Hi,
I told you how much I enjoyed my editing class; I’m using a few of the techniques she taught. Anyway, one of the things she mentioned is that how she had to learn to break some of the rules of writing that were ground into her from childhood, for example: a comma should be used before a conjunction introducing an independent clause—those long winded rules. We adhere to that rule because its ground into us as well, but for some writers they know and incorporate the rules so well, have done it all their writing career that they know how to superbly break them to give us knew and wonderful stories. My best example of who does this so well is Cormac Mccarthy; he breaks rules into splinters and takes your breath away. He can do this so effortlessly because of a few things: his writing skill, deep knowledge of the world and the people he writes about and because he’s fearless at the challenge and doesn’t care if we like it or not, he writes for himself.
Will I ever get to the point to be able to write so well or to be so fearless at it? Honestly, I don’t think so but I don’t toss it out but see is as a possible goal along with my other writing goals: doing it well and loving it.
Enjoy what you’re writing even when you sometimes can’t enjoy the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Hello,
It’s funny how writers are always trying to improve their writing—at least I do—and by all means at my disposal. I believe I do it out of part fear I don’t know enough as a writer and I’m missing something and part I can always—always do better for my sake and most importantly for my readers. I took an editing class at my local university yesterday and it was good, I learned a number of useful tools and I’m grateful for it because they will help improve my writing no doubt. I have an issue with my editing prowess anyway, I’m not good at it and the chance to improve is welcome.
As we all know, it’s a long-winding-improving road for a writer, no matter how long his career, the object is to get better each novel and along with courage and hard-work it takes knowledge to do so and l take advantage of this fact. The professor is teaching a grammar class and I will be taking it, a brush up now and again is a plus, every little bit helps and I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to make my stories, my novels better and better.
Grab a book like The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford, I’d bet you pick up something that’ll help your writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
It’s funny how writers are always trying to improve their writing—at least I do—and by all means at my disposal. I believe I do it out of part fear I don’t know enough as a writer and I’m missing something and part I can always—always do better for my sake and most importantly for my readers. I took an editing class at my local university yesterday and it was good, I learned a number of useful tools and I’m grateful for it because they will help improve my writing no doubt. I have an issue with my editing prowess anyway, I’m not good at it and the chance to improve is welcome.
As we all know, it’s a long-winding-improving road for a writer, no matter how long his career, the object is to get better each novel and along with courage and hard-work it takes knowledge to do so and l take advantage of this fact. The professor is teaching a grammar class and I will be taking it, a brush up now and again is a plus, every little bit helps and I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to make my stories, my novels better and better.
Grab a book like The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford, I’d bet you pick up something that’ll help your writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
Working on the second book, a lot of reading and research; yet doing it no matter what—with a little writing thrown it--and its going well because its part of the writing process isn’t it? A large cog in the machinery of writing. I’m reading about the Iranian revolution and about the CIA; and a piece of the story I was missing for the second novel—how to work out how Owen comes by an important piece of information central to the story—presents itself, the answer I needed to keep the story rolling and it made my day.
I’m not the kind of writer who can plot my novel step-by-step before the writing, who knows what happens before it happens; I of course have an idea of the plot of the story, how it should go, it’s the how to get there that’s my mystery… until I start to read, research, write and think.
Writing is involved, tedious, time consuming, but such a joy and a wonder, I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. So you write too, it’s worth it everyday.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Working on the second book, a lot of reading and research; yet doing it no matter what—with a little writing thrown it--and its going well because its part of the writing process isn’t it? A large cog in the machinery of writing. I’m reading about the Iranian revolution and about the CIA; and a piece of the story I was missing for the second novel—how to work out how Owen comes by an important piece of information central to the story—presents itself, the answer I needed to keep the story rolling and it made my day.
I’m not the kind of writer who can plot my novel step-by-step before the writing, who knows what happens before it happens; I of course have an idea of the plot of the story, how it should go, it’s the how to get there that’s my mystery… until I start to read, research, write and think.
Writing is involved, tedious, time consuming, but such a joy and a wonder, I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else. So you write too, it’s worth it everyday.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Hello and Happy July 4th to all who celebrate,
Writing is such a funny thing, you never realize until you think about it how important it is, how much you do it and the big difference it makes to your life if you do it right. I’m popular at my kids school, why? It’s not because I’m the president of the PTA—I’m not--but because I write great e-mails and notes to their teachers in my request for information about my sons or to thank them for what they do for my children. I make sure to put my best words in there to convey I believe them to be great for my children and taught them well and it’s easier for me to write than to do the face to face; I believe my writing helped me have a better relationship with them and helped my children have a good one with them too.
Today I needed a lawyer, to ask some questions and provide some information but instead of talking to him, I wrote a letter instead, well an e-mail as an introduction and to pass along some details. I did the writing because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my point across, the facts, exactly the way I needed to if I had to speak with him off the cuff, so writing was what I did and it worked. In my note my information was succinct and clear and received the response I needed; verbally, I couldn't of gotten my point across nearly as well as I can using a pen and a piece of paper.
