Manuscript is out of my hands (for a little while)

The manuscript for my next novel is out of my hands, thank goodness, even if only for a little while.

My Wings ePress editor had a few questions about my final edit, which I addressed, and returned to her yesterday. The manuscript now goes to a copy editor who will give the 71,500 words a deep read to find any typos, grammatical errors, and storyline inconsistencies. 

And when that's completed, I'll receive the galley proof for one last read for any minor mistakes (I sure don't want any major ones at this point). The manuscript will also be formatted for publication. 

In the meantime, I'll hear from a graphic artist about the book cover. I have already provided information to her about the book. I'm anxious to see her artistic interpretation of the novel. 

The novel is set to be released on May 1. Over the next few months, I'll be working, along with the publisher, on promotion and marketing. 

Steve Flairty

As an aside, my books were mentioned in an article about Kentucky books by Steve Flairty, a reviewer for the Northern Kentucky Tribune and Kentucky Monthly magazine.  You can read it here.  (Disclosure: I have edited  Steve's "Kentucky's Everyday Heroes" books.) 

Until the next time . . .

WIP Update: On to the Editor

After seven rewrites and revisions, and a few last-minute tweaks and deletes, my manuscript was sent to my editor today.

I informed her yesterday that I'd be forwarding the 67k words to her. She replied that she was looking forward to a good read. I hope she's not disappointed. 

The first draft was 37k words, so it's grown another 30k in the past four months or so. I thought I would be able to finish it in three or four rewrites, but that was not to be. Every time I went through the manuscript, I added another layer to the story, be it a subplot, new character, or plot expansion.

I read an interview with chef Ina Garten, the "Barefoot Contessa," yesterday and she quoted noted journalist Bob Woodward as saying, "It's not that I ever finish a book, I just stop working on it."

I couldn't find the quote after a web search, but I understand the reasoning behind it. There comes a time when you have to say to yourself, "Enough is enough," and hand the manuscript over to your publisher. 

One of the great things about writing a series—this book is the third in the John Ross Boomer Lit Series—is that I can pick up where I left off. I've already written the first draft to the fourth book, and know what I plan to do in the fifth. 



I've got a title for the new novel but won't disclose that until the contract is signed and I'm working on her edits.

And if all goes to plan, the novel will be published in the first half of 2019. And perhaps the fourth book in the second half of the year. No pun intended, but time will tell if those goals come to fruition. 



At least the manuscript is out of my hands for a few weeks. It's time to take a break.

Until the next time . . .

Another Update on Third Boomer Lit Novel

I'm nearing the end of the first draft to the third novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series, with more than 53k words on the hard drive. 

When all is written and done, I envision the novel to be around 75k words. The first draft should be around 60k, with another 15k (or more) added during the rewrites.

I'm a freestyle writer when working on first drafts, letting the words flow from my plotting brain to my plodding fingers to the plastic keyboard. Many of the scenes, subplots, and even a few characters, will disappear by the time I'm finished with the manuscript, which usually involves at least 10 rewrites.

I do start with a rough draft—thoughts and ideas I want to address in the novel. But as I get into the novel, there are unforeseen changes in the direction the story is going and how some characters are developing. At that time, I'll write a second draft to see where I've been and where I want to go to complete the work.

The new book takes John and Sally Ross for a 10-day vacation to Budapest (one of my favorite cities), a stopover in New York, and back home to Kentucky. For those familiar with the first novel, "Old Ways and New Days," the European trip is a retirement gift from their children, Brody and Chloe.

John and Sally put off the getaway in the second novel, "Darkness Beyond the Light," after discovering that Brody had serious  personal problems. And a visit from Sally's judgmental mother, Geraldine, only complicated matters during the holiday season.

I'll be introducing a few new characters and bring back some familiar names from the previous novels. And for those who are wondering, badboy Brody and snippety Geraldine are still alive and well in the series.

Until the next time . . . 

 

 

 

Progress Report -- Fourth Draft Completed

I've finished the fourth draft of my work in progress. I believe my self-imposed deadline of Jan. 31 is an achievable goal. 

The manuscript is nearly 92,000 words; an increase of about 5k after the third draft. Will it continue to grow? Possibly, but my focus in the fifth rewrite will be to trim excess narrative and dialogue, remove pointless subplots, correct typos, fix grammatical mistakes, and rewrite anything that hinders the flow of the story.

The first thing I did, after completing the latest draft, was to print it. Coming from a background in the news business, I like marking up hard copy (preferably with a red pen) and being able to physically flip pages, rather than going back and forth with pages on a computer screen, while editing. I sometimes lose a sense of direction on the computer, especially after several rewrites.

