Special August Patreon announcement!

I posted this over on Patreon today but I'm sharing it here as well, because . . . maybe if you like my posts you would also like to support them a bit? And/or maybe you would like some extra content this month? Head right this way to sign up.

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Happy August! (How is it August already??) Yesterday was my birthday, so this seems like a good time to stop and take stock of things in general and in particular including this Patreon! I'm trying to figure out how to tweak things a bit so that you guys are getting what you want out of it AND it doesn't all fall apart when I have a few rough/busy months, as it did this spring.

So! What does this mean for you? For right now, it means that you're going to get a BUNCH OF EXTRA STUFF in August - some rewards for levels you don't normally receive, and maybe some new stuff I'm trying out. I hope you enjoy it.

At the end of the month, I'm going to ask you to let me know which rewards you enjoyed and which you didn't really care about, and then I'll use that information to revamp the reward structure going forward.

And then in September I'll announce any changes, and you can move your support level around as you see fit.

(And if you're reading this but not a patron yet - if you sign up for whatever amount this month, you'll get extra stuff and help me with this process!)

I hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any questions.

xoxo, Kate

Want to hear more about my writing process?

DOES anyone want to hear more about my writing process? Honestly, that idea has always seemed weird to me - not that I object to talking about it, but I don't really get why anyone outside my very close friends/family would CARE. (They get the out-of-the-blue texts like "Do you think you could kill someone with [non-weapon object]?", which I'm sure are not startling at all.) But! People talk about writing and read other people's thoughts on writing all the time! I realize that! In theory, I am included in that! And indeed, as I've been more open on places like Twitter about the fact that I'm working on something, people seem to want to hear about it! I am bemused but honored.

At the same time, I've been trying to think of a little something extra to add for my Patreon supporters to show my appreciation and make sure all levels are getting something out of supporting. And... honestly, I kind of miss my Oscar Project Diary that I sent out EVERY DAY for a while. I don't want to commit to something else of that level on an ongoing basis, because it was VERY time-consuming, but I wanted to do SOMETHING.

So... I'm melding these two thoughts into one. Starting this weekend, patrons of any level* will get my Writing Diary posts - an exclusive update on how my novel's going, what I'm thinking about, research I'm doing, things that are stumping me, whatever. It will be informal and conversational, on no strict schedule but we'll say at least a post a week. Usually text, maybe sometimes a picture or, I guess, video (probably not? Why would I make a video.) or... whatever! I'm excited to share this and see how it turns out; I'm hoping it will be both interesting to my readers and helpful for me as far as self-reflection and clarification of thought.

If this sounds interesting to you, head on over to Patreon and sign up, and then watch for your first Writing Diary post this weekend! In it, I will REVEAL what object I was contemplating as an unlikely murder weapon in the text mentioned above.

* Okay, real talk. "Any level" starts at $1 a month. That's exactly $1 for you, no fees or anything. I know some people genuinely do not have a spare $1 in their budget and I will ALWAYS keep the link posts free and open for that reason, but for MOST people who read my blog, I'd like to think that you get at least 3.33 cents a day of value out of it. There are higher levels - if my posts are worth 10 cents a day to you you could sign up at the $3 level, say - and at each level you get an extra piece of content each month. (And they stack, so for example at the $10 level you get the $1, $3, $5, and $10 rewards every month.) Check out the levels and rewards here.

Oscar Project 2018: New SECRET DIARY just for patrons!

As usual for mid-January, I am currently gearing up for my Oscar Project, in which I slowly drive myself insane trying to see all the Oscar-nominated movies for no REAL reason other than that I enjoy self-inflicted stress and recreational spreadsheets. As I do every year, I'll be posting about each movie and my picks for each category here on the blog, free for everyone to read.

But! This year I'm adding a special component just for Patreon. Patrons - all levels, starting at just $1 a month - will get my daily diary of the project - short messages every day from now through Oscar night. This will include things like:

• My process hunting down the various movies and deciding what to see when
• My adventures driving to and exploring various faraway theaters
• Informal thoughts and my TRUE FEELINGS on the movies that didn't make it into my review posts (i.e. if you want to know which actors I think are hot, this is probably the place)
• Thoughts on how the various races are developing and interesting related reading
• Probably a lot of ranting about poorly behaved audiences
• Q&As if you guys have any thoughts or questions as I go!
• Access to my GIANT OSCAR SPREADSHEET
• And for your convenience, links to all my Oscar-related blog posts so you have it all in one place

If you're thinking of joining in just for this - welcome! Patreon is month-by-month, so if you're just here for movies, you can quit after the Oscars with no hard feelings, though obviously I'll be delighted if you decide you like the other stuff I'm doing and want to stick around! (And if you're seeing this after I've already started, don't worry, if you sign up now you can read all the archives!)

To come along with me on this crazy journey, join me on Patreon!