Here we are, February 10th already, and here in Olympia it looks the same as it did in October, and November, December and January. Temps approaching sixty, hardly dipping into the forties at night…very strange weather.
I’ve heard from several of my beta readers and now I’m working on Shadows Kill once again. I am blessed to have friends who do not hesitate to tell me like it is, and their suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. I’ll make some changes that they suggested….others I won’t. Deciding which changes to make and which to ignore is, in the final analysis, a job only the author can do. It’s somewhat of a crap shoot, really. There is a lot of guesswork that goes into writing a novel. A writer needs to distance himself from the book and see it logically and without emotion, and that is not an easy thing to do with a work of fiction that has consumed six months of the writer’s life.
So we trudge on!
I’m also working on the first draft of the query letter I’ll be sending to agents and publishers. As I mentioned before, Shadows Kill will not be self-published until all effort has been made to sell it to a traditional publisher. Maybe a year from now, when defeat is obvious, I’ll self-publish it, but until then, I’m going to hound the agents and publishers and see if I can’t get them to love my book and pay money for it.
So, that’s my update. Now let’s move on to more important matters.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.”
William James
I don’t think there is any doubt how William James feels about indecision. LOL
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
I don’t know how many writers I have heard from who suffer from indecision, but it is quite a few. Usually the indecision is tied closely with self-doubt. They don’t believe in themselves strongly enough, and that leads to a paralysis of analysis. Is this chapter right? Is this story strong enough? What if people don’t like my writing? And on and on they go, and while they are wallowing in a deep lake of self-doubt, nothing gets published.
If you are a writer, at some point you simply have to trust in your ability. The worst thing that can happen…the absolute worst…is that people won’t like what you have written, but that simply means you need to work on your craft.
TIP OF THE DAY
Quit making excuses! If you have an unfinished novel sitting around gathering dust, don’t you think it’s about time you dust it off and let it see the light of day? If you have been delaying writing a short story because of a crisis of self-doubt, it really is time for you to get over yourself and publish the damn thing.
That’s called tough love and I’m full of it.
WRITER OF THE DAY
Harper Lee! Need I say more? Fifty-five years after the release of her masterpiece, To Kill A Mockingbird, she has a new novel coming out in July. I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited I just might wet myself. J
LESSER-KNOWN WRITER OF THE DAY
I really do enjoy introducing new writers to all of you. I think it is crucial that we give our support to the new writers out there. I would hate to see an exceptional writer give up before the miracle happens. Please reach out and give some support to this young lady I recently discovered. Her name is Christy Maria and I would love it if you gave her some support as she begins her journey.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
Thanks to Cristen for passing this along. The Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards is taking submissions from now through April 15th. You can find it by following this link. First prize is $8000 and of course, the notoriety that goes along with it. Check it out!
SELF-PROMOTION OF THE DAY
If you would like to read my last novel, Resurrecting Tobias, you can find it on Amazon by following this link. It currently sells for $4.99 Kindle and $11.66 for paperback.
AND NOW WE MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES
Have a superb week of writing. Remember to take time for yourself this week. Go for a walk, enjoy a mocha, watch a thoroughly decadent movie…..but enjoy life, whatever you do.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 