If things go well, and I'm crossing my fingers, I'll have two more reads on the copy before sending it to my editor.  

And if not, I'll continue to work on the manuscript until I'm completely satisfied that it's ready for an  editor's eyes. 

Until the next time. . . 

 

Write Goals for the New Year

I'm not one to make a long list of writing goals. I prefer to keep them short, simple and to the point.

So here's my short list for 2016:

1. Write every day, beginning today. 
2. Begin and finish the sequel to "Old Ways and New Days." I'll get back to the manuscript today and work  on it daily until it's completed. 
3. Publish another short story collection, a followup to "Laments." I've already written six stories; I hope to write six more in the coming months.
4. Stay more focused on writing life. That means I'll have to rid myself of distractions. That can be difficult because some distractions add some spice to one's life. I suppose I'll keep a few of them, such as travel and photography. 
5. Read a minimum of two books a month. I accomplished that reading goal on Goodreads in 2015 so I know that's doable with all the other reading I do (magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc.). As most authors will attest, reading makes better writing.
6. Try to improve my physical condition. I recently joined the Y and have been working out every other day. I believe a healthy body keeps a person mentally fit as well, and being a writer, it's important to stay sharp as possible when working on a novel.

Those are my writing goals for 2016. If I can stay true to my intentions, it should be a productive year.

Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript -- Part 18 (Cover)

As promised in my last post, the cover to my new novel, "Old Ways and New Days."

Curtains, please....

Yes, there is a dog in the novel and the pooch plays a prominent part in the story. 

The path through a wooded park is also in the novel. It also symbolizes the journey of the protagonist as he embarks on a different and uncertain life.

The novel will be released on Oct. 1. 

Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript: Part 15

Today my edited manuscript returns to the editor for additional proofreading. Everything seems to be moving along nicely for the Oct. 1 release date. 

The edited manuscript was sent to me several weeks ago. I considered the comments and suggestions. I made all the grammatical corrections and several rewrites on some passages.

It can be a humbling experience.

I was amazed -- more like stunned -- with some of the mistakes I made on the manuscript. I thought I had used the "find and replace" command to make some of the changes before submitting the manuscript, but apparently I hadn't or didn't save the changes. I paid for my careless self-editing.

Do I enjoy this stage of the publishing process? Not really. I'm glad grammatical mistakes and typographical errors are fixed but have mixed feelings about comments because they are subjective. I give them some serious thought and act on the ones I believe will improve the story. 

It's much like a writer submitting his or her manuscript to agents or publishing houses. Some folks like it, some are indifferent and some hate the manuscript. You try not to take it personally, but it can sting a bit until you move on to something else. 

And you hope the editor doesn't take it personally as well. It's all part of the publishing process. 

I perused the manuscript three times before sending it back to the editor. I could probably go over it again, but with the publication deadline looming in a few weeks, it was time to let it go.

The next stage, if everything goes as planned, involves the book cover. I hope to share that with you in next post about the manuscript.

Until the next time....

Crossing the Bridge

Back in 1979, German writer Michael Ende published the fantasy novel, "The Neverending Story," which was made into a movie five years later.

My current work-in-progress could be called the same at this point. It's not the same story as Mr. Ende's wonderful novel. It's that I've written about 70,000 words with no end in sight (maybe that should be the title -- "No End in Sight"). 

While watching a television program called "Kentucky Muse" on Kentucky Educational Television a few nights ago, there was a segment that featured author and friend Sheila Williams, of Newport, Ky.

Williams, who has written three popular novels, mentioned that a difficult part in the writing process is when you get to a certain point and needing a transition to finish the manuscript. She compared it to being on the edge of a canyon and needing a bridge to cross over to the other side.

That's the point I'm finding myself right now. I feel like I'm still stuck in the middle. I need to start finding something -- a bridge -- to turn the novel toward resolution. The only way to do that is to keep on writing until that I see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver, who was raised in Kentucky, was quoted as saying that sometimes you don't find the beginning of a story until the 100th page of the manuscript. And that very well could be what has happened to me since I'm at a place miles away from where I started on Nov. 1. 

As noted in an earlier post, I can see this work becoming a two- or three-part series. I guess I'll find out...one of these days.

There was a movie released in 2000 called "Wonder Boys," based on Michael Chabon's 1995 novel of the same name, and starring Michael Douglas. Douglas played a writer, Grady Tripp, who couldn't finish his second novel for various and sundry reasons. 

I certainly don't want that to happen to me so I'll continue writing until I reach the end--wherever that may be.

 

Until the next time...

 

Pre-NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month is only a week from today.

