Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 'Rockapocalypse: A Boy's Tale' is under contract!
I'm happy to announce that my first book, 'Rockapocalypse: A Boy's Tale', is under contract with Written World Communications! I'd like to thank everyone for their interest and support over the last year and a half. Now you get to read it! I'll know more about the publication date as we progress in that direction.
Friday, March 23, 2012
What I'm up to these days...
Half way through edits for Rockapocalypse with my publisher. Also, I've finished a second book entitled 'Cold Currents', a mystery/thriller set in the South. I'm hoping this is my year to go into print. I'm sorry this blog hasn't been updated more often, and I sincerely thank everyone who has followed it. I'm working on another blog with Weebly that will combine the contents of this site and my Wordpress blog. I hope to launch that soon!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Editorial Tutorial…or some form of ‘orial’
It’s been awhile since my last post, but I’ve been busy. Actually that’s an understatement. I thought I would share my experiences, albeit as on-going as they may be, on writing and the editorial process.
First, unless you’re a writer blessed with talents far beyond mortal means, you probably are not the best editor for your work. Why? Because you love your work. Because you don’t handle self-rejection and self-critique very well. Because…well, isn’t that enough? Sure, you can run spell check, catch a few of those seriously stupid words or sentences that crept into your work while you were busy seducing it to paper. Maybe even realize you blew the plot and are able to fix it. But you won’t see it like a reader will see it. You won’t see it like a publisher or an agent will see it. You won’t approach it from a ‘marketing’ standpoint. You simply won’t… because you’re a writer.
With my first book, Rockapocalypse: A Boy’s Tale (now called Rock of Ages: The Keeper, after umpteen million revisions), I contracted a freelance editor to do a developmental edit. It was rather disastrous from my standpoint. My book had various problems and I spent many months re-writing. So much re-writing in fact, that my book changed drastically. Which put me back to square one, and that was not a happy place for me.
Fortunately, I had enough of ‘something’ in my work to get the attention of a small, traditional boutique publisher. After failing to get a contract through their publication board process, for reasons that went far beyond the merits of the book, I was lucky enough to peak additional interest with the owner/CEO, and was offered a collaboration of sorts to get my book up to their publishing standards. Collaboration, you say? Yes. I now meet with the her once a week at their company offices and do a combined developmental/copy-edit on my manuscript. No contract has been offered, but I’m learning a great deal about the editing process and hope it will lead to one in the near future. The really cool thing? It’s not costing me a dime. And that means they’re willing to invest time (=money) in me.
On another front, my second book, Cold Currents, is now under editorial eyes. After a careful search, I landed the editorial services of a well-respected freelance editor with over 40 years experience in the publishing industry. I won’t go into details for discretionary reasons, but he’s associated with a lengthy list of well-known works spanning his career. He’s currently providing a full edit on my manuscript as I write this. The cost will be a bit steep for my pockets, but it’s a sacrifice I feel I have to make at this point. I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous about his pending prognosis. It’s like waiting for a call from your doctor on your lab results.
The hardest part about both of the above? Not touching my work until the editing touches it. I really, really want to get back in there and ‘meddle-in-the- middle’, keep my fingers in it. But for now, I’ll just be content knowing I’m learning as I go with the edits on my first book and that I’ve got a professional’s eyes on my second book.
What are your thoughts on the editing process? Do you think the ‘wordsmithing’ stops with you? Do you have an editor you’re comfortable with that you return to over and over again? Is it important to you as a writer that your work shines to readers, and the industry in general?
Let me know your thoughts!
Disclaimer: This blog post has been edited with the narrow/bias perspective of its originator. Professional quality content should not be assumed by the reader.
First, unless you’re a writer blessed with talents far beyond mortal means, you probably are not the best editor for your work. Why? Because you love your work. Because you don’t handle self-rejection and self-critique very well. Because…well, isn’t that enough? Sure, you can run spell check, catch a few of those seriously stupid words or sentences that crept into your work while you were busy seducing it to paper. Maybe even realize you blew the plot and are able to fix it. But you won’t see it like a reader will see it. You won’t see it like a publisher or an agent will see it. You won’t approach it from a ‘marketing’ standpoint. You simply won’t… because you’re a writer.
