A Novel Approach for Me

I took a different approach in reviewing the first draft of my 11th novel, written last November during the  NaNoWriMo challenge. It's a strategy I wish I had learned earlier in my writing career.

For those unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, the goal is to write a novel, with a minimum of 50,000 words (more like a draft), in 30 days. As usual, I sat on the 50k words for about six weeks to figuratively catch my breath as well as let the story sink into my subconscious while I celebrated the holiday season or as much as one could during the pandemic.

But when I returned to the novel, I didn't start rewriting and editing as I have done on previous books. What I did was simple—I read it. 

I'm not sure where I got the advice, but my guess would be from one of Elizabeth Spann Craig's wonderful weekly Twitterfric posts. I recommend all writers subscribe to her blog because it contains some of the best resources for writers. She's also a bestselling cozy mystery author.

I did find a blog post written by Kristen Kieffer in 2015 that recommends: "Once you've let your first draft cool off for a bit, it's time to read through what you've written. During this time, resist the urge to take notes or make changes. read simply to reacquaint yourself with your work and try your best not to throw your manuscript out the window." Kristen has other good points so I suggest you read her complete post. 

I confess that I took a few rudimentary notes such as writing the names of the characters and making corrections to several glaring grammatical errors. But my primary purpose was to feel the flow of the story and see if it was a good read, as objectively as I could.

Needless to say, I like the story, the fifth in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. The fourth novel, Make Room for Family, will be released on Feb. 1. (For those interested, the ebook can be preordered on Amazon; the print edition will be available on publication date). 

I'll return to the manuscript today and begin the rewrite process that I hope won't take as long as previous efforts (sometimes up to 12 rewrites). If I had only taken this approach with my other novels.

Oh well, it only goes to show you aren't too old to learn something new. Now if I can only remember to do it with my next novel.

Until the next time . . .

Closer to Publication

Three weeks from tomorrow, on Feb. 1, the next novel in my John Ross Boomer Lit series, Make Room for Family, will be published.

In the meantime, the e-book format can be pre-ordered on Amazon. The book will be available in print and e-book versions on Feb. 1 from Wings ePress.

Some readers are curious as to the boomer lit genre. It can refer to books that appeal to baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, with the storylines in that timeline. Or, in the case of my novels, the protagonist is a baby boomer and the timeline is contemporary. I often refer to my novels, which take place in 2017-18. as coming-of-old-age stories.

Boomer lit novels have been around for a while, but really garnered attention about 15 years ago when the first boomers turned 50. Check out this Wikipedia entry. My guess is that boomer lit will be around as long as there are boomers and followed by books aimed at Generation Xers. 

My series began in 2015 with Old Ways and New Days, which set the stage with the retirement of John Ross from a long career in the news media. He was thinking it might be a life of leisure, but he thought wrong. 

 It was followed with Darkness Beyond the Light, in 2017, as he and his wife, Sally, deal with family problems involving their son and her mother during the holiday season that is far from joyous.

The third novel, New Horizons, released in 2019, took the Kentucky couple on an unforgettable trip to Budapest with some interesting travel companions. 

Without giving too much away, the new release brings them back home, where they are confronted by unexpected family members and new neighbors.

By the way, I'm currently working on the fifth novel in the series. If everything goes to schedule, it should be ready for release late this year.

Until the next time . . . 

Hello 2021

We finally made it to 2021!

It doesn't feel any different from the last day of 2020 except for a sense that life will return to some semblance of normal. It may take a while, some experts say in the fall, but at least that's a ray of light after enduring the dark days of the past year.

I hope there will be incremental improvements in the coming months as more and more people get vaccinated. It will be incumbent on everyone to wear a mask and practice personal hygiene such as regular washing of hands. I admit I have my doubts about this because of the selfish attitude of a few who feel it infringes on their personal freedom. Aren't they infringing on the freedom of others by spreading the lethal coronavirus? 

But I digress. 

