I’ve been really busy with work. It really wears me out, and I usually spend my free time reading, writing my novel (more on that in just a few moments), or watching television with my wife, relaxing my free hours away. The baby boy will be here in just a few months, so I’m trying to enjoy my last scraps of freedom now, as my life will belong to him for the next eighteen years. I think that it’s a swell way to spend a long period of time!
Read, delete, verb replacement, reread, swap sentences, swap paragraph, swap chapter, delete entire chapter, start over…REPEAT!
So, as some of you may know, I’ve finished my novel, and by finished, I mean that I have written a beginning, middle, and an end. I am now editing, which is tedious and bland. The writing process is beyond difficult. It’s exhausting work, and I find that the more I read through the novel, the more I hate certain parts. I then change parts of it, only to realize that I liked the first version better. Such is the life of an unknown aspiring novelist.
Living in such a small and sparsely populated town does not allow me many opportunities to meet other authors. I’d really like to bounce some ideas off of other writers, let them read some sample chapters that I have written, or just talk about the whole process of getting published. I know that I have little chance of meeting a best selling author here in Plainfield. That’s just a bold truth that I have come to accept.
I am aware of one author who lives just one town over from me who has successfully written a novel, self-published it, and signed a contract for a series with a publishing company. I emailed him and asked some basic and cliché questions about the writing process. This man was kind enough to email me back, citing some examples of what I can read to learn more about publishing, networking, and other related topics. He ended the email by asking me what I am writing currently. He seemed genuinely curious about the genre of my book and what it was about.
Let me state now that this man is a Christian writer, and very true and devoted to his faith. I give anyone who is devoted to their religion in such a large way a ton of credit for being able to believe in something so much. It’s rare, and, in a way, kind of nice to know that there are still people out there in the world who can put aside the troubles of the world and lay their own soul on the hands of a deity.
So, I email him again and give him a very basic outline of my novel. I explained the beginning of the novel, which is overly graphic, gross, depressing, and sad. I then explain that a major organization of fanatics plays a main role in the book, and I hint at immortal beings, fear by faithful members of the religious group, and get detailed about a suicide scene. I finished the email, spell-checked it, and hit send.
It’s been almost three months, and he has not even responded. I’d chalk it up to him being busy, but he emailed me back the first time within an hour. I think I scared him off with my explanation. It’s a good thing that I didn’t mention that the villain in the book is the leader of the organization, which is actually a religion.
So, as much as I respect those who are religious and faithful, I despise those who are hypocrites. I believe in my book, and I think that, even though the main villain and villains in the book are from a certain religion, I shouldn’t be frowned upon by those from all religions. The religion I write about is not real at all, and they have never existed. I was, more or less, describing how mass hysteria of a blind and sheltered people (such as the accusing townsfolk from Salem, MA during the witch trials) can cause death and destruction for those who are innocent and not part of the main circle of citizens.
This blog might sound like a bunch of complaints, but you must remember, I am NARCISSISTIC, and the world revolves around my happiness.
But in all honesty, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, pun INTENDED. I’m not a bad person because I write about dark and bad things. I write from experience a lot, but I also write from the view point of those who have experienced things that I have not, and in a way, I am telling their story. Everyone has a story to tell, so listen to what others have to say. Then, when they finish and you are no longer in their presence, judge them silently, or with a trusted friend. Don’t forget to laugh at them when they pass by you in the future, as it only hurts properly when you really twist that knife. I need a frickin' BANDAID for the wound in my back!
IF THIS BLOG HAS BORED YOU, I APOLOGIZE. PLEASE ENJOY THE FOLLOWING PHOTO AS A CONSOLATION PRIZE:
I suggest posting some of your pages on a critiquing forum. There's one on Nathan Branford's forums but when I first got started I used thewordcloud.org. It's a writer's social networking site based in the UK. There's a critiquing forum where you can post your first chapter and/ or subsequent chapters. I doubt you scared the guy off. Maybe he felt he'd given the most advice he could give. Congrats on the boy in progress! You guys are gonna be great parents. (looks like you've perfected your poop faces from the photo above:)
ReplyDelete