With my first book, Rockapocalypse: A Boy’s Tale (now called Rock of Ages: The Keeper, after umpteen million revisions), I contracted a freelance editor to do a developmental edit. It was rather disastrous from my standpoint. My book had various problems and I spent many months re-writing. So much re-writing in fact, that my book changed drastically. Which put me back to square one, and that was not a happy place for me.
Fortunately, I had enough of ‘something’ in my work to get the attention of a small, traditional boutique publisher. After failing to get a contract through their publication board process, for reasons that went far beyond the merits of the book, I was lucky enough to peak additional interest with the owner/CEO, and was offered a collaboration of sorts to get my book up to their publishing standards. Collaboration, you say? Yes. I now meet with the her once a week at their company offices and do a combined developmental/copy-edit on my manuscript. No contract has been offered, but I’m learning a great deal about the editing process and hope it will lead to one in the near future. The really cool thing? It’s not costing me a dime. And that means they’re willing to invest time (=money) in me.
On another front, my second book, Cold Currents, is now under editorial eyes. After a careful search, I landed the editorial services of a well-respected freelance editor with over 40 years experience in the publishing industry. I won’t go into details for discretionary reasons, but he’s associated with a lengthy list of well-known works spanning his career. He’s currently providing a full edit on my manuscript as I write this. The cost will be a bit steep for my pockets, but it’s a sacrifice I feel I have to make at this point. I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous about his pending prognosis. It’s like waiting for a call from your doctor on your lab results.
The hardest part about both of the above? Not touching my work until the editing touches it. I really, really want to get back in there and ‘meddle-in-the- middle’, keep my fingers in it. But for now, I’ll just be content knowing I’m learning as I go with the edits on my first book and that I’ve got a professional’s eyes on my second book.
What are your thoughts on the editing process? Do you think the ‘wordsmithing’ stops with you? Do you have an editor you’re comfortable with that you return to over and over again? Is it important to you as a writer that your work shines to readers, and the industry in general?
Let me know your thoughts!
Disclaimer: This blog post has been edited with the narrow/bias perspective of its originator. Professional quality content should not be assumed by the reader.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Darn! I forgot I had this blog here!
Not really... just been so doggone busy. In fact, I'm heavy into learning all about ebook conversion software. Why, you ask? Because like it or not, the doors are blowing off the traditional publishing model. Ignore it if you want. It's a quick fix society...has been for years. I've played by the rules, played nice, followed the guidelines, waited patiently.
Nobody has ever said, "You suck as a writer! Don't quit your day job...", so I've maintained the course. But I can't ignore the technology, the tools that are available in a free society. Or the growing tide of self-pub mania. Oh, I've not completely pulled out of the trad-pub realm, just keeping my options open. It's like this...if I came to your playground with my dodge ball and I saw you and your friends playing like a bunch of octogenarians wearing depends and sporting walkers, the dust collecting on the ball as it sailed through the air in some odd (and very slow) time warp, and was told I would have to be voted in to play, I would go form my own dodge ball game. I wouldn't care if yours was the Queens dodge ball league and had been around for 150 years. It's that simple.
My first book has undergone a metamorphosis that would put The Fly to shame. I've done all I can do with it, but it will be published. I will not surrender. My second book is coming along nicely and I just did a line edit on the first 200 pages. I've also "sold" a story to a literary publication that will be in print by January and I'm fishing around another short story as I write this. See? I have been busy!
