Staying Focused in New Year

It's been a slow process but I finished the second rewrite of my work-in-progress. Whew!

As mentioned in a previous post, there were several distractions during the holidays. But since Christmas, I focused on the manuscript and reached the end.

Along the way, I added about 8,000 words; that's about 12,000 fewer of my guestimate of 20,000 going in. At this point, I have a little over 68k. 

For those new to this blog, the WIP is the fourth installment in my "John Ross Boomer Lit" series. John and Sally Ross have returned from Budapest and are having to deal with a new set of concerns at their Kentucky home.

Here's a simple quote from the great Stephen King about rewriting: "I cannot emphasize the importance of rewriting."

The second rewrite was a learning experience for me: 

• I learned that the manuscript was going off the rails and needed to get back on track (pardon the cliche).
• I took notes and will be slicing and dicing in the third rewrite to make it coherent and focused.
• Even at 68k words, the manuscript is still bloated. I'll trim the fat, tighten the dialogue, and perhaps expand some of the narrative to gain a clearer vision.

Each stage of writing a novel provides joy and despair. I find rewriting to be hard work where I have to deal with all aspects of writing, from grammar to storyline to ending—and everything else (dialogue, characters, scenes, descriptions, etc.). 

Where writing the first draft is kind of a mental free-for-all, the rewriting is getting into the trenches to reach the destination. It's down and dirty work, something I dread going in but relish once I dig into the words.

I still have the goal of completing the manuscript and sending it to my editor by the end of January. If I have any resolutions in this new year, that's the first one. The second is to be more focused on my writing in 2020 (pun intended). And a third is to see this manuscript published.

Until the next time . . .

Travel: The Maine Line from Kentucky

In late October my wife and I drove to Maine from our home in Kentucky. Every autumn for the past few years we have tried to take a short trip to other parts of the United States. We generally reserve spring or early summer for international vacations.

A foggy view at Acadia National Park

We wanted to take in the fall foliage as well as a few historic sites during our drive. Mother Nature didn't always cooperate with our plans.

For the 1,200-mile trip to Maine, we took a different route to New England (I used to work in New York so I've driven back and forth a few times). We drove to Columbus, Ohio, then across to Pittsburgh since we had never been to Steel City. While it was simply a drive-through, the view of the city from the Ohio side is quite a sight. Unfortunately, there was too much traffic to pull over and take a photo.

Mark Twain Home

We stayed overnight in Altoona, Pennsylvania, then headed to Hartford, Connecticut. We made a quick stop to see Mark Twain's home, before going on across the border to the aptly named Plainville, Massachusetts, where we spent the night. 

The next day we left early to avoid any possible traffic jams in Boston. We stopped in Saco, Maine, where we had lunch with Claudia, a friend we made on a trip to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna in 2016.  One of the bonuses of travel is making new friends.

Bar Harbor 

Then it was on to Bar Harbor, our primary destination, to visit Acadia National Park and the historic fishing community. The only problem we encountered was the weather, as we drove through bands of sleet and snow along the way. We wanted to see the iconic Portsmouth lighthouse but didn't want to contend with the rain and wind from a nor'easter that was moving through the area.

Stephen King Home

We stayed three days in Bar Harbor, and fortunately, we had a respite from weather to take in some hiking and sightseeing. Then it was on to Bangor, where we had a brief period of sunshine while stopping at author Stephen King's home (imagine that!) and the Chamberlain Freedom Park commemorating the underground railroad and the path to freedom for those who had been enslaved during the Civil War.

The trip back to Kentucky (prompted somewhat by a call from our vet telling us our dog Bailey wasn't feeling well), took us across the beautiful White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Green Mountains in Vermont.  We also stayed overnight in picturesque North Conway, New Hampshire, a destination for skiers and those who love the outdoors.

Snow and Pine trees in the White Mountains

After reaching Scranton, Pennsylvania, we considered going to Cleveland and taking in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But the weather intervened as another storm front was moving across Kentucky and into Ohio. We'll make that trip during a long weekend in the next month or so (weather permitting).

Needless to say, we made it back safely, driving across West Virginia and into Kentucky, where the foliage was still a bright palette of oranges, yellows, and reds. 

We do hope to make another trip to New England, spending several days in historic Boston and other interesting stopovers along the way. 

Until the next time . . . 

Manuscript Update: Time Off Before Edits

Since my last post, I traveled to New England to take in the fall colors and visit some scenic areas such as Acadia National Park in Maine and the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Mark Twain House

I even made a stop at the Mark Twain house in Hartford, Ct., and Stephen King's home in Bangor, Me. 

Before I left on my short getaway, I sent my manuscript to my editor at Wings ePress. When I returned eight days later, I signed a contract for the third book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. 

Stephen King's home

For those interested, the novel is tentatively scheduled for release in May 2019. The title? New Horizons. More about the book later.

She also had first edits for the novel and some recommendations to consider in my inbox.

Believe it or not, I haven't opened either document on my computer. She said there was no hurry, and I took her at her word. I needed to put some more distance being me and the manuscript, especially since I was preoccupied with other things at the time (I'm not the multi-tasker I used to be). 

I need a clear head when I delve into edits. I want to be as objective as possible when seeing edits and reading comments.  I want to view the manuscript as an editor, instead of as the author. I want to be in the mindset of editing the copy as if it were written by someone else. 

I've also got to provide the publisher with information to give the graphic artist an idea on how to approach the book cover. And I also have to write promotional blurbs, book dedication, and excerpts for marketing on websites. 

So there's a lot of work to be done in the coming months. I'll probably tackle the edits the first of next week since (with credit to Johnny Nash) "I can see clearly now" to move forward.

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...

Read, Write, and Promote

It's frustrating when your novel hits the market, records decent initial sales, and then withers to nothing as the months go by.

Unless you're Stephen King, Nora Roberts, J.K. Rowling -- OK, you get the idea -- you need to learn that sometimes it takes time for a book to find it's footing and audience. 

I'm sure many authors know the audience for their books, but the key is making those wonderful readers know that your personal masterpiece is out there for them to relish and enjoy.

Novelist Ernest Gaines said, "The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write."

After all the reading and writing to create that book, I would add: Promote, promote, promote.

No doubt many of you use social media to get the word out -- over and over -- as well as have websites, blogs and such. 

But you can do more to keep your book in the public's eye. 

I have a friend who does very well selling his books via speaking engagements to various groups. Another author does quite well making visits to classrooms during the school year. Another author I know produces semi-regular newsletters about her books. Another friend just recently returned from a West Coast book tour with several other authors, compliments of their publishing house.

You can send out postcards to librarians, letting them know your book is out there and you're available to speak to their groups. You should send out news releases to media, especially local newspapers, TV and radio. Even the superstars send out news releases and advanced reading copies (OK, it's their publishers' promotional staffs who handle that as well as with the authors in setting up various interviews).

Authors can join and participate in various book sites such as Goodreads and Book Town. It's important to interact with others on these sites. Another way to promote is with book trailers, which you can make and distribute in many ways.

And, if you don't have the time or desire to do these things on your own, there are plenty of book promotion agencies that will do it for a fee. 

I agree with Henry Miller's comment:  "Writing is its own reward."

But if you want to have a degree of financial success, you need to write the best book you can and promote it as best you can. And it may take time. 

Until the next time...