Tag Archives: Self-publishing

Read, delete, rewrite, repeat

Posted on by
Reply

I completely deleted the ending chapters of Jasmine. Gone. I’m left with a blank page on which to work on. I’ve been fighting with the ending for years. I’ve been trying to make it work, trying and failing, then giving up, only to start again and to meet the same frustrations. This time it’s over. The ending cannot be salvaged. It had to go.

I’m now working on the third scene of chapter twenty, and the pieces are starting to fall together. The ending I’ve been working towards is now closing in, but there’s still some drama to create, a climax to achieve, and hopefully resolution to find. I’m still not overly thrilled with the opening chapter, but I’ll let my beta reader tell me more about it, if it works or not. I may be overthinking it. No, I know I am.

I’m a little antsy to get this over with. I want this to be done. I want to move on to the next phase and get this edited. I had someone email me about hiring her, and the rate she quoted me was at once reasonable and expensive, if that makes any sense. In the end, however, I know that I can kill an otherwise good story if I don’t get someone to proofread it. I’ve started reading few book only to set them down due to poor grammar or spelling. Don’t want that for my book. Hell, I need an editor for my blogs!

Another friend gave me a suggestion on getting a book cover, which I need to follow up on. I want to make a good impression with my first book, but I also know that I can’t over do it and get too much into debt. I could consider trying to find an agent and a publisher. That’s something else I could consider. That would alleviate the technical headaches, but it could be years if ever before I find someone willing to give me a chance. Am I willing to wait that long for that chance?

For now, I have a few more days before I can say I’m done. I would like to be done with it before my vacation, hand it over to my friend to read it. I hope she can give me a critique of what I have, what I might need to look at, and what I might need to delete.

Still at it

Posted on by
Reply

I’m nearing the end of Jasmine, and it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I have had to delete a whole chapter, and a few scenes were eliminated or rewritten entirely, but on the whole, it’s been a fairly quick rewrite.

I have asked a friend of mine to read it for me and give me her input. I have to know if the story works, and if there’s anything that needs to be tweaked, rewritten, or deleted. I want to know if the characters are believable. I need to know if it’s a good book or not. I don’t want to waste time on a dud.

If I hear good news, I’ll move on to looking for someone to proofread the book. My real issue will be cost. I’m just a poor boy, after all, but I don’t want someone cheap who doesn’t do a good job. I need someone with reasonable rates, preferably with some experience and recommendations.

Then I’ll need someone to do the covers for me. I have absolutely no experience in making covers. What’s more, I have no artistic abilities. I’ll have to find someone at some point. I guess I can ask around. I’m sure someone can point me in the right direction.

Until then, however, I’ll tinker with Jasmine, maybe eventually settle on a permanent name for it. It was Unseen Obsession at one point, but I hated that name. Maybe someone can help me with that, too.

No NaNo for me

Posted on by
2

It’s July 1st, and another Camp NaNoWriMo has begun, without me. I know you are all so disappointed. Okay, I doubt anyone cares. I know I don’t. As militant as I have been in the past about NaNoWriMo, I just haven’t been able to muster any level of enthusiasm for Camp NaNo. Oh, I’ve tried to participate several times, but I seem to lose steam and interest. I just don’t feel as passionate about it as I do the main event in November.

I think part of the reason stems from the amount of time and energy it takes to sit and write. I spend 10 hours a week driving to and from work. I’m so exhausted after a long day, and I’m usually bombarded with other things that distract me from sitting down and writing. I miss having time to myself to write. I want to sit and write, without distraction, without anybody disturbing me, needing me to do something, anything for them. I need my own place, closer to work would be preferable.

Until then, I’ll make do. I wonder if I should give up the idea of publishing and simply write for the enjoyment. I don’t know if that would make me happy. I want to be read, even if only by a small audience. Nope, I need to write with publishing as my goal. I’ve been so inconsistent with my goal that it may take a small miracle to actually get it done.

When I first started writing, back at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, I had a fire smoldering within me, a desire to prove that I had some inherent worth. I needed to write as an act of revenge. Now, I don’t have that motivation. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone, but I do want to prove to myself that I can do it.

While I may not be participating in Camp NaNo, I’m still quietly working away at my own leisure. I’m having to make peace with the idea that I may never put myself out there, but the dream still lingers, and as long as it does, maybe I’ll find a way to cross that finish line.

I think I’m rambling again

Posted on by
1

My best friend has been asking me if I have started listening to the audio copy of Ernest Cline’s novel, Ready Player One. I have had to admit to her several times that I haven’t. I just cant’ make myself listen to it, despite the fact that I spend two hours commuting to and from work everyday. Nope. Can’t do it.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that I’m a horrible listener. I have trouble understanding what’s going on if I don’t’ actually read the words for myself. I have the same trouble with music and songs. I have to actually read the lyrics to have any idea about what’s going on. It’s just the way I am.

So, very reluctantly, I’m having to buy the book, and it’ll have to be a hardback because that’s what I like. I have a few paperbacks, but I prefer the feel of a hardback. It’s nothing personal. It’s purely an aesthetic choice on my part. I just haven’t made it to the book store, yet. I hope to make it this week.

But speaking of books I need to read, the head of a writer’s group I’m in is releasing her second book soon. I want to be supportive, and I bought a Kindle copy, but I haven’t read it. My Kindle went kaput after I dropped it for the umpteenth time. That’s okay, because again, I want an actual copy in may hands. I just can’t seem to warm up to e-books. In this case, it’ll have to be a paperback, since that’s all that’s available.

I want to support self-published authors. I really do, but I’ll admit that I’m not really being selfless in my support. I want to build some good karma should I ever actually publish something. A co-worker said that I probably would never do so since I would never be able to let my book go. Maybe they’re right, but that’s no reason not to read a self-published novel.

I’ve read several that I enjoyed during my time as a book reviewer. There are several talented authors who have chosen to publish themselves rather than to seek the traditional route. What amazes me is the sheer number of people writing and publishing their own works. It’s mindboggling!

I would like to join the swelling throng of writers. Until then, I will gladly be one of many who supports them. It’s not too much to hope that one of the writers I support will be picked up by a traditional publisher, and they themselves become a successful author. Would that it could be me!

I’m aware that I’m rambling. I should probably go to sleep. I have a lot of books to read, and I think I should get to it. I just need to finish my own work, which feels like it’ll never happen.

P.S. I promise to read Ready Player One, Amy. It’s on my list!

Redirecting my focus

Posted on by
2

I just wrote and posted my last book review. They have been an experience to do, but now I feel that the time is right to move away from that and start to focus more on my own writing. I don’t plan to drop it all together, but I have no immediate plans to continue doing so as I have been, taking  requests and scheduling them out months in advance. For now, I’ll only review a book if I want to. Simple as that.

As for my WIP, I’m not as far along as I would like to be. I’ve spent the whole past week feeling rather crappy. Turns out the cold I had was really strep throat, and I’m having a heck of a time getting over it, even with the antibiotics. At least I’m seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I can breath again and hopefully I’ll have my voice back to normal in the next couple of days.

So for now, I’m keeping my goal of being done with my rewrites by the end of the month, though I’m starting to feel that’s overly-optimistic, especially considering the week I’ve spent moaning in bed, refusing to do any significant work. Forget that. I want to be done and get someone working on proofreading my book. I really want to have this out this year.