The fist novel came out about 10 years ago now. It was called The Ghost Hunters, a hybrid western supernatural book. Not the most original idea, but I was pretty young and wanted to learn the process of developing a novel from start to finish. Unfortunately, Westerns are kind of the kiss of death for publishers and agents, and hybrids even more so. They want a clear path to categorize your book, although some like supernatural romance have taken off as a genre all of their own. I wound up self-publishing under the company name Scribo Ergo Sum and sold decently well without any distribution. It takes money to get on book shelves and in book stores. I'm about to release it as an ebook, and I find that such a more appealing route to take for authors having difficulty breaking into the agent-publisher morass. I have a great deal of respect for your sister for getting a contract to write. My second novel mushroomed from a 450 page novel into what I projected to be about 1500 pages, which meant a trilogy or at least a pair of books. It wasn't really the story I wanted to spend that much time on, so I set about storyboarding my current novel, which is a story idea I've been working on for almost 15 years. It's the first of a multi-book series. I've got the entire plot pretty well mapped out, although I have a lot room to let the characters organically grown and shape out the details. It's amazing how writing changes over the years as you get older and more diversified in your readings. I remember taking a creative writing workship when I was in high school, and I was told that there are six things you can do to be a better writer: read, read, read, and write, write, write. I definitely read so much more now over a much broader spectrum than I did in my early 20's, and I can see that reflected in my writing. I have a much better sense for character development and for showing details instead of telling them. My main problem isn't writer's block. It's a matter of time. I was starting to make headway with my novel when our daughter was born, and then we had a boy 19 months later. With my wife working 5 nights a week, it's so tiring taking care of two little ones. I find myself an exhausted wreck most nights. I have the energy for reading, which is more passive, but finding the energy to write seems a much tougher task. I do have some hope that things are finally picking back up with my writing. It seems like an easier story to sell when I do complete it. The overall story as well as the first book have a much better hook to interest publisher and agents. But if I can't land a publisher, I fully intend to go the ebook route and feel good about those prospects.
That's outstanding! My sister has often told me that publishing ebooks is a great way to get started and that some have been very successful doing it. You develop a following (we see aspects of that here, on a smaller scale) and blog with your fans, telling them about the next novel or short story. Because they are cheap and can be downloaded in seconds, people looking into a particular genre give you a try. If they like it, they come back for more, and you get that most precious of things, word of mouth. You know, paranormal has become the really hot read these days. Your first novel is decidedly in that category and sounds perfect for an ebook. Because you are self-published, you might even consider reworking it and putting it out under a different title. My sister's first novels weren't very successful (they were published by Walmart for their romance rack. yes, Walmart does that stuff!), but she's looking at reworking them now that she's a much better writer. There's something in her contract with Walmart that will allow her to do that. That is, if she ever has the time. Seems like she's always up against a deadline, which is a pain, but she's glad to have that problem. Thanks for the reply! I enjoy hearing about people who actually finish something. As I said earlier, there are folks who don't realize just how hard it is. Friends that read my short stories 40 years ago still make off-hand comments like, "When are you going to write that novel?" Drives me crazy.
30,800 and I'm 42. That appears to put me just below the mean. That's a little disappointing. Then again I only ever read news, comic books, plays and books about death and depression.
Deck, Scribo... Mrs. rimrocker is in the process of writing her first novel. I guess she's about 2/3 done. The first third was torture but I think she's got a system now and is making good progress. (I admire anyone who can write because I think fiction is damn tough stuff. I've tried it a few times during my life but it never takes as I absolutely suck at writing dialogue and don't have the patience for much description.) I have a cousin-in-law who has successfully published four titles in the lawyer-put-in-a-tough-place genre and he has promised to read Mrs. rimrocker's work when she finishes. I hope that if it is decent he can get it in front of his publisher. On the test, I'm sure my score is a reflection of my reading habits. I've always read a lot and I almost exclusively non-fiction and classics for most of my life. However, in the last ten years or so, particularly since daughter #2 came around, I can't sustain the concentration for book after book of history/biography/current events. Now, I read a bunch of popular titles as well. Just finished a bio of Albert Gallatin but am now reading Game of Thrones to see what the big fuss is about.
I am sorry, but that is one of the funniest things you have written. Something about the context of the thread, the unexpected nature, the fact that "death and depression" quickly follows comic books. Just insane. Incidentally, I met some guy who was directing a play here for one of the smaller theater companies. I was going to ask him if he knew you but then I decided I was not that interested in talking to him so it wasn't worth it. He probably would not be in your circles, anyway.
