So I've spent a few hours writing. not sure when I started. Tenish? anyway, I got a couple thousand fresh words cracked out. It's about what I'm expecting from myself. if I'm in the zone I can write 500+ thousand words every 15 minutes. But that is usually spaced out with times of "hmm what happens next" and "how can I phrase this". Writing that quickly generally puts more words on paper, but I often hate what I'm writing in those times. looking back at them, they usually aren't too bad, but I'm less confident in them as I go.
I also revised a section of the story that I realized wasn't following cannon, that took some time. But it wasn't as aweful as I was expecting. actually, I was really set to write. If I can write this much every day, and maybe 5k extra on weekends, I should be set come september. Today this goal feels very attainable. I'm getting tired, so I don't know that I'll be able to write more today, but I think I'm okay with that.
The website is coming along too. I'm not likely to have it completed by the July, but we'll see. I'm going to try to get some more out of the way right now. So far, I have the main page pretty much finished. I haven't uploaded it yet, so no checking! I've got 3 goals for it this afternoon. I'm going to try to get a template set up that I can post my web book (Seven Kingdoms) and a mirror of this blog on. That shouldn't take long, as I know about what I want. With that done I can quickly mirror what blogs I've written (since the start of the year anyway). If I have time and energy, I MIGHT also do a quick revision and post of the first section of the novel. I'll probably make it a teaser though, since I don't have enough written yet to really start posting. But I might be able to get word out, get people interested. I also want to make a "Sorry this page hasn't been created yet, this is a beta version of the site. please check again later! XD" page.
Alright, I'm going to go attempt to do this. But one final note. I've found that listening to music helps me, so long as I can't sing along, and it's high energy. So I've been listening (for several hours) to this japanese music, it's odd, but I like it, and it meets the requirements. Thanks pandora! I will take my check now (God that joke is tired)
Duces!
XD
Friday, June 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
I hate Melan....
Alright, I'm getting tired and I'm running out of steam. but I felt like I needed to blog.
Today I had no incentive to write. I felt whiny and crabby and tired when I tried to start. I could almost hear myself complain "But I don't WANT to do that right now." The thing was I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to watch tv, read, write, eat, swim, sleep, stay awake. I had no interest in any kind of activity or choice. It was a very melancholic/lethargic mood, and it's something I struggle with at times.
I like to entertain myself with the thought that Sherlock Holmes suffered from similar fits, and were usually preceded at proceeded by fits of periods of genius and accomplishment. They were likely brought on by the drug use, but w/e.
I don't know that genius ever comes before or behind these bouts of lethargy, in some kind of cathartic balance; but I do know that making myself be more than mindlessly active while I feel that way sucks.
However. that doesn't mean there isn't a nice pay off if I manage to subvert my subdued feeling. But today, I forced myself to write. I pushed myself to put out 2k words, and for the first 1.5k I was checking my word count every couple hundred words. It was arduous, but finally I was just 400 words away, so I decided to do a 15 minute word spring, to finish up. 15 minutes later I was just shy of 500 words, and it wasn't long after that that I had surpassed my goal of 2k words by over 500 words.
The writing isn't perfect, and I messed up the cannon a little bit, but I surpassed my goal for the day. and more importantly, I over came that whiny voice that wasn't willing to be satisfied with any course of action.
So yay me! I have realized something through this though. If I was very lucky, and motivated, I could reach my every goal by this fall. I could create a website, write a book, finish a book, and revise both books, while writing a third book that I'd be posting to my website. It's possible I could achieve all these things by the time I go to worldcon in the fall. But it's possible that september will find me with no upkept website, no routinely updated book or blog found on the website. and two unfinished, unrevised books.
So what can I cut out? The website shows a level of seriousness, that I'm hesitant drop. But at this stage in my career, there's not much I can post on there beyond the blog and free book. So I can't really cut either of those things if I plan to keep the website. I'm changing my publishing of the web book to a weekly post of 5k words, in an attempt to give me a better chance to remain consistant.
But it wont be enough. I had to decide which novel to get manuscript ready by the fall. One of them, has 60k words written already. The other has around 6k But WtL, has two drawbacks, despite being further along. One, I am very undecided about many aspects of it, and I'm struggling with what to rewrite. and two, it's the first book in a series. New authors are much more likely to sell a stand alone book than a series. It's also my first novel, and therefore not likely to sell. Perhaps I could finish, revise, and make it manuscript ready by the fall, but I'm not even confident I could do that.
