Making Progress on Manuscript

I'm back in the writing mode in 2018, working on the third book in the "John Ross Boomer Lit Novel" series.

I've written every day since Jan. 1, except for one day, and honestly, I got so busy with other things that it slipped my mind. Poor excuse, but the truth. I've been writing at different times of the day, but the most productive is in the mornings.

Ken Follett

While I'm not going to set a timetable for completing the first draft, I do plan for this novel to be around 75,000 words. Perhaps fewer. And I plan for it to be published this year. I believe that most readers prefer shorter works (yes, there are exceptions but I'm not Ken Follett or Stephen King).  





Time is of the essence for readers and there are too many books and too little time to read as much as we'd like, and too many other things vying for their attention. Furthermore, James Patterson seems to be doing well with shorter works.

Stephen King

My last novel, "Darkness Beyond the Light," clicked in at around 94k words. "Old Ways and New Days," the first book in the series. was about 85k. My longest book was "Foolish Is the Heart," which had 101k words. The shortest, "The Touch," had about 75k.


We'll see how it goes.

***

Now on to something else. I've given away several books in Goodreads and Amazon promotions. Lots of authors do the same. The purpose is promotion. 

John Grisham

Another goal is for reviews. I'm asking readers out there to help out your favorite authors by leaving ratings and/or reviews of their books. Especially when you've received them in giveaways. Many authors, especially the indies, have to spend their own dime, and it can be costly.

Richard Ford

So when an author is spreading the love by giving away a new release, I'm asking the recipient to do the same by writing a review (it can only be two or three sentences) and rating on your favorite book sites. Furthermore, if you really, really love the book, tell your friends and fellow readers because word of mouth is probably the best promotion for authors.

Anne Tyler

I recall back in the early '90s when a friend (Cam) raved about John Grisham. I searched for his books (I believe he had written only two at the time) and became a life-long fan.  The same goes for the late Sue Grafton.

Bobbie Ann Mason

I've done the same with contemporary writers I like such as Richard Ford and Anne Tyler; Kentucky authors Bobbie Ann Mason, Bill Noel, Christopher Helvey, Steve Flairty, Crystal Wilkinson, Tom Wallace, and others; and new finds such as Joanna Foreman. 

Crystal Wilkinson

So, readers, I'm asking you to spread your love of reading by writing reviews and telling others about your favorite authors and books.

Until the next time. . . . 

Bill Noel

Steve Flairty

Joanna Foreman

Christopher Helvey

Tom Wallace

Kentucky Writers' Day 2014

We'll be celebrating Kentucky Writers' Day on April 24.

We're blessed in the Bluegrass State with a rich literary heritage featuring writers such as James Lane Allen, Harriette Arnow, Harry Caudill, John Fox Jr., Janice Holt Giles, Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Jesse Stuart, Allen Tate, James Still, Hunter S. Thompson, and Robert Penn Warren (the nation's first poet laureate and the only three-time Pulitzer Prize winner). 

Among the present day literary stars include Wendell Berry, Chris Holbrook, Bobbie Ann Mason, Sue Grafton, Karen Robards, Teresa Medeiros, Silas House, Gwyn Hyman Rubio, Sena Jeter Naslund, and Frank X Walker, the current state poet laureate. 

And we have a few with strong Kentucky connections such as Barbara Kingsolver, Fenton Johnson, and Chris Offutt. The Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort has compiled an impressive list that includes websites.

A ceremony will be held in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort at 10 a.m., featuring Walker and past poets laureate Maureen Morehead, Gurney Norman, Jane Gentry Vance, Naslund, Joe Survant and Richard Taylor reading from their works.

It will be followed by a public reception at 11, in the Capitol mezzanine.

For Kentuckians, this is an excellent opportunity to celebrate literature, poetry, and writers in your communities. The Kentucky Arts Council has a planning guide to help libraries, schools, civic organizations, senior citizens centers and more to join the effort.

"Kentucky Writers' Day is celebrated uniquely all across the Commonwealth," Lori Meadows, arts council executive director, said in a news release. "Our hope is that communities will use this resource as inspiration to plan their own way to honor the day."

So let's get ready to celebrate!

Until the next time...

A Proud Kentuckian

The National Book Award winners were announced last night and Kentuckian Nikky Finney's "Head Off & Split" was named the best in the poetry category.

Although a native of South Carolina, she's lived in Kentucky for the past 20 years. A creative writing professor at the University of Kentucky, Finney has written four volumes of poetry. She's also the author of "Heartwood," a collection of short stories.

I realize that every state can lay claim to distinguished writers. Being a Kentuckian, I'm proud of our literary heritage.

Wendell Berry, a renowned essayist, poet, and novelist, was recently presented the National Humanities Medal.

Other living luminaries include Sena Jeter Naslund, Bobbie Ann Mason, Gwyn Hyman Rubio, Barbara Kingsolver, Kim Edwards, Sue Grafton, Karen Robards, Silas House, and Teresa Medeiros. And there are more.

Our most distinguished writer was the late Robert Penn Warren, the only three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize (two for poetry, one for fiction). He also won the National Book Award for Poetry in 1958, and was later named the first Poet Laureate of the United States.

Some of his contemporaries include Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Allen Tate, James Still, Jesse Stuart, Janice Holt Giles, A.B. Guthrie Jr., and Harriette Simpson Arnow. And there are more.

And I can't leave out the late and great Hunter S. Thompson, a novelist and father of Gonzo journalism.

Until the next time...