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-—Back to the Manuscript (Editing-Submitted)

I completed the edits, revisions, and rewrites to my upcoming novel. My editor will receive 190 pages this morning, and then forward it to the publisher, who will have someone proofread the 94k words.

And then it will come back to me in the galley proof for one last read. It will be the last time I can make any changes to the manuscript. 

But there's still more to do in the interim before the novel is released on Nov. 1. I'll have to work with the design artist on the cover, write a synopsis for marketing and promotion, and take care of dedication and acknowledgements.

In the meantime, I'm going to take a short break and then begin work on the third book in the Old Ways and New Days series. 

Until the next time. . . .

Manuscript Release Date

I received great news today that my next novel will be published Nov. 1.

I'm glad for several reasons:

• It will give me time to do promotional work several months ahead of the release date. In the past, I've felt somewhat rushed in getting the word out about my books, especially when working full-time.
• The novel will be available for the holiday season, a prime time for books since we all know that they make great gifts.
• The novel is a sequel to "Old Ways and New Days," and I hope to start on the third book in the series. Between now and the release date, I can give some thought about what to call the series (if you have any suggestions, feel free to send my way).
• I've already ordered rack cards, listing all my books as well as contact information. They'll be distributed at book events. Once I get cover art, I'll start working on bookmarks, flyers, news releases, and other marketing items.

I haven't written much, in terms of creative writing, since sending the manuscript to my editor at Wings ePress. I've cranked out a few blog posts, book reviews, and some other things, but  haven't delved back into fiction.

In addition to working on the third book, I intend get back to short stories, and finish a second volume of "Laments."

I'm eager to get back to serious writing, but must confess I needed the break because of other things going on in my life. Writers need breathers once in a while, don't you think?

Now to get back to work.

Until the next time. . . .

2016 in Review

This wasn't the best year for me in terms of writing. I had good intentions but found myself sidetracked on reaching certain goals.

I hate to make excuses, but it's a human thing. Writers aren't excluded. We may be more guilty than most folks in staying focused on projects.

Certain things happened over the course of 2016 that made it difficult for me to concentrate on my works in progress. I've written it before, and I'll write it again: Sometimes life gets in the way.

Because of those major distractions, I wasn't able to publish a second volume to my "Laments" short stories. That will be a continued goal for the new year. We'll see.

I wasn't able to complete a sequel to "Old Ways and New Days." I did finish the first draft, but I'm still stuck in the second. I wanted to get started on the third draft on Jan. 1, but that won't happen, at least for another week. My desired goal is to have the manuscript ready for the publisher by the end of January. We'll see.

And because I dragged my literary feet on the sequel, I failed to reach another goal of starting another book in the OWND series. My intention is to do that in the spring. Again, we'll see.

I simply hope things will be more settled in 2017 so I can concentrate on my writing goals. We'll see.

For all the writers who follow this blog, I wish you a success in reaching your goals in 2017.

Until the next time....

 

But What Happened to....

While I was out and about today, a nice woman who read my novel, "Old Ways and New Days," told me that she really liked the story. 

But...

...what happened to Brody, the son of the protagonists, John and Sally Ross? The young man has some issues, as do others in the novel. They're virtual humans, and we know humans aren't perfect. 

I've mentioned in the past that "Old Ways and New Days" is the first book in a series. The second book will feature Brody as a prominent character. And there will be a few others who will take center stage.

In the novel, I laid down the groundwork for other stories in the "saga" of John and Sally Ross. I introduced quite a few characters, some supporting and some very minor, who will return.

The main reason I decided to make this a series is because I really got into the characters. Or perhaps, the characters got into me (novelists will understand what I mean). I found them interesting on many levels. 

And I like reading a series with compelling and quirky characters. My friend, Bill Noel, has a popular Folly Beach Mystery Series that I look forward to reading each book (his latest, "Boneyard Beach" is being released in December). 

Another reason is that when writing "Old Ways and New Days," it was turning into the never-ending story that was going in distinct, different directions, especially the exploits of Brody. So during the rewrites, I removed Brody's story and saved it for the sequel. 

I certainly didn't want "Old Ways and New Days" to turn into a "War and Peace" or "Ulysses," in terms of word count (critical acclaim, I wish). Leo Tolstoy, James Joyce, and authors such as Stephen King,  Victor Hugo, and David Foster Wallace can write mega-length novels and be read. Michael Embry, not! I'm a realist. 

I've been asked after each of my novels if there would be a sequel. I wrote all of them with the idea that I could go back and continue the stories. And maybe I will. 

But for right now, I'll be focusing on completing Brody's story. 

Until the next time...