While, I'm not thrilled at the idea of dropping WtL for the next several months, distance might provide a new perspective. I also have the new novel (tentatively named Brendon's darkness) outlined in many ways. the specifics are still coming to me, as I'm largely a discovery writer. but I know the story line. I have the plot summery worked out. it shouldn't take me long to bring it to a full length novel. The goal is to have it written by august, and revised by September. and made manuscript ready by the end of the first or second week in September.
Even this goal feels slightly daunting today, especially considering I'd like to have eight posts totaling 40k words written and posted in my 7kingdoms, web novel.
Deep breathes everyone. I can do this. I will do this. That said, this blog may take a bit of a hit in that time. I'll post at least once a week, but I can't guarantee it will be more than that. Once the fall hits, I'll start working up to daily posts again. Although, november will likely see a decline for nanowrimo, but we'll worry about that when we get there.
For now, wish me luck. And take care.
XD
Today I had no incentive to write. I felt whiny and crabby and tired when I tried to start. I could almost hear myself complain "But I don't WANT to do that right now." The thing was I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to watch tv, read, write, eat, swim, sleep, stay awake. I had no interest in any kind of activity or choice. It was a very melancholic/lethargic mood, and it's something I struggle with at times.
I like to entertain myself with the thought that Sherlock Holmes suffered from similar fits, and were usually preceded at proceeded by fits of periods of genius and accomplishment. They were likely brought on by the drug use, but w/e.
I don't know that genius ever comes before or behind these bouts of lethargy, in some kind of cathartic balance; but I do know that making myself be more than mindlessly active while I feel that way sucks.
However. that doesn't mean there isn't a nice pay off if I manage to subvert my subdued feeling. But today, I forced myself to write. I pushed myself to put out 2k words, and for the first 1.5k I was checking my word count every couple hundred words. It was arduous, but finally I was just 400 words away, so I decided to do a 15 minute word spring, to finish up. 15 minutes later I was just shy of 500 words, and it wasn't long after that that I had surpassed my goal of 2k words by over 500 words.
The writing isn't perfect, and I messed up the cannon a little bit, but I surpassed my goal for the day. and more importantly, I over came that whiny voice that wasn't willing to be satisfied with any course of action.
So yay me! I have realized something through this though. If I was very lucky, and motivated, I could reach my every goal by this fall. I could create a website, write a book, finish a book, and revise both books, while writing a third book that I'd be posting to my website. It's possible I could achieve all these things by the time I go to worldcon in the fall. But it's possible that september will find me with no upkept website, no routinely updated book or blog found on the website. and two unfinished, unrevised books.
So what can I cut out? The website shows a level of seriousness, that I'm hesitant drop. But at this stage in my career, there's not much I can post on there beyond the blog and free book. So I can't really cut either of those things if I plan to keep the website. I'm changing my publishing of the web book to a weekly post of 5k words, in an attempt to give me a better chance to remain consistant.
But it wont be enough. I had to decide which novel to get manuscript ready by the fall. One of them, has 60k words written already. The other has around 6k But WtL, has two drawbacks, despite being further along. One, I am very undecided about many aspects of it, and I'm struggling with what to rewrite. and two, it's the first book in a series. New authors are much more likely to sell a stand alone book than a series. It's also my first novel, and therefore not likely to sell. Perhaps I could finish, revise, and make it manuscript ready by the fall, but I'm not even confident I could do that.
While, I'm not thrilled at the idea of dropping WtL for the next several months, distance might provide a new perspective. I also have the new novel (tentatively named Brendon's darkness) outlined in many ways. the specifics are still coming to me, as I'm largely a discovery writer. but I know the story line. I have the plot summery worked out. it shouldn't take me long to bring it to a full length novel. The goal is to have it written by august, and revised by September. and made manuscript ready by the end of the first or second week in September.
Even this goal feels slightly daunting today, especially considering I'd like to have eight posts totaling 40k words written and posted in my 7kingdoms, web novel.