Here's the deal with the trad-status, per say. I'm working with a trad-publisher to get my book in print, but when, no one can say. There is NO contract, just a "gentleman's agreement". I will not live forever. For the life of me, I cannot understand why traditional publishing takes so long! I know the ins and outs of the process, but there seems to be a floating lag factor that cannot be nailed down and stomped like the turtle-paced, snail headed monkey that it is. We've come too far to be operating like scribes from the 16th century. That's why I'm learning ebook stuff. Enough is enough. Sure, I know if I go that route it will be a struggle, but it will be a struggle that I have control of. It will be a struggle that will keep me engaged in the process and not sitting around waiting for the turtle-paced snail head to tell me what's going on.
Well, that was refreshing. Just needed to get that out.
Nobody has ever said, "You suck as a writer! Don't quit your day job...", so I've maintained the course. But I can't ignore the technology, the tools that are available in a free society. Or the growing tide of self-pub mania. Oh, I've not completely pulled out of the trad-pub realm, just keeping my options open. It's like this...if I came to your playground with my dodge ball and I saw you and your friends playing like a bunch of octogenarians wearing depends and sporting walkers, the dust collecting on the ball as it sailed through the air in some odd (and very slow) time warp, and was told I would have to be voted in to play, I would go form my own dodge ball game. I wouldn't care if yours was the Queens dodge ball league and had been around for 150 years. It's that simple.
My first book has undergone a metamorphosis that would put The Fly to shame. I've done all I can do with it, but it will be published. I will not surrender. My second book is coming along nicely and I just did a line edit on the first 200 pages. I've also "sold" a story to a literary publication that will be in print by January and I'm fishing around another short story as I write this. See? I have been busy!
Here's the deal with the trad-status, per say. I'm working with a trad-publisher to get my book in print, but when, no one can say. There is NO contract, just a "gentleman's agreement". I will not live forever. For the life of me, I cannot understand why traditional publishing takes so long! I know the ins and outs of the process, but there seems to be a floating lag factor that cannot be nailed down and stomped like the turtle-paced, snail headed monkey that it is. We've come too far to be operating like scribes from the 16th century. That's why I'm learning ebook stuff. Enough is enough. Sure, I know if I go that route it will be a struggle, but it will be a struggle that I have control of. It will be a struggle that will keep me engaged in the process and not sitting around waiting for the turtle-paced snail head to tell me what's going on.
Well, that was refreshing. Just needed to get that out.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What’s That Smell? Well, it’s NOT team spirit…
Along with all the good things about being a writer, there are a few that we’re not so fast to brag about to our friends and family. I’ve tried to list a few here.
1. First, there’s the “zone”. You know. That moment when your writing is smoking hot and nothing can stand between you and that Pulitzer Prize? When you’re completely engrossed in creativity of a divine nature so high in the planes of existence that you feel immortal? Okay, maybe that’s flourished-up a bit, but you get the drift, right? How you look and act to others is a different matter all together. To them you look “slightly out of it”. This is followed by, ‘Do you feel okay?’ and ‘Is everything all right?’, inevitably leading to the dangerous one, the one that you should avoid if at all possible: ‘Are you listening to me, dear?’
2. Time. Before you took up the task of covering writing media with words, time was pretty much a task master with specific lines, angles and rules. Day job? Arrive at 8, leave at 5. Movie? They’re scheduled for showing, so pick a time and don’t be late. Doctors appointment? 2 p.m. sharp! (plus one “not so sharp” hour while you wait for the doctor). But if you’ve truly taken up writing, truly committed yourself and jumped in with both feet, you’ll discover that “time”, for you at least, grows fuzzy, losing those lines, angles and rules. Appointments missed, trash not put out in time, missed the last showing of the movie you’ve waited months to see, and the list goes on and on.
3. Which leads me to that smell. My wife works outside the home. That said, I am left with the task of preparing certain foods over the course of the day. I’m good at getting it started. I’m just lousy at stopping it. (See 1 and 2 above.)
I mean, who can stop when they’ve got four injured/bleeding characters speeding to the hospital and one of them is about to lose her unborn baby, and perhaps her life, on the backseat of a half demolished minivan? Did I mention the fate of the world hangs on their success of failure? I’ve done countless mad dashes from my office to the kitchen once the smell of seared, burnt or flaming food has permeated my senses. Dangerous? Yes it is. Insane, actually.