Writing smooths my life out more than I could imagine and that's a tremendous blessing.
Write well and all the time,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Writing is such a funny thing, you never realize until you think about it how important it is, how much you do it and the big difference it makes to your life if you do it right. I’m popular at my kids school, why? It’s not because I’m the president of the PTA—I’m not--but because I write great e-mails and notes to their teachers in my request for information about my sons or to thank them for what they do for my children. I make sure to put my best words in there to convey I believe them to be great for my children and taught them well and it’s easier for me to write than to do the face to face; I believe my writing helped me have a better relationship with them and helped my children have a good one with them too.
Today I needed a lawyer, to ask some questions and provide some information but instead of talking to him, I wrote a letter instead, well an e-mail as an introduction and to pass along some details. I did the writing because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my point across, the facts, exactly the way I needed to if I had to speak with him off the cuff, so writing was what I did and it worked. In my note my information was succinct and clear and received the response I needed; verbally, I couldn't of gotten my point across nearly as well as I can using a pen and a piece of paper.
Writing smooths my life out more than I could imagine and that's a tremendous blessing.
Write well and all the time,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hello, hitting you Wednesday instead of Friday,
How much do you know about book publishing? I don’t know much I admit and there seems so much information out there especially for self-publishers though some of it does repeat itself. I just learned today what to do with the foreign rights of your novel and releasing those rights to publishers around the world and how to do it.
It would be great to have one definitive book that would tell you everything you should know; the best direction you should take for your novel—stop dreaming right; there is no such thing. It’s like your being the only one who has to find the light switch in an unfamiliar ball room in the encompassing dark: you have to do it by yourself, you have to keep trying, getting around the obstacles the best way you can, working at it hit or miss until you find the best ways to work your book or turn on the light.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
How much do you know about book publishing? I don’t know much I admit and there seems so much information out there especially for self-publishers though some of it does repeat itself. I just learned today what to do with the foreign rights of your novel and releasing those rights to publishers around the world and how to do it.
It would be great to have one definitive book that would tell you everything you should know; the best direction you should take for your novel—stop dreaming right; there is no such thing. It’s like your being the only one who has to find the light switch in an unfamiliar ball room in the encompassing dark: you have to do it by yourself, you have to keep trying, getting around the obstacles the best way you can, working at it hit or miss until you find the best ways to work your book or turn on the light.
Write,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hello and hope you’re doing well,
A few minutes ago I got a phone call from someone who read You Don’t Know Me and she let me know she really enjoyed it and gave it to her friend who enjoyed it as well and asked when the next would come out; her phone call I can tell you, made my week and it does help with the writing.
I’m writing and listening to books on tape, the book is The Terror by Dan Simmons, very, very good and its twenty-two disks, yet I've listened to each one and I’m now re-listening to the first disks to put in context everything I’ve read—listened to. One of the interesting things about the novel is its serious detail. The Terror is the fictional story of a ship called The Terror who in 1845 as part of the Franklin Expedition, gets stuck in the Arctic Circle which is bad enough but added to this misery the crew and those of its sister ship are being slaughtered by a beast. The novel is filled with details about how the ship works and looks, how a working ship faces ice, how the ship is piloted and so on, all interesting because the writer doesn’t pommel you with the details yet its full of them, even minute ones.
Details in a novel are necessary and tricky for any writer I believe, no matter how much experience you have; if you put in too much you over shadow the story and if you don’t enter the detail just right the story becomes boring and too tedious to plow through; if you don’t put in enough the story doesn’t sound real enough or reads amateurish, so the key is to put in just enough, the right kind, to make sure the story is solid so the details run so seamlessly through it the reader doesn’t notice and if they do its complimentary; so like I said, detailing a story is a tricky business. For me to get around this “trickiness” I read some of my favorite writers and I've found that though they detail very well, they sacrifice most of it for great story and I work on doing the same.
Write and keep at it,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
A few minutes ago I got a phone call from someone who read You Don’t Know Me and she let me know she really enjoyed it and gave it to her friend who enjoyed it as well and asked when the next would come out; her phone call I can tell you, made my week and it does help with the writing.
I’m writing and listening to books on tape, the book is The Terror by Dan Simmons, very, very good and its twenty-two disks, yet I've listened to each one and I’m now re-listening to the first disks to put in context everything I’ve read—listened to. One of the interesting things about the novel is its serious detail. The Terror is the fictional story of a ship called The Terror who in 1845 as part of the Franklin Expedition, gets stuck in the Arctic Circle which is bad enough but added to this misery the crew and those of its sister ship are being slaughtered by a beast. The novel is filled with details about how the ship works and looks, how a working ship faces ice, how the ship is piloted and so on, all interesting because the writer doesn’t pommel you with the details yet its full of them, even minute ones.