Deep breathes everyone. I can do this. I will do this. That said, this blog may take a bit of a hit in that time. I'll post at least once a week, but I can't guarantee it will be more than that. Once the fall hits, I'll start working up to daily posts again. Although, november will likely see a decline for nanowrimo, but we'll worry about that when we get there.
For now, wish me luck. And take care.
XD
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Big fat liar
One of the things I have had a difficult time with in the past, is accepting that what a character said was a lie. I think authors don't tend to do that much in dialogue. When two characters are talking about something, they tend to answer truthfully and fully, unless they are a villainous character up to no good. But it seems as though general lies, told out of embarrassment, or impatience, or gloating, don't tend to be told very often.
I was just writing a scene in which a character was explaining how he would found it cowardly to send a man to the gallows, rather than face him in single combat. While the character believes that, he neglected to say that a part of him relishes in killing scumbags. I was on the verge of sharing that information out of reflex, when I realized I didn't have to. and I would never have to. the character could lie.
I think sometimes we only recognize lies in stories if they are told by traitors, or if the narrator or pov character reveals their deceit. But I think authors probably often allow characters to tell half truths, without the revelation; small lies that you really would only pick up on by rereading, or knowing the true personality of that character.
Alright, well that was short. but that's okay. Maybe a joke. One I heard a while back.
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says, "Does this taste funny to you?"
XD
I was just writing a scene in which a character was explaining how he would found it cowardly to send a man to the gallows, rather than face him in single combat. While the character believes that, he neglected to say that a part of him relishes in killing scumbags. I was on the verge of sharing that information out of reflex, when I realized I didn't have to. and I would never have to. the character could lie.
I think sometimes we only recognize lies in stories if they are told by traitors, or if the narrator or pov character reveals their deceit. But I think authors probably often allow characters to tell half truths, without the revelation; small lies that you really would only pick up on by rereading, or knowing the true personality of that character.
Alright, well that was short. but that's okay. Maybe a joke. One I heard a while back.
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says, "Does this taste funny to you?"
XD
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Uphill battles, and averting "Meta"
When I last posted, I said I wanted to start blogging daily. I'm sure it'll take a while before that truly becomes a habit, but ya gotta start somewhere. and since I tend to have a lot of false starts before I actually start, I gotta start my false-starts somewhere too.
A couple weeks ago I started running in the employee fitness center at Rayovac (where I'm employed), I'm a couch potato in general, and I'm very out of shape, so I go back and forth between running and quick walking, pushing myself to run longer and faster every visit. When I'm on the treadmill I have often listened to music or audiobooks, and I'll focus on these things when I'm doing the running portion especially. Today I forgot my headphones. I had gone out to my car to swap my boots for running shoes, when the realization struck me that I had no means of distracting myself from the slowly ticking seconds. One other time I'd ran without them, and every step was miserable. I was too aware of my running, of my exhaustion. I was overly aware that I had just finished working a draining eight hour shift spent entirely on my feet. I nearly just called it a day and went home. Instead, I set my jaw, and ran anyway. There will always be things to distract us from our goals. Loosing weight, getting in shape, these things will never be easy (hence the failure of every easy diet and simple weight-loss pill/drink/earmuffs), so when a new difficulty comes along, we can't let ourselves get frustrated. Part of us thinks "I'm already fighting an uphill battle, it's not fair that I have to face _____ too!" (for me that blank would have be filled with "focus"). Instead, we have to remember that we chose to fight an uphill battle, rather than accept the alternative. the missing headphones of problems, changes nothing.
Two things relate this to writing, first off, Becoming an author is another uphill battle, and I'm bound to run into some problems I didn't expect, or I hoped to avoid. When they surface, I'll have to remember, that I was prepared to face them in order to obtain my goal.
Secondly, while running in silence, I was able to distract myself with a new book I'm working on, and I feel like I came up with some neat advances, including character backgrounds, and world possibilities that could be explored in a sequel, without ruining the stand alone nature of the initial book. so Yay!