I will have to find an alternative for this conflict of interest and necessity, but one thing is for sure: whatever the solution, it will not interfere with my Pulitzer Prize-winning work-in-progress.
Do you have quirks as a writer that go against the grain of the world around you?
1. First, there’s the “zone”. You know. That moment when your writing is smoking hot and nothing can stand between you and that Pulitzer Prize? When you’re completely engrossed in creativity of a divine nature so high in the planes of existence that you feel immortal? Okay, maybe that’s flourished-up a bit, but you get the drift, right? How you look and act to others is a different matter all together. To them you look “slightly out of it”. This is followed by, ‘Do you feel okay?’ and ‘Is everything all right?’, inevitably leading to the dangerous one, the one that you should avoid if at all possible: ‘Are you listening to me, dear?’
2. Time. Before you took up the task of covering writing media with words, time was pretty much a task master with specific lines, angles and rules. Day job? Arrive at 8, leave at 5. Movie? They’re scheduled for showing, so pick a time and don’t be late. Doctors appointment? 2 p.m. sharp! (plus one “not so sharp” hour while you wait for the doctor). But if you’ve truly taken up writing, truly committed yourself and jumped in with both feet, you’ll discover that “time”, for you at least, grows fuzzy, losing those lines, angles and rules. Appointments missed, trash not put out in time, missed the last showing of the movie you’ve waited months to see, and the list goes on and on.
3. Which leads me to that smell. My wife works outside the home. That said, I am left with the task of preparing certain foods over the course of the day. I’m good at getting it started. I’m just lousy at stopping it. (See 1 and 2 above.)
I mean, who can stop when they’ve got four injured/bleeding characters speeding to the hospital and one of them is about to lose her unborn baby, and perhaps her life, on the backseat of a half demolished minivan? Did I mention the fate of the world hangs on their success of failure? I’ve done countless mad dashes from my office to the kitchen once the smell of seared, burnt or flaming food has permeated my senses. Dangerous? Yes it is. Insane, actually.
I will have to find an alternative for this conflict of interest and necessity, but one thing is for sure: whatever the solution, it will not interfere with my Pulitzer Prize-winning work-in-progress.
Do you have quirks as a writer that go against the grain of the world around you?
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Soup of Life: A Personal Reflection
In my lifetime, I've come to realize that soups full of many things, are usually the best soups. The ingredients, taken individually, may not be to my liking, but blended with many ingredients and simmered adequately, they make a satisfying meal. Life itself is much like that. Each occurrence in our lives are like the individual ingredients, some good, some not so good, but in reflection, the soup was pretty good.
As my wife and I celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary today, I couldn't help but reflect on that soup. As this year has unfolded, we've experienced some good and bad ingredients, and the combination has been rather bittersweet for me. The good has come in the form of the realization of what I want most out of life in personal growth: to pursue my writing, my passion. The completion of my first book, and the trails, errors and growing pains that a writer must endure, has been every bit as frustrating and satisfying as I would expect life to be. The excitement I feel now, as I write my second book, is fulfilling on a level that I've never had the pleasure of experiencing. My wife has been an solid supporter of this dream, and for that I am eternally grateful.
The bad ingredients, on the hand, have truly been bad. Yes, the bad has come in the form of the realization that we will lose a lot this year. As I stood on the shores of life watching countless people being swept away by economic disaster, I was blindsided by a disastrous wave of my own. The only consolation being that our children are making their own way now, building their own lives, and are no longer dependent on us.
Remember that soup? I'm not writing this to complain about those bad ingredients, or to toot my horn over my love of writing. Life is like a good soup. It will come with good and bad ingredients, but blended together and simmered over time, that soup will taste just fine on reflection. A soup full of those ingredients will be a life well lived. As for my wife and I, we will move forward and eventually reflect on how good the soup was in 2011. We will have each other, and we will survive. But one thing is certain and constant from this point on: I will write everyday, I will write with passion for what I love, and I will do it for the rest of my days. And if the first 29 years are any indication, my lovely wife will be there until the end.