Details in a novel are necessary and tricky for any writer I believe, no matter how much experience you have; if you put in too much you over shadow the story and if you don’t enter the detail just right the story becomes boring and too tedious to plow through; if you don’t put in enough the story doesn’t sound real enough or reads amateurish, so the key is to put in just enough, the right kind, to make sure the story is solid so the details run so seamlessly through it the reader doesn’t notice and if they do its complimentary; so like I said, detailing a story is a tricky business. For me to get around this “trickiness” I read some of my favorite writers and I've found that though they detail very well, they sacrifice most of it for great story and I work on doing the same.
Write and keep at it,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday to you,
Do you do all you have to do for your writing or to get it recognized? It could be a lot of work involved when you’re already writing all and when you can. I’m talking about submitting your work to relevant contests, applying for artistic grants, sending out press kits and information to get your work known, talking to people about your novel, holding book signings—a host of things to get people talking about your book and characters; it’s a job in itself. I try to promote my book a little each day in some form, today I’m sending a copy out to my brother-in-law, a soldier in the United States Army stationed in Afghanistan, he requested a signed book so along with it I’m also sending post cards I hope he'll give to his fellow soldiers who will want to read the book; I’m offering a free copy to anyone of them along with the free download available at Lulu.com. My local newspaper, The Plain Dealer, is doing an occasional story on local artists, writers and their Muse, I submitted an e-mail offering the story of my novel and Muse and also had friends submit for me, I’m hoping my story is chosen, it would be great publicity for the book.
Whether any of my efforts pan out who knows, yet I keep trying to get the word out every day, it's part of this book thing and the fact you want to give your novel and characters every chance to be heard. Yet, what really makes all your efforts worth while is the knowledge you do have a book out there you love and feel is worth promoting no matter what you have to do and while you’re doing all this; you’re writing the next.
Write always and always keep the faith,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Do you do all you have to do for your writing or to get it recognized? It could be a lot of work involved when you’re already writing all and when you can. I’m talking about submitting your work to relevant contests, applying for artistic grants, sending out press kits and information to get your work known, talking to people about your novel, holding book signings—a host of things to get people talking about your book and characters; it’s a job in itself. I try to promote my book a little each day in some form, today I’m sending a copy out to my brother-in-law, a soldier in the United States Army stationed in Afghanistan, he requested a signed book so along with it I’m also sending post cards I hope he'll give to his fellow soldiers who will want to read the book; I’m offering a free copy to anyone of them along with the free download available at Lulu.com. My local newspaper, The Plain Dealer, is doing an occasional story on local artists, writers and their Muse, I submitted an e-mail offering the story of my novel and Muse and also had friends submit for me, I’m hoping my story is chosen, it would be great publicity for the book.
Whether any of my efforts pan out who knows, yet I keep trying to get the word out every day, it's part of this book thing and the fact you want to give your novel and characters every chance to be heard. Yet, what really makes all your efforts worth while is the knowledge you do have a book out there you love and feel is worth promoting no matter what you have to do and while you’re doing all this; you’re writing the next.
Write always and always keep the faith,
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Hello, it’s Thursday instead of Friday, like you didn’t know it,
I have solicited—doesn’t that sound awful though funny--another book review from a reviewer on Amazon.com for You Don’t Know Me. Shouldn’t I be done with getting book reviews or recommendations for that novel? I would like to say yes, but I know I never will. The one thing I’ve found about having a book in the world, you’re always building it up, getting it a stellar c.v. and will do it for the rest of your life and especially for it’s immediate future because you want millions to read it and to get them to do so, others have to have read it and pronounced it good—or bad; I’ve heard a bad review isn’t sometimes bad—prompting others to want to check it out.
I of course want a good review to add to the one I have from Mr. Lecard because as we all know, a good review is just that and I believe it does help. You have to go after them and as self-published writers; we have to go after them much harder than someone who published traditionally because self-published doesn’t have an entire publishing house helping and backing their work which is not at all a bad thing; working hard gets the writing done to your own satisfaction and you have to work just as hard on all other aspects of having a self-published novel out because for the most part; it’s you and you alone driving it toward success.
Are you reading anything while you’re writing? I just picked up a historical novel titled The Terror by Dan Simmons and it’s not bad, rather good; interesting details mixed with an intriguing storyline.
I love writing; you probably got that by now.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I have solicited—doesn’t that sound awful though funny--another book review from a reviewer on Amazon.com for You Don’t Know Me. Shouldn’t I be done with getting book reviews or recommendations for that novel? I would like to say yes, but I know I never will. The one thing I’ve found about having a book in the world, you’re always building it up, getting it a stellar c.v. and will do it for the rest of your life and especially for it’s immediate future because you want millions to read it and to get them to do so, others have to have read it and pronounced it good—or bad; I’ve heard a bad review isn’t sometimes bad—prompting others to want to check it out.