I was going to share a "daily to do list" I wrote up this morning, but I feel like I've occupied a sufficient amount of both our days with this post already. A hint tho, this blog was on the to do list (whoa, Meta! j/k) xD
A couple weeks ago I started running in the employee fitness center at Rayovac (where I'm employed), I'm a couch potato in general, and I'm very out of shape, so I go back and forth between running and quick walking, pushing myself to run longer and faster every visit. When I'm on the treadmill I have often listened to music or audiobooks, and I'll focus on these things when I'm doing the running portion especially. Today I forgot my headphones. I had gone out to my car to swap my boots for running shoes, when the realization struck me that I had no means of distracting myself from the slowly ticking seconds. One other time I'd ran without them, and every step was miserable. I was too aware of my running, of my exhaustion. I was overly aware that I had just finished working a draining eight hour shift spent entirely on my feet. I nearly just called it a day and went home. Instead, I set my jaw, and ran anyway. There will always be things to distract us from our goals. Loosing weight, getting in shape, these things will never be easy (hence the failure of every easy diet and simple weight-loss pill/drink/earmuffs), so when a new difficulty comes along, we can't let ourselves get frustrated. Part of us thinks "I'm already fighting an uphill battle, it's not fair that I have to face _____ too!" (for me that blank would have be filled with "focus"). Instead, we have to remember that we chose to fight an uphill battle, rather than accept the alternative. the missing headphones of problems, changes nothing.
Two things relate this to writing, first off, Becoming an author is another uphill battle, and I'm bound to run into some problems I didn't expect, or I hoped to avoid. When they surface, I'll have to remember, that I was prepared to face them in order to obtain my goal.
Secondly, while running in silence, I was able to distract myself with a new book I'm working on, and I feel like I came up with some neat advances, including character backgrounds, and world possibilities that could be explored in a sequel, without ruining the stand alone nature of the initial book. so Yay!
I was going to share a "daily to do list" I wrote up this morning, but I feel like I've occupied a sufficient amount of both our days with this post already. A hint tho, this blog was on the to do list (whoa, Meta! j/k) xD
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
An update, An objective, and a plan
Alright Alright already! I'll post a new blog! You guys are so demanding! No but seriously I do it for the fans, hopefully one day, you wont be imaginary!
There is actually a few things I could post on here.
I don't know how many of my friends & family have realized that I've begun taking writing seriously; that I'm gradually transitioning into viewing it both as an enjoyable hobby and dream, but also a "business". I've been attempting to make this transition for a couple months, and it's not happening as quickly as I'd like, but eventually I want to get to the point where I'm writing because I enjoy it, because I want to, and (when I'm not in the mood) because it is my decided career. I'm not there yet, I still spend more days not writing than I do writing. The goal is to write everyday, or at least 5 days a week, because when I become a full time, fully-financially-supported-by-my-craft, author; I probably will be writing 5 days a week.
Brandon Sanderdson once said that he writes 14 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, but he didn't mind because it was something he loved. Now I'm not sure I would need or be able to do anything for 14 hours a day, But I could see myself happily writing 60 or so hours a week (assuming I didn't have to work part or full time somewhere else.) For now my goal is to get to the point that I'm engaged in my writing [process] 20-30 hours a week. Eventually I'll sell a couple novels, or a series, and it'll allow me to work just part time, and then I'll try to transition into writing 40-50 hours a week. So that by the time my self-sufficiency is relying wholly on my writing, I can easily transition into writing 60+ hours a week.
So what am I doing to attain these goals? For one thing, I'm always considering new story ideas, and playing my works-in-progresses out in my head. I listen to the podcast writing excuses, and I soak up their advice, and use their discussions to gauge my position and progress as a writer. I analyze books, movies, and tv shows; breaking them down to their stories, and finding the positives and negatives of the works. I'm part of two writing groups, and tho I'm not as productive as I'd like, I'm learning things, and I'm getting better.
Still, none of this explains how I plan to transition from amateur to professional, or justifies my belief that I can attain a professional status where so many others fail. According to Jim Butcher, only about 3 in 1000 people that decide to become published author's make it. and of those only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. On the face of it, this isn't very encouraging. But then you have to realize that a lot of people who decide they want to be published author's never finish a book. Well, it wasn't my best work, the ending sucked, and I've since changed it enough that it needs significant rewrites. but I HAVE finished a novel. Over the next couple months I'm hoping to refinish it, complete with an excellent ending, consistency, and nearly twice as much content. To be honest it was a little daunting, and I felt myself getting bogged down, so I've started a new novel that I can work on simultaneously. Being able to switch tracks for a day or a week, will help me to keep writing when frustration or uncertainty threatens to bog me down.