As my wife and I celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary today, I couldn't help but reflect on that soup. As this year has unfolded, we've experienced some good and bad ingredients, and the combination has been rather bittersweet for me. The good has come in the form of the realization of what I want most out of life in personal growth: to pursue my writing, my passion. The completion of my first book, and the trails, errors and growing pains that a writer must endure, has been every bit as frustrating and satisfying as I would expect life to be. The excitement I feel now, as I write my second book, is fulfilling on a level that I've never had the pleasure of experiencing. My wife has been an solid supporter of this dream, and for that I am eternally grateful.
The bad ingredients, on the hand, have truly been bad. Yes, the bad has come in the form of the realization that we will lose a lot this year. As I stood on the shores of life watching countless people being swept away by economic disaster, I was blindsided by a disastrous wave of my own. The only consolation being that our children are making their own way now, building their own lives, and are no longer dependent on us.
Remember that soup? I'm not writing this to complain about those bad ingredients, or to toot my horn over my love of writing. Life is like a good soup. It will come with good and bad ingredients, but blended together and simmered over time, that soup will taste just fine on reflection. A soup full of those ingredients will be a life well lived. As for my wife and I, we will move forward and eventually reflect on how good the soup was in 2011. We will have each other, and we will survive. But one thing is certain and constant from this point on: I will write everyday, I will write with passion for what I love, and I will do it for the rest of my days. And if the first 29 years are any indication, my lovely wife will be there until the end.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Fiction Outlines: How do you approach them?
This is for the fiction writers out there. If you're an habitual outliner, I need your opinion. Do you approach it like a synopsis, or do you go commando with bullet style?
I'm a wordy person. My first book went through numerous revisions and whole blocks of chapters ended up in the wastebasket. I want to try a different approach with my second book. I'm three chapters into it and I'm just now embarking on an outline approach. But I chose the synopsis-style route, and to be honest, my first chapter outline is dangerously close to chapter length. And that's with "tight" writing.
Comments appreciated!
I'm a wordy person. My first book went through numerous revisions and whole blocks of chapters ended up in the wastebasket. I want to try a different approach with my second book. I'm three chapters into it and I'm just now embarking on an outline approach. But I chose the synopsis-style route, and to be honest, my first chapter outline is dangerously close to chapter length. And that's with "tight" writing.
Comments appreciated!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Laughing Triggers
I am flypaper in a world of buzz words and spiffy sayings. No, it's true! If you have the great misfortune to be anywhere near me when you utter some fabulously original and witty phrase, you will undoubtedly see it fly from your mouth and stick to the side of my laughing head (where it will be absorbed and cataloged for reference). But most of these quirky words and phrases don’t come from others. I have enough outspoken nutcase characters within myself to keep me entertained. (No, I am not the “Sybil” of the new millennium.) An example of my madness comes to mind.
Doodads. That’s right, doodads. I hadn’t heard that term in years. Probably would have never uttered it again, except for the fact that my young protagonist needed something to describe a certain part of the male anatomy. So, I threw it in…
…and read it out loud.
I didn’t expect to laugh, much less fall out of my office chair. (Probably a result of too much revising?) I crawled from the floor and sat down again, glancing at my screen. Why did I read it again? I don’t know, but I didn’t wait around to fall again. I literally ran from my office, tears streaming down my cheeks. I passed my wife at the top of the stairs. I ran through the den and out the side door, searching for copious amounts of fresh air to inhale. The result? It stayed in my manuscript, and my wife hasn’t divorced me…yet. I even reference “balloon hat” along with it. (You would have to read it to understand…or maybe not.) It will never win any Sexy Prose awards, but maybe, just maybe another person will get the same enjoyment from it that I got. Just maybe…
Addendum: *idea before I published*
Backstory: It’s dry here. Very dry. You spend 355 days a year moisturizing your skin. The other 10? Standing in the rain.
