Back to the Manuscript and a Few Book Recommendations

The fourth book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series is history as Make Room for Family was published on Feb. 1 by Wings ePress.

Now I'm working on the first rewrite of the fifth book. As noted in previous posts, I wrote the first draft during National Novel Writing Month in November. I let it sit for more than a month, then I opened it back on and reread the manuscript, only taking a few notes to keep everything straight. The purpose was to see if the story flowed or was a trainwreck. It nearly went off the rails a few times but overall, I liked what I created.

Now I'm rewriting the manuscript. I believe it's only going to take about four or five weeks to have it ready to forward on to Jeanne, my skillful editor at Wings. 

Furthermore, I have a publishing date for the book: Nov. 1, 2021. So I have the responsibility of getting the manuscript to her by the end of March.

For those who know my background in the media, having a deadline or due date is a plus. I spent nearly 18 years with a national news service, five years with newspapers, and eight years as editor of a regional magazine. 

I thrive on deadlines. When I don't have a deadline, I tend to diddle. Deadlines keep me focused.

In the meantime, I'm also marketing and promoting Make Room for Family. I've had several book reviews including feedback and ratings on Amazon. I've mailed several hundred postcards to bookstores, libraries, and friends (send me an email and I'll mail one to you).  I've also taken out ads on Facebook and soon on Amazon and possibly Google. 

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While you're here a few book recommendations from my recent reads:

Check out Chris Helvey's The White Jamaican, a clever and witty noir featuring detective Frank Quick. Helvey paints great scenes with his colorful prose and creates lively characters with down-and-dirty dialogue. 

Colston Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 2017, offers a gritty and graphic story about the plight of Blacks during the slavery era in U.S. history. The story follows the trials and tribulations of Cora as she pursues freedom in a cruel world. It's not an easy read but it may change your perspective about slavery. 

Andrew G. McCabe's The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump is a fascinating read into the inner workings of the giant law-enforcement agency. While Trump is no longer in office, the book explains how the FBI takes on terrorism, the dedicated personnel who investigate crimes, and the threats to democracy we face today. 

Now it's back to the grindstone for rewriting and reading.

Until the next time . . . 

Plodding Along on WIP

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm working on the fourth book in my "John Ross Boomer Lit" series.

So let me give you a quick update: It hasn't been easy.

I sat on the first draft for about six months before going back to it on Aug. 1. I wanted to view it with fresh eyes. That has happened, for the most part. It's also made for some tired eyes during the rewrite.

I've rediscovered forgotten words, like reading something for the first time by another author, except that the author is me. I'm having to relearn some of the plotlines and new characters. 

It's been an adventure as each page seems to contain something new to me. There are thoughts and words that were locked in the recesses of my brain several months ago. And now they're beginning to re-emerge on the computer screen.

One thing I've had to do is provide more backstory so readers have an idea what John and Sally Ross, as well as other characters such as Brody and Geraldine, have been through in the previous three novels. It also reopens my memory bank.  

A reason for that is because this yet unnamed novel was part of the third novel, "New Horizons," but I decided to divide the draft when it began to spiral in different directions. I like coherence in my books; I certainly didn't want to write a sprawling novel of 250,000 words or more.

So that's where I am at this point in time. I'm still cautiously optimistic that I will be able to hand it over to my editor at Wings ePress by the end of September. 

Until the next time . . .

Progress Report—Back to the Manuscript (Editing Update)

I'm still plugging away on the edits to my latest manuscript. As mentioned in my last post, it's not something I truly enjoy but it has to be done.

Making the edits

The time-consuming and intense process basically involves rereading the 93k words to accept or reject edits, consider suggestions, and answer questions on such things as timeline, characters, and scenes. I can usually spend about five hours daily, with a short break, focused on the manuscript before my head feels like it is spinning in all directions.

The deadline for returning the manuscript is June 1. I thought I would be finished with it this past weekend but now it looks more like next weekend. 

And even then, I will probably sit on it for a few days to mull over parts before clicking the send button. 

It's a slow undertaking but I want to be satisfied (as much as an author can be because we're never totally satisfied) with the final version that will become a published novel.

Until the next time. . . . 

Author Observations

One thing I've observed about many authors is that there are those who write about what they're doing and those who simply get it done with little or no fanfare. 

And it's generally the successful authors who concentrate on the work at hand and get it finished. No excuses. No rationalizations. No self-pity. You hardly know they're around until you see that they've had another book published. They make time work for them instead of never having enough time to write.

And they do it over and over. I'm sure they privately discuss how their writing is coming along with their publisher, agent, close friends, and a few other confidantes. Maybe even spouses or significant others. 

You realize that they are focused and designate a block of time each day for their work in progress. No doubt there are some under contract to deliver the goods by a certain date -- and that's sometimes negotiable. But they still get it done.

I think more writers would be more productive -- especially those who are self-published -- if they would have self-imposed deadlines. And that would also apply to traditionally published writers who aren't under contract and want to complete a manuscript by a certain date.

That's something I try to do when working on a novel. I suppose it's also a carryover from my newspaper and wire-service days when I was always under deadline covering events. 

I tend to find myself more tuned in on what I want to accomplish when I set a date to put a wrap on it.

Do deadlines work for you?

Until the next time....