Being organized

One of the most important things to do in any endeavor is to be organized. It keeps you from going down blind alleys or repeating something you have already done.

One of the things I learned from one of the writers in my critique group was how to better organize elements of my stories in a binder. Mostly I kept things here and there, which make it particularly difficult when I had to come up with the name for a new character.

Often I would have a hard time remembering what names I had used and for whom. Keeping all that imformation together means I don't have to remember all the names since they will all be collected in one place, and I can see if I am using two names that are similar or two names that start with the same initial, something my writer-friend suggested I avoid.

When I moved my office from the first floor to the second floor a couple of months ago, one of the things I should have finished was reorganizing my space. I had to strip down everthing downstairs and bring it upstairs. I didn't do that, however.

So I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon cleaning up downstairs and throwing away things I should never have kept. But I also found useful bits of information for my current novel and a future.

Because I wasn't as organized as I should have been, I didn't realize until this afternoon that a freelance assignment I assumed was due at the end of the first week of August was actually due yesterday, July 30. So I have spent this afternoon catching up.

It's a very good thing I am a good writer.

So I plan to complete the reorganization of my space by next week, keep one binder with all the revelant information on my novels, and keep a better calendar for deadlines. That should help keep me in better shape for completing things on dead, which I generally do anyway.

Just a little tip.

Thanks for reading and Write on.

Rethinking "Fighting Chaos"

I have been rethinking "Fighting Chaos." No, I am not abandoning "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal" nor am I thinking of postponing my next novel, which tentatively will be titled "The Death of Art." I will probably start "Death" some time in September.

But I have been giving some thought to "Chaos", its plotting and character development and setting. Brewster is a strong character and one the writer can root for. But he could be stronger. I show his strengths but, other than his being single, I don't draw the reader in enough with his weaknesses.

I can strengthen it without making the novel longer because I think I need to trim the narrative background material on Mark and Harriett. It is interesting. I certainly like it. But even when the couple were the main characters in the novel the background was too much. Some of it will stay but much will have to go. The good thing, however, is I can probably use it for other characters at another time.

But back to Brewster. The conflict is clear __ find the Red Lady before she strikes again. But I can use his earlier failure to capture her to a greater advantage, particularly if I can make it a touch more personal. Perhaps I can even involve Marsha Norwood more.

This novel, as you might understand, is much more personal to me than "Jungle-bunny" because it comes out of something that happened in my life. So I am reluctant to further reduce the roles of Mark and Harriett. But it is needed.

I'm not sure when I will get to it. Probably after I get an agent. Perhaps after I get a published book or two under my belt, I will be able to interest my agent in giving "Chaos" a look. It is an interesting story and I certainly hope I can find a home for it one day. Just not today.

I will take some notes, perhaps an outline, and put them in a file until some time in the future.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.

Authors

I like to go to book signings, although I must admit to feelings of jealousy. But I like to hear published authors discuss their craft, their books and how they got published. It doesn't matter whether they are national bestselling authors or local authors with just a few books in print. It doesn't matter. Their stories fascinating __ and helpful.

There is a positive and a negative to all this. The negative side is that I am generally jealous of their success and wonder why it hasn't happened to me. Why can't I get published? I am a good writer and am learning more about the craft and the book publishing industry all the time. It hits me over and over again that talent, while very important, isn't what determines writing success.

I can't remember how many times I have read in the last year that if Ernest Hemingway were alive and working today, he'd be an unpublished author running with bulls through the streets of some Spanish town. He'd still be brilliant but probably unpublished. And certainly he wouldn't have the stature he has today.

On the positive side is my love of authors, their books and their stories. They are an inspiration. It doesn't matter whether I think the author is particularly good or not. They have broken through, which means so could I. And so I buy their books and I read them, for the joy of reading, for clues to their success and to support a fellow writer.

So what can I do, what should I do to move my writing and publishing career along? I still don't know and am still looking for answers. All the while I keep writing and hoping.

And so should you.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.

I should be working

I have a freelance article due this afternoon and I should be working on that but I have time to finish it and, in addition to listening to someone cutting down a tree in my front yard, I have been reading agent blogs today.

I amazes me how an agent, who must be extremely busy reading hundreds of queries, reading published and unpublished books, keeping up with the industry and putting together pitches for clients, ever has the time to write anything, let alone a daily blog.

I have read the blogs of three agents today and one of a magazine editor. And it wasn't just today's entries. I went back days for each, writing responses twice.

My blog frequency dropped off several months ago and I haven't been able to increase it. But will use the agent blogs as inspiration.

More to say about writing later. For now, I have to go pay the lumbermen in my front yard and finish my freelance work. After that, there will be more queries to send.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.

An update

Lots of small things to say at the moment.

I visited the Barnes Foundation several days ago and went to the public library to do more research on Albert Barnes and his art. Also discovered a couple of new sources to tap into in the Philadelphia art scene. It's been a very productive, and yet restlful, time in Philadelphia for the last three days.

