues are too much in this day and age. They’ve lost their popularity and people simply don’t like them. Readers want to get straight to the meat and potatoes of a story.

When I heard no prologues, I was a bit disappointed, but I said “All right.” I can deal with the idea of getting right to the story without introductions or delays. I’m an adult; there were very few tears. Yet now people are saying they don’t want epilogues either? Well gee thanks, Harry Potter, yet another thing old scar head has ruined for the rest of us.

I suppose that I’ve been abusing the privilege of epilogues somewhat by using them to foreshadow the next story, but what else am I supposed to do? When you get rid of my precious prologues, there has to be somewhere where I can stick all that great pre-story, not really part of the story, story stuff. Yet reviewers have said they would prefer no epilogue at all.

Take Heroes & Villains for example. The epilogue is the beginning of Allies & Enemies. There’s a glimpse of their life in the future, the introduction of one of the main characters of Allies & Enemies, and a general idea of where things are going to go. It’s an intrinsic tie-in to Allies & Enemies, but would have made a terrible prologue.

Which leaves me wondering what I should do with the epilogue I wrote for Allies & Enemies. Leave it in? Dump it? I have no idea.

These are the hardest parts of writing for me. Wanting to please the reader, but not wanting to displease myself. I mean, without the epilogue, the story seems incomplete to me, yet it’s not part of the story itself. It’s the afterward, the introduction, the wrap up of one part and the opening of the next.

To epilogue or not to epilogue, that is the question.

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Catch some of my free stories at Kimichee: Read Something.