This second novel also gives me advantage over two more groups of writers. Plenty of people planning to get published (and even some who don't) have written novels. But many of these write just one or just one series. they spend years trying to sell their novel, constantly editing and rewriting it/them when they get rejections (or even just out of fear of rejection). Patrick Rothfuss (excellent writer), spent a decade trying to get "King Killer Chronicles: Name of the Wind" published. Apart from a children's book or two, He has published only books in that series. I got the impression, that it's all he really tried to get published. I also plan to write more books when I'm done with these. This time next year, I hope to have half a dozen books written and revised to manuscript level floating around publishing houses, and agencies if I haven't gotten published yet. The other group I have advantage over, is the group solely trying to sell books that can't stand alone. Publishers prefer stand alone stories from first time authors. Even if there's room for a sequel, the first one should be a self-contained and sufficiently resolved story. You could also argue that writing multiple (and disparate) stories is valuable experience/practice that writers of a single novel or series just don't get.
The next thing I'm likely to face, is rejection. I'm hopeful and I'm determined, but I'm also very likely to receive rejections from many places before I get an acceptance. I'm imagining this is another big drop off point. Nobody likes rejection, especially when it's something they've poured themselves into, sweat, tears, and blood. I'm sure I'll hate it, but I"m also determined not to let it stop me. I'll revise and rewrite, and I'll submit new works, and I'll submit to multiple places. and When I am able to move past my initial rejections, I'll realize that I'm passing another swath of people cut down by their own doubts affirmed.
You know there's also a group of people that send in submissions with ridiculous splattered all over them. Doing things like choosing weird looking fonts. I heard of a person that had their letters in a mix of colors. Perfumes, pictures, drawings. Submissions should be crisp, easy to read, and they should wreak only of professionalism. This I can do, and would have done even without the many groanings of editors shared with me.
So already, I feel like I'm outstripping much of my competition. Jim Butcher followed up his statistics with an explanation of his road to publication, and a statement about outrunning the competition, not the bear. The second stastic about only 1 in 10 earning enough to call it a living, really doesn't scare me much, I mean, if I already beat the odds of 1 in 334 get published, then I'm not going to give up until I'm able to make enough that I can make it my only and full time job.
Every Author I've heard talk about it, has said the same thing. Just don't give up, Keep writing, keep trying, keep at it. the Tor submission guidlines and FAQ were asked what percentage of people that submitted got published. They really didn't want to answer, because they didn't want to discourage potential authors. They WANTED the submissions. Eventually they did give a real percentage, but I don't recall it, the only percentage that stuck with me was this: "100% of people that don't submit their novel, don't get published."
This post is dragging on, but I have a few more things I want to share. First off, I'm planning to go to worldcon (a scifi and fantasy convention in Chicago) that often has publishers, editors, and agents networking, hanging with friends, and promoting books. I plan to use the opportunity to provide a face and personality to go with my name. My plan is to get two books manuscript ready by the beginning of september. Then I go to the convention, step out of my comfort zone and strike up conversations with editors and agents, get to know them and their work a bit, and ask if I can send them my manuscript. When they get it, they'll have a human being to connect to the work, and it could give me the edge I need.
Secondly, I bought my name as a domain name DarrenMoen.com is owned by me for the next two years. I'm planning to have a working (if simple) website ready by then as well. On the website I'll have sample stories excerpts. I'll have a mirror of this blog posted there. I'll have a bit of biographical info, maybe a book review spot. I might start doing a podcast. I was considering working up to the point where I was blogging daily, podcasting weekly, and uploading a youtube video monthly. I also have some ideas for webcomics I might share. I also have a lot of story ideas (more everyday) I might take one of them and publish it on my website a chapter at a time. There will always be new ideas, and having a free story out there could show case my talents, and attract an audience for future books. So this will all be on my website (by the way, another thing to put me above my competition), so when I go to the convention, I can hand out cards with my website and email address and maybe a QR code. (Brief QR code side adventure... aaaand, I'm back)
alright, I'm nodding off, sleep takes me, I'mma let it. But in conclucsion. I'm as determined to be a writer as a college kid is to be a doctor or Lawyer, it's not likely to be quick, it wont be easy. But I'll get there, I've got too many ideas and too much drive to not make it, and I've put in too much time and money already to call it a lost cause.
