Saturday, January 2, 2010

CHAPTER ONE

KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL... AND THROWING ALL YOU HAVE LEARNED TO THE CURB!





I was thinking that each month will be a chapter and this is not going to be the end result of the book but I will pull out parts to make it all fit after the year is up. This is what I like to call THROW-UP! Yes, just get it all out no matter the grammar, spelling, plot line, subject matter, or even the order of everything. In order to get your mind clear of all the built up ideas and thoughts and allow new one in we must put the old finger to the back of our writers throat and "heave ho!"

I am working on my third book called "Airel" It is a teen thriller and I am past the Throw-up stage and have a grand total of 107,000 words. Sweet, my goal of 100,000 has been met and now I go to stage two, the creative editor and re-write!

I figure there is no use going over it 100 times when after it is all said and done, I will HATE the darn book. First I throw-up, then a creative editor or creative friend tears it apart so I can do it all over again, then it is looked at again and yes, one more time going over it fixing plot lines ect...

If this is not on your things you hate to look at by now it will be in short order. Then for fun the technical editor goes through it and in my case had her work cut out for her, and then I go through it yet again! Then one more time for good measure and then it is ready for the oh so adoring public. Proof readers, the people who will be reading my books and future fans or book reviewers. And yes you guessed it, I go through it again, and then we can start the next stage.

Wow, I am tired and the book I loved and thought was going to be the next NYT bestseller is the last thing I want to look at or even touch. However, I feel better because I have gone through some of the hard part, in the writing that is...

I will begin with the idea, it is a good one, let me tell ya. But all I have is a idea, no story line, no plot, only this rough idea. Now I write... let it come and as I do so, the story flows and I begin to build an outline.

In the meantime I go to the Boise Christmas show with my other two books. I want to sell 100 of each, I know a bit ambitious, but I set the bar high! As I sit there watching people walk by and I feel the confidence in my second book because I did have a good editor, I think about the first and wonder at what point in the life of my book do I keep going. It needs some work, yet it is out there and there is no going back now. I have it being worked on but I risk more bad reviews, or I can cross my fingers and hope people have some grace knowing it is in fact my first book.

I say hi to a man walking by as he glances at the books on the table. "What do you like to read?" I ask in my charming way.

"Oh, Mystery/Thriller, murder stories..." My eyes light up for this my fine friend is what I write!

"Well, these are right up your alley, they are Mystery/Thriller and I am here to sign them today." I go on the enplane that Sweet Dreams is the first one and Dream On is the second in the series and he looks up at me and nods, yes he nods and turns without a word and walks away.

I look around and think, I wonder if he is a closet romance reader.

2 comments:

  1. I can certainly sympathize with you, Aaron! I love it when I do a show like that and have people stand at my table talking to me for twenty minutes about how much they love romance books only to turn and walk away without buying! Or, those who say they bought my first book, can't wait to read the second, but don't go ahead and buy it. Okaaayyyy....

    Wishing you much success at future signings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Debbie,

    I guess I am not the only one, I think it is funny myself, and I wonder what goes through their minds... Something like this... "I should go to Borders and pick this book up, maybe I'll do that tonight." =)

    ReplyDelete