Musings About Writing Another Novel

Friday, October 28, 2011

Third Novel is Almost Done

 

Finally, I’m about done with the third in the series of The Walker Chronicles.

Folks have written to me saying that I should write more here but I’ve mostly been busy trying to play author with the novel.  I should be writing more on Twitter and sometimes Facebook, too.  But after a few hours I just get tired of typing.

Those who have written novels probably know that it’s sort of a bummer closing out the story.  But, it’s time that Walker III gets put to bed.  I’m writing the last couple chapters now.  Well, I think I am, anyway.  We’ll see how the story goes.

There’ll be a fourth in the series started just as soon as I take a couple days to do a few things around here.

I’ve also been playing with my new Eee Pad Transformer tablet.  I can type rather well on that thing and it’s fun to use for all sorts of things.  I’ll write a little about it next week, including the couple little problems I’ve found.  It’s a great alternative computer, though.  I’ll be using it productively.

Anyway, there’s a good chance that Walker III may be completed next week. I’m not sure that I’ll also have all the editing done, too.  But maybe.

 

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Walker III is Almost Done

 

Yeah, I know that I really should write more here.  But, after I read the news and tech blogs, then write for a few hours, I’m ready to get off of the computer for a while.

Anyway, the next in the Walker series is more than 80% written.  About 75% of it has been well edited, too.  That is, I’ve been over and over it many times looking for typos and words used improperly. 

Last week I intended to write some here.  Then I reread the whole novel instead to edit.  Funny thing is that I found some things in there that I forgot about. . . . 

Even better, I found very few things in there that needed fixin’.  But, of course, I added a little here and there anyway, just because I could.  After all, the art of writing is rewriting.  I can easily write a 750 word political op-ed in one sitting without rewriting.  But with fiction, I often seem to want to fool with it a little more.

As I’ve said before, these stories more or less write themselves.  That is, the characters do what they’re going to do their own way.  Right or wrong, I don’t interfere.  But, that’s what makes the story.  Everything can’t happen my way all the time.

People have asked where I get the ideas for the story.  Generally speaking, they come from reading the newspapers over the past fifty years.  Most of that stuff actually happened, just in slightly different ways so I protect both the innocent as well as the guilty – most of whom are probably out of prison by now.

Even so, I’ve received a letter or two from big city politicians inquiring if I’m writing about past events in their city.  I’m not.  But I suspect some will keep asking anyway because these very same things have happened many times in many large cities – and will probably continue happening.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing a little on Twitter.  I do a little advertising there and have also had an opportunity to discuss writing with some rather good authors.  At the moment, there are about 200 good authors following me and more than that that I’m following.

To date, I’ve read some of the books by these authors at Twitter. I’m here to report that they are very good novels, too!  So, instead of paying $9.99 to $20.00+ for books at the store, I’ve been paying .99 cents to $3.99 for great quality reads.  Most are $2.99, which is what I sell mine for.  Also, I much prefer reading novels on my e-reader now.

For those of you who have read my novels, please leave a comment on the Kindle book site.  That’s important to help beginning authors get noticed.  And, yeah, I would like people to notice my novels. . . . 

 

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Monday, October 3, 2011

Still At It Strong

 

Would this be a good time to take a break and say that I’m still writing a lot?  Well, I am.

The third novel in the Walker series is now about two-thirds completed.  Well, it is if I keep somewhat the same word count as the first two, anyway. 

Right now I have absolutely no idea how the novel will end and mostly no idea what will happen in the last one-third.  All I know for sure is part of the scene I’m working on right now. 

There’s been one major distraction:  The computer chair I’ve used for many years finally crashed.  We went looking and found another that sort of fits me properly but it ain’t the same.  It’s not nearly as comfortable.  But, the one I have is much better than the many others I tried.

Anyway, the novel is moving right along.  Maybe not as fast as I expected, but I’m certainly not having any writer’s block. 

Oh . . . with a lot of help from another author, I got a new book cover for the second novel and it is now posted on Kindle: 

 

Also, I already have the cover done for Walker III, which is great! 

That took a couple days of playing around when I could have been writing.  But, it is necessary and I’m really glad for the help.

 

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