It'll be nice to see people returning to sporting events . . . weddings . . . family reunions . . . religious services . . . picnics . . . shopping areas . . . birthday parties . . .

On a sadder note, being able to show final respects at funeral homes and cemeteries for loved ones who have died. Perhaps visiting those on their deathbeds in hospitals and nursing homes to let them know you love them and to provide comfort with a final farewell so they don't depart this Earth alone. 

I stopped making New Year's resolutions a long time ago. However, I have goals I want to achieve over the course of time, but they don't have to begin on Jan. 1.

Here are a few odds and ends: 

• 
  On the Goodreads 2021 Reading Challenge, I plan to read 24 books this year. My goal was 18 last year and I read 31. (Feel free to friend and/or follow me.)
• I have a large shed that is loaded with stuff, some more than 50 years old. Since the Smithsonian is unlikely to be interested in any of the hidden treasures, I hope to get it cleaned out (much to the delight of my wife). My sons should appreciate it as well since they won't be burdened with sorting through it off if I kick the bucket. The decluttering of the house, especially my study, is an ongoing and neverending project.
• I want to have my next novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series ready for publication in late 2021. The fourth installment, Make Room for Family, will be released on Feb. 1.
• I want to reconnect with old friends and relatives because life has an undisclosed expiration date. It's a two-way street so let me know if you want to see me.
• I'd like to make some progress on cataloging and editing my photos (it's become computer clutter).

I hope the coming months are filled with joy and happiness to everyone! And if you encounter obstacles along the way, don't forget that you overcame a lot in 2020.

Until the next time . . .

Sayonara 2020

It's almost over,  2020 that is.

It's the year that will live in infamy around the world as millions of lives have been disrupted, put on hold, or come to a heartbreaking end, by the coronavirus pandemic. In my lifetime, it's difficult to remember any event that has had such a far-reaching effect for such a long time.

I recall the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 when it appeared that much of the world was on the brink of nuclear annihilation. There have been other health scares but they didn't reach the proportion and magnitude of the ever-expanding COVID-19 outbreak that promises to be around for the foreseeable future.

Several economic meltdowns impacted many lives but didn't leave thousands dead or massive suffering in their wake. And there have been weather catastrophes, but they've been limited, for the most part, to specific parts of the world. Unless, of course, we view climate change as an Earth-altering phenomenon.

There's been political turmoil that has left people upset, angry, or sad, depending on one's views. Can the new year bring about civility and healing? Or will people wallow in their hate and divisiveness?  

I don't know what 2021 will bring in the coming months. COVID-19 vaccines are being dispersed throughout the world, but with 7 billion inhabitants, that may take a while. I should receive mine in February (I guess age has its privileges in some instances). It brings about a glimmer of hope that life will eventually return to some degree of normalcy.

The past year hasn't been a total wash for me. My wife and I have been relatively healthy (no COVID-19). I've been able to see my sons and their families. I had occasional visits with good friends (keeping a safe distance, of course). I've made a few instate day trips to help satisfy my photography habit. I completed one novel (to be published Feb. 1) and wrote the first draft of another. And I was able to complete some things on my wife's neverending honey-do list.

If things go as planned (do they ever?), my wife and I will travel to eastern Europe this spring, a trip that was postponed in 2020. And if the overall outlook gets even brighter (a hopeless optimist?), we may visit Portugal in the fall.  We're also looking at some domestic trips, perhaps to Washington, D.C., or the far western states. Only time will tell.

I'm also looking forward to extended time with family and friends. A few hugs and shared laughter will serve as a strong tonic to move on with our lives in 2021 and beyond. It'll be nice to return to favorite restaurants and movie theaters, to be among others, if still at a safe distance and probably with masks. I also miss music concerts and theatre productions which I hope will return in the new year. 

I'm ready to put 2020 behind me, much like I do other years, and move ahead on life's journey. How about you?

Until the next time . . .