I of course want a good review to add to the one I have from Mr. Lecard because as we all know, a good review is just that and I believe it does help. You have to go after them and as self-published writers; we have to go after them much harder than someone who published traditionally because self-published doesn’t have an entire publishing house helping and backing their work which is not at all a bad thing; working hard gets the writing done to your own satisfaction and you have to work just as hard on all other aspects of having a self-published novel out because for the most part; it’s you and you alone driving it toward success.
Are you reading anything while you’re writing? I just picked up a historical novel titled The Terror by Dan Simmons and it’s not bad, rather good; interesting details mixed with an intriguing storyline.
I love writing; you probably got that by now.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Hello,
It’s a busy Friday as usual but I wanted to get my blog out; it’s important to me to be as consistent as possible on getting it out each week. Consistency is important to me and especially in my writing life. Now, that the book is out I have been told “you published a book, that’s great” or “you should be so proud to have a book out”. I’m thankful for all my well wishes but I think every time, “…a book or the book”, one book, my goal is five, ten or fifteen books though it has to start at one but oh, I can’t wait to get past “the one” and have two, three, etc out in the world; this I have to consistently work on day-by-day, it’s the only way and it will accept no less from myself. I’m working on the second novel and getting it done--I have to--prolific I don’t believe I’ll be, yet steady, CONSISTENT, and putting out my best work in the world yearly, I’ll do it because it makes me happy and it’s a blessing to do it and I’m glad to be so blessed.
Write always.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
It’s a busy Friday as usual but I wanted to get my blog out; it’s important to me to be as consistent as possible on getting it out each week. Consistency is important to me and especially in my writing life. Now, that the book is out I have been told “you published a book, that’s great” or “you should be so proud to have a book out”. I’m thankful for all my well wishes but I think every time, “…a book or the book”, one book, my goal is five, ten or fifteen books though it has to start at one but oh, I can’t wait to get past “the one” and have two, three, etc out in the world; this I have to consistently work on day-by-day, it’s the only way and it will accept no less from myself. I’m working on the second novel and getting it done--I have to--prolific I don’t believe I’ll be, yet steady, CONSISTENT, and putting out my best work in the world yearly, I’ll do it because it makes me happy and it’s a blessing to do it and I’m glad to be so blessed.
Write always.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hello and I hope you have a fun weekend,
For a number of people—me included—this will be a holiday with time off, but for me it doesn’t mean I will not write, I hope to write more because I’ll have a little extra time to do so though it's so easy to procrastinate at writing isn't it? I know you understand; sometimes it’s as easy as breathing. I can come up with a thousand chores, excuses and reasons not to write even when the time is there, yet it’s takes a huge effort on my part to sit down in front of the blank page--even a half-filled page—and do it.
Fear, is the reason I mostly procrastinate and why fear? Of not getting my ideas across, of writing too slowly, of not knowing what I’m writing about and other issues that are not true issues just my imagination coming up with any kind of reason not to write. Though in the end, none of it matters because I do manage to overcome procrastination; move my mountain of excuses aside and write, its not easy and sometimes I have to grit my teeth to do it but I do it for a number of reasons: I can’t help myself, I love to write; the story has to be told and I need to tell it and my writing is one of the ways I define myself and to not do it is not an option. I’ll be writing during my holiday and deep, deep down, enjoying it immensely; you do the same.
Keep writing and see you next week.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
For a number of people—me included—this will be a holiday with time off, but for me it doesn’t mean I will not write, I hope to write more because I’ll have a little extra time to do so though it's so easy to procrastinate at writing isn't it? I know you understand; sometimes it’s as easy as breathing. I can come up with a thousand chores, excuses and reasons not to write even when the time is there, yet it’s takes a huge effort on my part to sit down in front of the blank page--even a half-filled page—and do it.
Fear, is the reason I mostly procrastinate and why fear? Of not getting my ideas across, of writing too slowly, of not knowing what I’m writing about and other issues that are not true issues just my imagination coming up with any kind of reason not to write. Though in the end, none of it matters because I do manage to overcome procrastination; move my mountain of excuses aside and write, its not easy and sometimes I have to grit my teeth to do it but I do it for a number of reasons: I can’t help myself, I love to write; the story has to be told and I need to tell it and my writing is one of the ways I define myself and to not do it is not an option. I’ll be writing during my holiday and deep, deep down, enjoying it immensely; you do the same.
Keep writing and see you next week.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
***************************************************************************************************
Excerpt from
Begin at the End
The Second in the Owen Story Trilogy
Chapter 1
It was a beautiful New York City day for the Eighty-First Annual Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade, an event that had become a tradition for people around the world. The temperature was a balmy thirty-five degrees, the sky a clear winter wash blue with a touch of sun. All along the route from Seventy-Seventh Street to Seventh Avenue people dressed in their winter warms laughed and shouted as they enjoyed the sheer camaraderie of watching a parade.