AND I helped stack 165 bales of hay in my friend's barn in 90-degree heat. I was sweating in places I didn't even know about.

Yesterday I got the first critique of "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal" from a friend who is a non-writer. She liked it a lot, found humor in parts that I wasn't sure were there and, importantly, found a major style inconsistency. I haven't done anything about that yet but plan to as soon as I get home.

I sent several more query letters but no responses yet. Never sure what that means. Perhaps I am being carefully considered and perhaps I'm just in the slush pile. Only time will tell.

My writing critique group meets this Saturday and I am looking forward to that. It's not a month in which they are looking at my writing but it is always fun and interesting to critique others. One of the short stories I read this month was truly surprising and that is always a good start. And it's from someone who has my complete novel. I trust her and her opinion, although I don't always agree with her, and she writes well.

Lastly, and on a personal note, I learned last week a friend has cancer. It is treatable and they are scheduled to go in for surgery next week. She is a dear friend and has always encouraged my writing.

I pray for her full and complete recovery.

Well, that's it. It is 9 in the morning and I am about to stuff my things back into my bag and hit the road back to Indiana. It looks nice outside and I'm driving a convertible. Should be fun.

Thanks for reading and Write On.

Art vs. business

There is a difference between the art of writing a book and the business of publishing and selling a book. And because I am stuck in the place in between, I am very aware of the difference.

Writing is about art. It's the creative part. Publishing is about business, about promotion, advertising and public relations. Getting an agent is the first major step on the business side.

For the life of me, I don't know how the business side works. Yes, intellectually I have some understanding of the publishing business. But a deep understanding escapes me. And it is probably why I am not more successful as a freelance writer. I can do the work __ the writing, that is __ but promoting myself is difficult and unpleasant. And so getting more, well-paying work is difficult.

And I am afraid that publishing is going to be the same way. I can write a novel, from start to finish, in about six months. But promoting myself and my work is a difficult and unpleasant prospect. It has to be done but I'm not sure how to effectively do it.

But, with friends and colleagues, I am working on improving on the business side. I am going to a writers conference in two weeks, I am in a critique group and I am slowly growing a network of fiction writers. All of that is important in order to have a successful career as a fiction writer.

I just have to keep at it.

Thanks for reading and don't give up on writing.

Research

My next novel will require much more research than the other two novels I have written. And while I have always said you should write what you know, this is something for which I am familiar but for which I don't have extensive knowledge.

So I am going to Philadelphia over the weekend to begin some on-site research. I have already started researching material online but being on-the-ground should be quite helpful.

As I think I mentioned before, the novel involves the Philadelphia art scene. So I plan visits to the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Barnes Foundation, the Franklin Institute and perhaps the Acadmey of Nature Science. On Sunday or Monday, I plan to spend the better part of the day at the central office of the Philadelphia Free Library looking up material on Albert Barnes.

Also I have started compiling a list of people I will try to talk to, although some of those conversations will happen over the phone.

I have already decided on who will be murdered first in the novel and thus whose death will get things rolling. I even have a vague idea as to why she is killed and on whose orders the murder was committed. But I haven't nailed down the complete story or the plot. There is still coming together.

This is my Fall 2008 project and perhaps I will finish the first draft by New Year's. If not, it will get done over the winter.

I am excited about this. It will be the second in the series of books about Jason Crown.

I wish I had done this novel several years ago __ when the conversation of how to save the Barnes and about moving the Barnes gallery into Center City __ but such is life.

Thanks for reading and Write On.

Rejections

I got the first of my rejections for "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal" yesterday, and she was quite nice, actually. It was almost encouraging.

Here are the first two grafs of my query, followed by her response:

Courier-Times owner/Publisher George Wilson was a tyrant. He was nearly as indiscreet as he was sexually promiscuous. This dismissive father and neglectful husband was more feared than liked. And now Wilson is dead and investigative reporter Jason Crown must piece together his murder.

Jason discovers the victim's long-held family secret -- a secret in which money, power and revenge collide. And it doesn't help when Jason begins to fall for one of the sexy suspects. As Jason comes to terms with his personal feelings, he must find the killer or risk becoming the next victim in “Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal.”
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Thank you so much for giving XXXXXXXX a chance to consider your work. While I found your query intriguing, I’m afraid I wasn’t sufficiently enthusiastic to ask for more at this time. As I’m sure you know, publishing is a subjective business and it’s very likely you’ll find another agent who feels differently.

I wish you the best of luck and the greatest success.

____

The agent found the query "intriguing." That's what I'm looking for. I think I must be on the right track with the query. And I got a reply. She took the time to shoot me a short response. Not a lot of time but some time.

It's these sorts of rejections that can give a writer hope in the face of overwhelming odds. It gives a writer the strength to carry on. She is kind and considerate. It's why I like her as an agent. Too bad she's not my agent but . . . oh, well.

Keep the faith and keep writing. One day, it will pay off.

Thanks for reading.