Since my last post about NaNoWriMo, I've spent some time researching what I plan to write 50,000 or more words about next month. 

While taking a few hours each day in November trying to reach that goal can feel like writing from the seat of your pants, and it seems that way early in the process, the ride can be a bit less choppy if you take time to prepare before putting words on the screen. I keep a notebook -- before, during, and after the 30-day marathon.

First of all, you need to have an idea about the story line. Some folks may find it easier by having a rough outline. I generally jot down some notes so I know the direction I want to take when I head down that wordy highway. I don't want to get lost midway through the journey.

I want to know the protagonist, antagonist and other major characters. I'll know what they look like, general attitudes about various and sundry things, and what makes them tick. 

As for minor characters, they will show their faces during the course of the novel. I try to minimize the number of characters because I don't want to confuse the readers with a slew of names. It's confusing enough to remember folks in real life.

I'll know where and when the story takes place, the colors and smells, and most everything else in creating the scenes. 

As with my previous novels, the story will take twists and turns (plots and subplots) and I'll be along for the ride and try to keep it on  course.

I will say this novel will be a departure from my last two, which were targeted for young adults. This one will be aimed for boomers, or as some call it, boomer lit. 

My first four other novels were about boomers dealing with various issues in their lives. I'm just not ready to write about vampires, werewolves, and zombies, but who knows, maybe that's a story I'll pursue in the future.

In the meantime, I'm glad to have my creative juices flowing again on a new novel. 

Until the next time... 

Staying on the Write Track

I've found in all my years of writing that the best way to finish a story, article, or novel is to stay on track -- even during those times when the process sputters, stalls or stops.

You won't reach the end by making excuses for not writing. You simply have to make yourself write during those times you don't want to produce words.

I suppose that my approach comes from my years as a reporter working on deadlines. You had to produce or else you'd be on the street looking for another job.

Of course, if you're not committed to the project and feel that you've reached a point where your heart, mind or soul isn't into it, then move on to something else. 

Many writers (if not all) have given up when they believe they've reached a dead end. I've had a few false starts where the story simply wouldn't advance no matter how much I tried.

But again, I've returned to a manuscript after a year with a different and fresh perspective on the work, and was able to make the needed rewrites to turn it to a novel. 

I guess the lesson is to never throw away or delete something if there is a possibility it could be revisited.

But the main thing is to keep writing.

Until the next time...

More Book Promotion

I've received the bookmarks for my latest young-adult novel, "The Bully List," and the postcards should arrive soon. 

The bookmarks will be given to those who purchase the book from my website, book signings, and other events. 

The postcards will go in the mail once I have completed going over the galley proof of the novel. I want the postcards to reach the targeted destinations of libraries and bookstores by Oct. 1, the release date of my book.


I'm also in the process of redesigning my website -- www.michaelembry.com -- and hope to unveil it Oct. 1. My current homepage has been around for almost 10 years, and I admit, it's outdated and a bit (okay, a lot) ragged. It's become a hodge-podge site that I don't even find that interesting.

It would have been updated sooner but sometimes life gets in the way, along with writing and other creative interests. I also had to find decent and simple software to use. I'm about halfway finished with the new site. My blog followers will be the first to know when it's online.

I also plan a book giveaway at Goodreads, probably the first week in October. If you're not a member, I'd advise you to join, not only for a chance to get my book as a free read but also to connect with other authors and readers. It's a great site. Be sure to "friend" me.

Until the next time....

Final Countdown

It's down to three weeks and four days before the release of my young-adult novel.

I received the book cover, which I plan to post in the next few days. I also will be using it to order bookmarks and postcards as part of promoting the novel.

I should be receiving the galley proof soon. That will occupy most of my time as I go over it word-for-word to make sure there are no misspellings, grammatical errors, or problems with the story. 

For an author, this is an exciting time. You've been in a lot of work in constructing a story, working with an editor and graphic artist, and then the final read before the everything goes public.

Until the next time...

Four Rewrites and Seeing the Proverbial Light at the End of the Tunnel

I've completed the fourth rewrite on my manuscript this weekend. I printed it and will go back over the hard copy with a red pen to make final changes before submitting it to my publisher, hopefully before the end of the month.

For those who haven't followed this post, the manuscript began last November. I decided to National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, so see if I could produce the workings of a novel in a month's time. 

Generally it takes me a minimum of six weeks to write a first draft (my first novel, The Touch, was written in 30 days). The others have taken two to three months. My longest novel was Foolish is the Heart, at about 100k.




This manuscript, which is for young adults, clocked in at 52,500 words today. The first draft was about 51k. My last young-adult novel, Shooting Star, was about 66k. 