The crowd hadn’t really come to see the B list celebrity entertainers, the spunky dance numbers, the high school marching bands or even the spectacular floats that sailed overhead, they’d come as strangers to stand together in the cold early morning light to catch a glimpse of the true star of the show; the man who’s recognized as the ultimate ubiquitous symbol of commercial getting and giving, the one and only Santa Claus who’s arrival would not only signify the end of this year’s parade but the official beginning of the race to the finish line of the holiday shopping season.
Thousands watched the show on the street while millions watched it from their homes in front of their television sets or on their computer screens while they listened to the mildly interesting commentary tossed off by the NBC hosts Meredith Viera and Matt Lauer who, in their warm enclosed booth at Herald Square were trying valiantly to ratchet up the excitement for the arrival of the main attraction.
“We’ve been so lucky the promised rain has held off,” said Ms. Vieira who smiled with perfect teeth at the viewers. “An icy cold shower would’ve just ruined the parade.”
“Yes, we’ve been lucky so far and luckier still because this is the largest crowd since ninety-seventy-five so there’s hundreds of officers out there to keep everyone safe; a phenomenal effort,” said Mr. Lauer who flashed his own set of capped pearly whites to the world. “But I predict no matter what happens no one would miss the arrival of the man himself.”
“Folks, here he comes approaching Herald Square. Oh, my goodness doesn’t he look wonderful,” Ms. Vieira bounced in her seat. “He looks exactly like the jolly happy Santa I remember from my childhood.”
“He’s just stopped in front of the decorated windows of Macy’s department store officially ending the parade folks,” added Mr. Lauer. “The red nose, the red plush coat fronted by white fur—”
“I hope that’s not real fur?” Ms. Vieira cut in her smile losing a couple of wattages as her eyes narrowed on Father Christmas.
“If it is, he’s not going to be sliding down any PETA chimneys this year,” answered her co-host with a plastic chuckle.
Television screens all over the world were presented with the real time image of a huge red Christmas sleigh filled with wrapped presents and seated among the bounty children of all ages waving at the crowd. High above them on a throne sat Santa Claus, with one hand he held on to white reigns attached to imaginary flying reindeer while he waved with the other. The crowd shouted and waved back as if he were the Second Coming.
He was dressed in the traditional Santa suit complete with jaunty red hat, wide black belt with large gold buckle and black knee-high boots but what hit home to all the viewers in television land as well as those gazing at him from the streets was that he did look like everyone’s ideal fairy-tale image of Father Christmas, a white man with a long white beard, rosy cheeks, a round fleshiness to his stout body and wearing a smile of what looked like innocent joy.
He stood atop the magnificent sleigh handing down packages to eager hands. As he picked up a gold wrapped present and straightened, his grin suddenly broke and disappeared. The package dropped from his fingers as the fur lining the front of his coat went from cloud white to crimson red to match the rest of his suit. He fell back onto the throne, shocked surprise on his face as the huge shouting laughing crowd around him went silent.
“What was that?” Mr. Lauer’s alarmed voice came over as the image of the slumped Santa was frozen to screens. “What happened? Anyone see what happened?”
“You see that?” Ms. Vieira’s voice was heard loud and afraid.
Before the stunned world-wide audience Santa lay slumped until the top of the throne and his head disintegrated in blood and wood that sent him over the side of the sleigh.
“Gun,” someone yelled.
Pandemonium in the streets.
Excerpt from
Begin at the End
The Second in the Owen Story Trilogy
Chapter 1
It was a beautiful New York City day for the Eighty-First Annual Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade, an event that had become a tradition for people around the world. The temperature was a balmy thirty-five degrees, the sky a clear winter wash blue with a touch of sun. All along the route from Seventy-Seventh Street to Seventh Avenue people dressed in their winter warms laughed and shouted as they enjoyed the sheer camaraderie of watching a parade.
The crowd hadn’t really come to see the B list celebrity entertainers, the spunky dance numbers, the high school marching bands or even the spectacular floats that sailed overhead, they’d come as strangers to stand together in the cold early morning light to catch a glimpse of the true star of the show; the man who’s recognized as the ultimate ubiquitous symbol of commercial getting and giving, the one and only Santa Claus who’s arrival would not only signify the end of this year’s parade but the official beginning of the race to the finish line of the holiday shopping season.
Thousands watched the show on the street while millions watched it from their homes in front of their television sets or on their computer screens while they listened to the mildly interesting commentary tossed off by the NBC hosts Meredith Viera and Matt Lauer who, in their warm enclosed booth at Herald Square were trying valiantly to ratchet up the excitement for the arrival of the main attraction.