So…catchy phrase for my WIP is already down.
Ready?
**** The Itchy Nipple Tavern *scratch* *scratch*
Do you have a humorous saying or word that makes you grin instantly?
No? Well, go find something to laugh about. It’s a great stress reliever.
Doodads. That’s right, doodads. I hadn’t heard that term in years. Probably would have never uttered it again, except for the fact that my young protagonist needed something to describe a certain part of the male anatomy. So, I threw it in…
…and read it out loud.
I didn’t expect to laugh, much less fall out of my office chair. (Probably a result of too much revising?) I crawled from the floor and sat down again, glancing at my screen. Why did I read it again? I don’t know, but I didn’t wait around to fall again. I literally ran from my office, tears streaming down my cheeks. I passed my wife at the top of the stairs. I ran through the den and out the side door, searching for copious amounts of fresh air to inhale. The result? It stayed in my manuscript, and my wife hasn’t divorced me…yet. I even reference “balloon hat” along with it. (You would have to read it to understand…or maybe not.) It will never win any Sexy Prose awards, but maybe, just maybe another person will get the same enjoyment from it that I got. Just maybe…
Addendum: *idea before I published*
Backstory: It’s dry here. Very dry. You spend 355 days a year moisturizing your skin. The other 10? Standing in the rain.
So…catchy phrase for my WIP is already down.
Ready?
**** The Itchy Nipple Tavern *scratch* *scratch*
Do you have a humorous saying or word that makes you grin instantly?
No? Well, go find something to laugh about. It’s a great stress reliever.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Writing and the "Junker"
I started on my next book a month ago. Or maybe it was two weeks ago...or last week. I don't remember.
Idea #1 started well enough. The plot fell at my feet. Ingenious, twisty and full of life. I cranked out the first chapter, thrilled at the possibilities. Then realization sunk in. This would be in the 200-300k word range if I pursued it. And some of the plot points would take a monumental effort to pull off. And then I would have to revise like a madman. I put it aside. It needed more thought.
Idea #2 struck around midnight. I rushed to capture the opening scene and I caught it well. But where was the plot? I'll never know. It was in a thousand places and there seemed no way to make it coherent. I put it aside. Maybe I would re-visit, maybe not.
Idea #3 slapped me like a ton of bricks. It came welling up from me like a tide. At that point I came to a realization that should have been evident the moment I started Idea #1. I've told you why the first two didn't work, but the excuses were all wrong. They didn't work because they had no real voice. Not like the third one.
Idea #3 will be my next book. The voice of my MC is strong and has a story to tell. And two chapters into it, the bond between writer and character has been forged and honed for the journey.
What about the Junker? Sometimes writing is like owning a "junker" car. It takes a few attempts to get it started but once the motor catches, you know it will take you where you want to go.
Idea #1 started well enough. The plot fell at my feet. Ingenious, twisty and full of life. I cranked out the first chapter, thrilled at the possibilities. Then realization sunk in. This would be in the 200-300k word range if I pursued it. And some of the plot points would take a monumental effort to pull off. And then I would have to revise like a madman. I put it aside. It needed more thought.
Idea #2 struck around midnight. I rushed to capture the opening scene and I caught it well. But where was the plot? I'll never know. It was in a thousand places and there seemed no way to make it coherent. I put it aside. Maybe I would re-visit, maybe not.
Idea #3 slapped me like a ton of bricks. It came welling up from me like a tide. At that point I came to a realization that should have been evident the moment I started Idea #1. I've told you why the first two didn't work, but the excuses were all wrong. They didn't work because they had no real voice. Not like the third one.
Idea #3 will be my next book. The voice of my MC is strong and has a story to tell. And two chapters into it, the bond between writer and character has been forged and honed for the journey.
What about the Junker? Sometimes writing is like owning a "junker" car. It takes a few attempts to get it started but once the motor catches, you know it will take you where you want to go.
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