O, btw, It's not my hope to get published by out-pacing other aspiring authors. Ideally every single one of us would right excellent prose, and the world would find itself with an insatiable hunger for new novels and stories, that no amount of new authors could ever sate. So read, get your friends to read, and practice with me, and maybe we'll all make it. Either way I'm determined to get there, not because I'm better or luckier than others, but because my writing, timing, and purposes are all excellent and matured. I would honestly rather write beautiful, elegant, and well formed prose; with only a cult following, than write a clumsy, cliche, and pointless piece of prose that was a best seller and made me millions. I'm in it for the stories, perhaps my elitist thinking will give me another advantage.... or perhaps it's a disadvantage. But it's one of those things I have no real control over. The sky is blue, everybody dies, I can't grow facial hair, and I want to write things I can be proud of more than I want to write things I can profit from.
There is actually a few things I could post on here.
I don't know how many of my friends & family have realized that I've begun taking writing seriously; that I'm gradually transitioning into viewing it both as an enjoyable hobby and dream, but also a "business". I've been attempting to make this transition for a couple months, and it's not happening as quickly as I'd like, but eventually I want to get to the point where I'm writing because I enjoy it, because I want to, and (when I'm not in the mood) because it is my decided career. I'm not there yet, I still spend more days not writing than I do writing. The goal is to write everyday, or at least 5 days a week, because when I become a full time, fully-financially-supported-by-my-craft, author; I probably will be writing 5 days a week.
Brandon Sanderdson once said that he writes 14 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, but he didn't mind because it was something he loved. Now I'm not sure I would need or be able to do anything for 14 hours a day, But I could see myself happily writing 60 or so hours a week (assuming I didn't have to work part or full time somewhere else.) For now my goal is to get to the point that I'm engaged in my writing [process] 20-30 hours a week. Eventually I'll sell a couple novels, or a series, and it'll allow me to work just part time, and then I'll try to transition into writing 40-50 hours a week. So that by the time my self-sufficiency is relying wholly on my writing, I can easily transition into writing 60+ hours a week.
So what am I doing to attain these goals? For one thing, I'm always considering new story ideas, and playing my works-in-progresses out in my head. I listen to the podcast writing excuses, and I soak up their advice, and use their discussions to gauge my position and progress as a writer. I analyze books, movies, and tv shows; breaking them down to their stories, and finding the positives and negatives of the works. I'm part of two writing groups, and tho I'm not as productive as I'd like, I'm learning things, and I'm getting better.
Still, none of this explains how I plan to transition from amateur to professional, or justifies my belief that I can attain a professional status where so many others fail. According to Jim Butcher, only about 3 in 1000 people that decide to become published author's make it. and of those only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. On the face of it, this isn't very encouraging. But then you have to realize that a lot of people who decide they want to be published author's never finish a book. Well, it wasn't my best work, the ending sucked, and I've since changed it enough that it needs significant rewrites. but I HAVE finished a novel. Over the next couple months I'm hoping to refinish it, complete with an excellent ending, consistency, and nearly twice as much content. To be honest it was a little daunting, and I felt myself getting bogged down, so I've started a new novel that I can work on simultaneously. Being able to switch tracks for a day or a week, will help me to keep writing when frustration or uncertainty threatens to bog me down.
This second novel also gives me advantage over two more groups of writers. Plenty of people planning to get published (and even some who don't) have written novels. But many of these write just one or just one series. they spend years trying to sell their novel, constantly editing and rewriting it/them when they get rejections (or even just out of fear of rejection). Patrick Rothfuss (excellent writer), spent a decade trying to get "King Killer Chronicles: Name of the Wind" published. Apart from a children's book or two, He has published only books in that series. I got the impression, that it's all he really tried to get published. I also plan to write more books when I'm done with these. This time next year, I hope to have half a dozen books written and revised to manuscript level floating around publishing houses, and agencies if I haven't gotten published yet. The other group I have advantage over, is the group solely trying to sell books that can't stand alone. Publishers prefer stand alone stories from first time authors. Even if there's room for a sequel, the first one should be a self-contained and sufficiently resolved story. You could also argue that writing multiple (and disparate) stories is valuable experience/practice that writers of a single novel or series just don't get.