“We’ve been so lucky the promised rain has held off,” said Ms. Vieira who smiled with perfect teeth at the viewers. “An icy cold shower would’ve just ruined the parade.”
“Yes, we’ve been lucky so far and luckier still because this is the largest crowd since ninety-seventy-five so there’s hundreds of officers out there to keep everyone safe; a phenomenal effort,” said Mr. Lauer who flashed his own set of capped pearly whites to the world. “But I predict no matter what happens no one would miss the arrival of the man himself.”
“Folks, here he comes approaching Herald Square. Oh, my goodness doesn’t he look wonderful,” Ms. Vieira bounced in her seat. “He looks exactly like the jolly happy Santa I remember from my childhood.”
“He’s just stopped in front of the decorated windows of Macy’s department store officially ending the parade folks,” added Mr. Lauer. “The red nose, the red plush coat fronted by white fur—”
“I hope that’s not real fur?” Ms. Vieira cut in her smile losing a couple of wattages as her eyes narrowed on Father Christmas.
“If it is, he’s not going to be sliding down any PETA chimneys this year,” answered her co-host with a plastic chuckle.
Television screens all over the world were presented with the real time image of a huge red Christmas sleigh filled with wrapped presents and seated among the bounty children of all ages waving at the crowd. High above them on a throne sat Santa Claus, with one hand he held on to white reigns attached to imaginary flying reindeer while he waved with the other. The crowd shouted and waved back as if he were the Second Coming.
He was dressed in the traditional Santa suit complete with jaunty red hat, wide black belt with large gold buckle and black knee-high boots but what hit home to all the viewers in television land as well as those gazing at him from the streets was that he did look like everyone’s ideal fairy-tale image of Father Christmas, a white man with a long white beard, rosy cheeks, a round fleshiness to his stout body and wearing a smile of what looked like innocent joy.
He stood atop the magnificent sleigh handing down packages to eager hands. As he picked up a gold wrapped present and straightened, his grin suddenly broke and disappeared. The package dropped from his fingers as the fur lining the front of his coat went from cloud white to crimson red to match the rest of his suit. He fell back onto the throne, shocked surprise on his face as the huge shouting laughing crowd around him went silent.
“What was that?” Mr. Lauer’s alarmed voice came over as the image of the slumped Santa was frozen to screens. “What happened? Anyone see what happened?”
“You see that?” Ms. Vieira’s voice was heard loud and afraid.
Before the stunned world-wide audience Santa lay slumped until the top of the throne and his head disintegrated in blood and wood that sent him over the side of the sleigh.
“Gun,” someone yelled.
Pandemonium in the streets.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Hello and early post,
I had my first book signing last Saturday at my local Barnes and Noble and though I worked myself up to a fit of nervousness, I have to tell you it was all for nothing, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, I had Fun with a capital: F-U-N.
Why was it fun and not as traumatic as I knew it would be? It wasn’t because of me, I was still nervous, a few minutes late and forgot my cards and handouts, what made all this not important, was the folks who showed up to support me and the novel; friends I hadn’t seen in years, new friends, folks who had heard about the novel or seen me on the television interview, folks I work with—it was wonderful to see everyone and to have their good wishes. I sold books in between —always a plus right—but having such fun and enjoying my first book signing with good vibes all around was a revelation and I hope it’s the template for my future book signings. I have to make sure of it; that they are a great experience not just for me but for those who make the time to come and buy my novel, it’s the least I can do and it would be a thank you to them for their faith in my work which I hope they read and enjoy.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I had my first book signing last Saturday at my local Barnes and Noble and though I worked myself up to a fit of nervousness, I have to tell you it was all for nothing, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, I had Fun with a capital: F-U-N.
Why was it fun and not as traumatic as I knew it would be? It wasn’t because of me, I was still nervous, a few minutes late and forgot my cards and handouts, what made all this not important, was the folks who showed up to support me and the novel; friends I hadn’t seen in years, new friends, folks who had heard about the novel or seen me on the television interview, folks I work with—it was wonderful to see everyone and to have their good wishes. I sold books in between —always a plus right—but having such fun and enjoying my first book signing with good vibes all around was a revelation and I hope it’s the template for my future book signings. I have to make sure of it; that they are a great experience not just for me but for those who make the time to come and buy my novel, it’s the least I can do and it would be a thank you to them for their faith in my work which I hope they read and enjoy.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
I told you at our last visit I was reading the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac Mccarthy http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/s, it’s a terrific tale and I mean tale in the sense of the spell binding, long lost lore telling fashion that has kept generations of writers w—I believe Mr. Cormac is a master of story telling because he is only spare on the not-necessaries: over punctuation, he doesn’t use quotations around characters words, he just lets them speak; character description, Mr. Cormac lets the characters paint the pictures of themselves in your mind by what they say and how they say it, so each one stands out and you know which one you’re reading about immediately. And his description of the world, the land, these folks are from and live in, you not only read about it but its as if you feel it, smell it; the cold river Llewelyn jumps into to save his life, the water stinging his bullet wounds or feel yourself reaching for the mountains the sheriff looks toward that seem a million miles away as they stand in silent judgment of you and all before—finding us wanting in every way--as he ponders what kind of human monsters he’s up against.