After I finish fifth edit, and sign a contract with a publisher, I'll let you know the title.

Until the next time...

Two Rewrites Down and More to Go

I've completed two rewrites on my manuscript. I wish it was ready for publication. Sadly, for me, it needs more work before becoming a book for young adults. 

I was able to tie some loose ends together but I found a few more holes along the way. I may also delete a scene that I'm not sure needs to be in the story. It'll probably be cut or rewritten.

And I'm not pleased with the ending. That's going to involve some major revisions on the third rewrite. 

Along the way I take notes on changes that need to be made. It makes it a lot easier when going back over the manuscript. I also need to add more description to characters and scenes.

So, as you can see, there's a lot of work to be done. 

I'll probably print the manuscript after the third rewrite. I find it useful to see the words on paper. I'll also take out my red pencil to mark it up -- a reminder of my early days as a journalist working on the copy desk.

I want to keep the manuscript in the 50k range, and now it's inching toward 52k.

I'll keep you posted after the third rewrite.

Until the next time...

Getting Back on the Write Track

It's been five months since I finished the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, challenge. And it's been five months since I've looked at those 51k words.

Do you think it's about time I start the editing and rewriting process?

In the meantime, I've done some research to prepare for this next phase in the writing process. As I've mentioned before, it's a young-adult novel that deals with bullying.

While in graduate school studying special education, I took several courses that covered bullying. I've also done some substitute teaching and observed how students interact with each other. I'm also a parent who had two sons in the public school system. And, I can look back on my years as a student and remember a few bullies and those who were bullied.

It generally takes me several months, or about 10 rewrites, to finish a novel. I'll keep you posted on my progress. 

Until the next time...

NaNoWriMo Halfway (Almost)

I'm at the midway point in the National Novel Writing Month. Fifteen days down, 15 days to go

.

With a goal of writing 50,000 words in November, that means I should have written 25,000. I'm at 22,509.

According to the NaNoWriMo website, a writer needs to average 1,667 words a day to reach 50,000. So far I'm averaging 1,500. And to finish with 50k, I have to average 1,719 a day for the remainder of the month.

I don't think I'll have difficulty reaching that number unless some unforeseen things happen. My young-adult novel is taking shape and the words are beginning to flow off my fingertips.

I'll give you another update after 21 days.

Until the next time…

The Write Components

Putting together the right words into sentences, into paragraphs, into chapters, and into a completed manuscript takes time, discipline, dedication, and commitment.

Those who have written a novel should be proud of their accomplishment. Many people have attempted that journey but only a few have reached the end.

But sometimes writer's judge their success by the number of books sold.

Some writers produce great novels that sell lots of copies. There are others who write great novels that hardly see the light of day. Then there are others who write novels (good and bad) that become bestsellers. And then there are those who write novels (good and bad) that drift off into oblivion, never to be seen or read from again.

Success should be judged by the process rather than sales because there are a lot of components in turning a novel into a product that readers want to purchase, such as promotion, marketing, and visibility. The main component is to write a good story. Everything else can sometimes be the roll of the dice.

When I complete a novel, it's mission accomplished. Everything else is icing on the cake. And I admit I don't mind the sweet icing but that's not the reason I write. Writing is my form of creative expression. 

Writers simply need to think about on the process -- the first draft, edits, rewrites, proofreading, and finally the novel -- to know they reached their goal.

Until the next time...

Get On Your Mark

For those ambitious souls out there, it's almost time for National Novel Writing Month -- also referred to as NaNoWriMo.

The idea is to write a novel in November, beginning on the first day and ending on the last day of the month. For NaNoWriMo, the goal for adults  is 50,000 words over 30 days. Doesn't sound like much? Hmmm....try it.

A disclaimer here. I've never participated in NaNoWriMo. I always seem to have too much going on to make that commitment. That's not to say I won't try it this year. I'm still thinking about it.

I know I can write daily. That's what I've done on all my novels. My first novel, The Touch, was written in six weeks -- about 75,000 words. 

I do think NaNoWriMo is a great way to put some words down on the computer, or wherever, because it's a challenge for the writer to stay focused for 30 days. Perhaps as it would be for a runner and deciding to participate in a marathon. You want to see if you can go the distance. 

I'll let you know on Nov. 1 if I have stepped up to the starting line. The more I think about the event, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

And like a marathon, it really doesn't matter if you win. The goal is to finish. And if you do write the 50,000 words, or more, you'll be rewarded with a certificate and Web badge. By the way, it's open to all age groups, and those 17 and under have different individual goals. 

Interested? Find out more, and sign up, at http://www.nanowrimo.org/.

I wish you luck!

Until the next time...