What's in a name?

     I have a question for you writer’s and aspiring writers out there…do names matter?

     I know there are many approaches to actually writing a novel from outlining to discovery, and every iteration between those poles. NaNoWriMo taught me to write every day, and I’ve read over and over again that when you write you should just keep going, letting it flow out the right side of your brain and fix it later in the editing phase. But my brain is already full and if I learn something new I have to forget something to make room for it, and I have no idea what that lost tidbit is going to be. It might be the great idea I had for the edit that I didn’t take the time to fix earlier.

Housekeeping

I did a little work on the first chapter tonight, as I really wasn't in the mood to write.  I feel like it's much tighter now and probably close to being a finished as I'm going to get it before I sent out the MS to my alpha readers.


I posted the new version on the CH 1 Exerpt/Bulletproof Soul Page.  I would love to see some comments ( I think).


Been reading a lot about eBooks taking the lead in sales.  The push to self-publish is getting stronger and stronger.  I'm really undecided at this point on which way to go.  I don't think I'll be pumping out more than two books a year once I'm doing this exclusively, but who knows.  Timing is a factor if you can really pump them out.  The slower, established publishing model may work just fine for me, assuming I can sell the book to an old school publishing house.  I'll cross that bridge when the time comes, it may be a pretty clear course by then.


Clear Ether!

What makes good writing?

      I downloaded a free version of Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper on my iPhone Kindle app. I read the entire series many moons ago when I was a young man and my recollection of the story doesn't match the reality I'm faced with reading it now. I remember the characters and the setting as being quite awe inspiring, and they are, but the prose are so heavy and overblown with description and obtuse phrasing that it's very distracting from an author's perspective.

      I am starting to get the feeling that reading now is going to be like riding on an airliner is for me. I fly large jets for a living and I'm not a great passenger now, as I know what every noise is. I really don't want the flight attendant to ask me if there is anyone onboard that can fly a jet. I find that spending the last couple of years writing and learning about writing has made me acutely aware of story and prose. I still enjoy well written books as much as the next person, maybe even more than before, but if the writing is marginal I have a much lower tolerance now.

Week in Review 17-23 Jan

It was a struggle this week for blogging and writing.  I did manage to get 3000 words this week and passed the 400 page mark, but begrudgingly.  I am in the climax and trying to get it right, and its coming a little at a time.  My muse can be stubborn at times.  That coupled with work and home events kept my mind from any productive blogging, if there is such a thing.  The grand total right now sits at 96100 words.

Week in Review

I'm a little late getting this up due to MLK Day.  You might think that would give me more time, but I usually find a way to expand my time wasting to fill the available time alloted.  It was a fairly productive week writingwise.  I wrote 6191 words this week for a total of 93106, and am edging up on the climax.  Seems like I say that every week.  I think I'll get through it this week.  In fact if I push I think I can finish the first draft this week, two weeks at the outside.

Updated Query Letter

Here is my latest effort at the Query, you can check below at an earlier effort.  I also realized I have a great deal of work to do on my Synopsis.  Anyway here goes:

"I suck at writing!"

You ever read something you've written and then throw your hands up in the air and tell your spouse "I suck at writing!"?


I've done it several times in the course of writing my novel, but I think I'm coming to the realization that sometimes I do suck. Not always, but sometimes I do. I am figuring out that I need to trust that inner voice that is telling me I suck. I’ll come back to that.

Week in Review

I am going to try to do this every week, it will give me a good idea on my progress.


It was a pretty good week for writing, despite having to go back to work after the New Year.  I got through the initial meeting of my two main characters and the climax is fast approaching.  I think I am just a few weeks away from finish the first draft.  Currently at 86,915 words, so got through several thousand words this week.

Writing Exercises

I hear all the time about people doing writing exercises to help improve their writing or perhaps to just stay in practice.  There are writing groups and websites that use writing prompts to give you something to use to spur your short goal writing.  I know the Writing Excuses gives a writing prompt every week.


I find that I just don't have the time to do these.  My novel is the focus of my writing time right now.   I can see the value of doing some writing involving your characters to help find a voice for them or to help flesh out your world so that you understand how things work, stuff that the reader will never see, but just doing writing prompts  seems beyond the time allotment I have to do any writing.


Do you spend time doing writing prompts or other writing exercises?  If so, do you think it has a tangible benefit?  Maybe I just need to make time for this kind of stuff.

Help me with my Query Letter!

Query Letter for Bulletproof Soul

I am seeking representation for my completed science fiction space opera novel of 110,000 words, titled BULLETPROOF SOUL. It can be sold as a standalone novel, but begins a trilogy which traces the action through a series of intrepid events and political intrigue.