Mr. Cormac takes liberty with structure, he has earned the right to do so, he’s brave to do and it works beautifully and he does it for story alone which is a gift. He is a storyteller in its most meaningful term and its few like him still around to our detriment. There is such much to think about, love and rejoice in when reading a novel like No Country for Old Men and it helps me with my writing in the sense, I want to reach my special place in writing where story is king, a handsome, kind, sad and riveting king, but king nevertheless; Mr. Cormac has reached his special place.
Talk to you soon.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I told you at our last visit I was reading the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac Mccarthy http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/s, it’s a terrific tale and I mean tale in the sense of the spell binding, long lost lore telling fashion that has kept generations of writers w—I believe Mr. Cormac is a master of story telling because he is only spare on the not-necessaries: over punctuation, he doesn’t use quotations around characters words, he just lets them speak; character description, Mr. Cormac lets the characters paint the pictures of themselves in your mind by what they say and how they say it, so each one stands out and you know which one you’re reading about immediately. And his description of the world, the land, these folks are from and live in, you not only read about it but its as if you feel it, smell it; the cold river Llewelyn jumps into to save his life, the water stinging his bullet wounds or feel yourself reaching for the mountains the sheriff looks toward that seem a million miles away as they stand in silent judgment of you and all before—finding us wanting in every way--as he ponders what kind of human monsters he’s up against.
Mr. Cormac takes liberty with structure, he has earned the right to do so, he’s brave to do and it works beautifully and he does it for story alone which is a gift. He is a storyteller in its most meaningful term and its few like him still around to our detriment. There is such much to think about, love and rejoice in when reading a novel like No Country for Old Men and it helps me with my writing in the sense, I want to reach my special place in writing where story is king, a handsome, kind, sad and riveting king, but king nevertheless; Mr. Cormac has reached his special place.
Talk to you soon.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Hello,
Remember when I told you I was reading non-fiction as well as fiction? I'm still doing so but I've halted my non-fiction reading for a day or two because I've been overtaken by a fiction work I just cannot put down, it's No Country For Old Men by Cormac Mccarthy. I know the movie has been out for a long while, but I just happened to pick up the book and fell right into it. In this novel do I find no truer term than "the book is always better than the movie". The novel is outstanding and I'll tell you why next week.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Remember when I told you I was reading non-fiction as well as fiction? I'm still doing so but I've halted my non-fiction reading for a day or two because I've been overtaken by a fiction work I just cannot put down, it's No Country For Old Men by Cormac Mccarthy. I know the movie has been out for a long while, but I just happened to pick up the book and fell right into it. In this novel do I find no truer term than "the book is always better than the movie". The novel is outstanding and I'll tell you why next week.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Friday, April 25, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday--again,
I’m writing—I have to—but I’m also doing a lot of reading and not just fiction, non-fiction as well, and it’s wonderful. I usually don’t read much non-fiction because I believed (or once believed) most especially the scientific works would be above my head—too intellectual—or worst; boring. But I’ve found it not to be true by seeking out books I find deeply interesting and are written on a level that’s down to earth and understandable and if a good story is throw in them I’m sold.
For example, I read this great book titled: Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia and the Biggest Bank Heist in US History. Now, with a title like that I couldn’t keep away from it and I found to my delight it was a terrific narrative for a number of reasons, one; it was written with Phil Christopher, the main character of the story telling about his life in his own words, the author of the novel, Rick Porello, jumped in now and again but he let Mr. Christopher tell his own tale and it made for easy and enticing reading learning about Mr. Christopher and his criminal adventures. Two, Mr. Christopher was from my hometown and named many places I knew which kept me turning the pages because of the familiarity as if he were a neighbor--a crooked neighbor--but a neighbor just telling me his story, an absolute great read.
Another title: Satan’s Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption and New York’s Trial of the Century, it sounds so great I hope it lives up to my expectations. Bottom line, it’s all non-fiction and what it has in common that makes me so eager to read them is that the topic of each novel is intriguing, they are written in a concise and not overwhelming manner and are about topics I find interesting,this combination makes me look forward to devouring the next and the next knowing I’ll learn in the bargain as well as be delighted by the larger than life stories.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
I’m writing—I have to—but I’m also doing a lot of reading and not just fiction, non-fiction as well, and it’s wonderful. I usually don’t read much non-fiction because I believed (or once believed) most especially the scientific works would be above my head—too intellectual—or worst; boring. But I’ve found it not to be true by seeking out books I find deeply interesting and are written on a level that’s down to earth and understandable and if a good story is throw in them I’m sold.