Happy Holidays to All

 We're almost finished with this dreadful year and I simply want to wish everyone the best as 2021 is only a few days away.

While 2020 hasn't been the best of times for many, especially those stricken with COVID-19, I do hope many of you have tried to make the best of a dire situation. I also hope many folks turned their thoughts toward others and showed empathy in these trying times. We're in this together. 

For writers, the past year may have brought time for reflection. For myself, I was able to complete a novel and finish the first draft on another. I tried not to dwell too much on what was swirling around me (not always successful) but writing helped me stay focused for the most part.

Besides the pandemic, the past year has been one of turmoil throughout most of the world as we have dealt with political and social changes. I hope we can turn things around in the coming year to make things better for all. Needless to say, it's going to take a lot of work.

Again, happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy new year!

Until the next time . . .

 

Taking a Timeout for Time

Yesterday I remarked to my wife that it was only 6:45 p.m. and it felt that it should be much later. And then I added that it was Thursday but felt more like a Tuesday. 

And I finished by saying, "I wonder if the perception of time changes as one grows older?" She seemed to think so, waved me off, and returned to the book she was reading, while I went to my study to contemplate it some more, until I grew sleepy, and went to bed before 9. Let me add that switching back to Eastern Standard Time in November probably threw my body a little out of whack that won't recover until Daylight Savings Time returns in March.

This morning, it was still on my mind so I did what most reasonable baby boomers do, and did searches on Google and Bing. And, yo and behold, there seems to be a correlation between one's age and the passage of time.

Fortunately, I found an insightful blog by Jordan Gaines Lewis on the Scientific American website that delved into the very subject so I didn't have to waste much time. And being one who follows science, I was even more pleased with her research.

Some of her findings include:

• The "ratio theory" posits that people compare intervals of time by the amount of time they've lived. 
• Our biological clocks slow as we age, but real-time moves on.
• Older folks don't pay as much attention to time, so it can slip away without much notice.

She also found that seniors may feel stressed about not having the time to accomplish tasks, thereby feeling it passes by too quickly.

An NPR program about time and aging, featuring neuroscientists David Eagleman and  Warren Meck, noted ". . . first memories are dense. The routines of later life are sketchy. The past really wasn't slower than the present, It just feels that way." It's those first memories that have more impact on our brains. When we experience them again and again, they don't have equal ramifications.

And New Scientist reported in 1996 a study by Peter Mangan, a psychologist at Clinch Valley College in Wise, Va., that that we perceive time differently at various stages of life. He theorized that the brain's internal clock runs more slowly in older folks, giving the impression that the pace of life is picking up.

As you may have noticed, I had some time on my hands this morning to produce this little piece about the passage of time. I hope you found it interesting, regardless of your age because time is important.  

I suggest that we all try to make the most of the present because we're not promised a future. 

Until the next time . . .

 

Title and Cover Reveal for New Novel

Now that NaNoWriMo is out of the way, it's on to the publication of the fourth novel in my John Ross Boomer Lit series. 

And today I reveal the title and cover of the book, which will be published by Wings ePress on Feb. 1. During the past year, I've written about the novel, from rewrites to edits to working with the cover artist. It seems like it will never end, but eventually, it does. 

The cover is like icing on a cake, the final stage in the creative process. If done right, it captures the essence of the novel and presents it in a way to attract readers, much like folks want to sink their teeth into a delicious piece of cake. 

So here it is!

Trisha Fitzgerald-Jung designed the cover; she also did the artwork on my previous novel, New Horizons. 

Pat Evans produced the cover for the first book in the series, Old Ways and New Days, and the late Richard Stroud produced the cover for the second book, Darkness Beyond the Light. I've been fortunate to work with such talented people at Wings.

Cover by Pat Evans

                                                        Cover by Richard Stroud

Make Room for Family will be available for preorder on Jan. 1 as a trade paperback and e-book.  I'll have information about that once I get a link (you might want to click the "Follow" button on the right margin). 

Until the next time . . .