The next thing I'm likely to face, is rejection. I'm hopeful and I'm determined, but I'm also very likely to receive rejections from many places before I get an acceptance. I'm imagining this is another big drop off point. Nobody likes rejection, especially when it's something they've poured themselves into, sweat, tears, and blood. I'm sure I'll hate it, but I"m also determined not to let it stop me. I'll revise and rewrite, and I'll submit new works, and I'll submit to multiple places. and When I am able to move past my initial rejections, I'll realize that I'm passing another swath of people cut down by their own doubts affirmed.
You know there's also a group of people that send in submissions with ridiculous splattered all over them. Doing things like choosing weird looking fonts. I heard of a person that had their letters in a mix of colors. Perfumes, pictures, drawings. Submissions should be crisp, easy to read, and they should wreak only of professionalism. This I can do, and would have done even without the many groanings of editors shared with me.
So already, I feel like I'm outstripping much of my competition. Jim Butcher followed up his statistics with an explanation of his road to publication, and a statement about outrunning the competition, not the bear. The second stastic about only 1 in 10 earning enough to call it a living, really doesn't scare me much, I mean, if I already beat the odds of 1 in 334 get published, then I'm not going to give up until I'm able to make enough that I can make it my only and full time job.
Every Author I've heard talk about it, has said the same thing. Just don't give up, Keep writing, keep trying, keep at it. the Tor submission guidlines and FAQ were asked what percentage of people that submitted got published. They really didn't want to answer, because they didn't want to discourage potential authors. They WANTED the submissions. Eventually they did give a real percentage, but I don't recall it, the only percentage that stuck with me was this: "100% of people that don't submit their novel, don't get published."
This post is dragging on, but I have a few more things I want to share. First off, I'm planning to go to worldcon (a scifi and fantasy convention in Chicago) that often has publishers, editors, and agents networking, hanging with friends, and promoting books. I plan to use the opportunity to provide a face and personality to go with my name. My plan is to get two books manuscript ready by the beginning of september. Then I go to the convention, step out of my comfort zone and strike up conversations with editors and agents, get to know them and their work a bit, and ask if I can send them my manuscript. When they get it, they'll have a human being to connect to the work, and it could give me the edge I need.
Secondly, I bought my name as a domain name DarrenMoen.com is owned by me for the next two years. I'm planning to have a working (if simple) website ready by then as well. On the website I'll have sample stories excerpts. I'll have a mirror of this blog posted there. I'll have a bit of biographical info, maybe a book review spot. I might start doing a podcast. I was considering working up to the point where I was blogging daily, podcasting weekly, and uploading a youtube video monthly. I also have some ideas for webcomics I might share. I also have a lot of story ideas (more everyday) I might take one of them and publish it on my website a chapter at a time. There will always be new ideas, and having a free story out there could show case my talents, and attract an audience for future books. So this will all be on my website (by the way, another thing to put me above my competition), so when I go to the convention, I can hand out cards with my website and email address and maybe a QR code. (Brief QR code side adventure... aaaand, I'm back)
alright, I'm nodding off, sleep takes me, I'mma let it. But in conclucsion. I'm as determined to be a writer as a college kid is to be a doctor or Lawyer, it's not likely to be quick, it wont be easy. But I'll get there, I've got too many ideas and too much drive to not make it, and I've put in too much time and money already to call it a lost cause.
O, btw, It's not my hope to get published by out-pacing other aspiring authors. Ideally every single one of us would right excellent prose, and the world would find itself with an insatiable hunger for new novels and stories, that no amount of new authors could ever sate. So read, get your friends to read, and practice with me, and maybe we'll all make it. Either way I'm determined to get there, not because I'm better or luckier than others, but because my writing, timing, and purposes are all excellent and matured. I would honestly rather write beautiful, elegant, and well formed prose; with only a cult following, than write a clumsy, cliche, and pointless piece of prose that was a best seller and made me millions. I'm in it for the stories, perhaps my elitist thinking will give me another advantage.... or perhaps it's a disadvantage. But it's one of those things I have no real control over. The sky is blue, everybody dies, I can't grow facial hair, and I want to write things I can be proud of more than I want to write things I can profit from.
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