For example, I read this great book titled: Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia and the Biggest Bank Heist in US History. Now, with a title like that I couldn’t keep away from it and I found to my delight it was a terrific narrative for a number of reasons, one; it was written with Phil Christopher, the main character of the story telling about his life in his own words, the author of the novel, Rick Porello, jumped in now and again but he let Mr. Christopher tell his own tale and it made for easy and enticing reading learning about Mr. Christopher and his criminal adventures. Two, Mr. Christopher was from my hometown and named many places I knew which kept me turning the pages because of the familiarity as if he were a neighbor--a crooked neighbor--but a neighbor just telling me his story, an absolute great read.
Another title: Satan’s Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption and New York’s Trial of the Century, it sounds so great I hope it lives up to my expectations. Bottom line, it’s all non-fiction and what it has in common that makes me so eager to read them is that the topic of each novel is intriguing, they are written in a concise and not overwhelming manner and are about topics I find interesting,this combination makes me look forward to devouring the next and the next knowing I’ll learn in the bargain as well as be delighted by the larger than life stories.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Hello and Happy Friday,
I promised two posts today because I forgot to publish last weeks, I created it but forgot to click publish the post; sometimes my mind just gets away from me. Well anyway, here's the first of today's posts and I promise to make them brief since you get double the post and double the fun.
I of course know very little about the things I love to write about so need help on many occasions. A few weeks ago I found D.P. Lyle, a physician, who's also an award winning writer, a consultant to crime and medical shows and who hosts a site called The Writers Forensic Community -- D.P. Lyle, MD The Writers Medical and Forensic Lab http://www.dplylemd.com , you have to review his site because the assistance he provides is outstanding. I sent a question to him about Owen who lands in a terrible situation in the second novel and if he could die in this situation and Dr. Lyle not only answered my question in the same day, what really put the icing on the cake was that he thinks both as a doctor and as a writer; he was able to give me a few points on why this or that couldn't work in the story plus answer my medical questions.
Having someone willing to help and is as informative as Dr. Lyle is invaluable to us writers; especially writers who want to make sure what we put out there to our readers-- though fiction is close to fact making the experience of our stories as real to the readers as we can get.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
I promised two posts today because I forgot to publish last weeks, I created it but forgot to click publish the post; sometimes my mind just gets away from me. Well anyway, here's the first of today's posts and I promise to make them brief since you get double the post and double the fun.
I of course know very little about the things I love to write about so need help on many occasions. A few weeks ago I found D.P. Lyle, a physician, who's also an award winning writer, a consultant to crime and medical shows and who hosts a site called The Writers Forensic Community -- D.P. Lyle, MD The Writers Medical and Forensic Lab http://www.dplylemd.com , you have to review his site because the assistance he provides is outstanding. I sent a question to him about Owen who lands in a terrible situation in the second novel and if he could die in this situation and Dr. Lyle not only answered my question in the same day, what really put the icing on the cake was that he thinks both as a doctor and as a writer; he was able to give me a few points on why this or that couldn't work in the story plus answer my medical questions.
Having someone willing to help and is as informative as Dr. Lyle is invaluable to us writers; especially writers who want to make sure what we put out there to our readers-- though fiction is close to fact making the experience of our stories as real to the readers as we can get.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
I just sent an e-mail to Ms. Karen Long; he book editor for my city’s main newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Ms. Long and I have written a few e-mails back and forth because I’m asking if she'd consider reviewing, You Don’t Know Me. I sent the book to her (along with my press kit) a few months ago but didn’t hear a thing. A couple of weeks ago I got up the nerve to send her an e-mail and she responded. Ms. Long let me know she receives three to four hundred books—published by traditional press mostly—weekly, can you believe it? So, if any self-published show up in the count they are out of luck for that reason and for another, she does not normally review self-published novels. Yet, Ms. Long let me know if I sent her the book again she would give it a second look; I wonder if she’d given it a first and didn't like what she saw?
Anyway, I sent the book last week and of course haven’t heard a word. I let Ms. Long know I would accept a good or bad review; the bad, because I believe Stephen King (I could be wrong) said, " A review is a review—someone’s paying attention--and you can learn from them all." Between you and me, I’m on the glass-is-half-empty side when it comes to the review; I don’t expect a good one for a number of reasons, some not based on fact, most on feelings. On the fact side, a number of people go to self-published work with the already established belief it will not be good, though I don’t know if Ms. Long falls into this category as a well-renowned book editor, I can’t imagine she does, though you never know. I don’t want to expect a good review because the chances I will get a good one are not very good—too many goods; but its how I’m feeling. And oh my God, if I get a bad review and every one sees it, terrible. Oh well, it’s what I asked for and I’ll have to get over it. Lastly, Ms. Long may not want to review it at all, making all my angst for not.
I did a cable tv interview for the book on Wednesday and wasn’t frozen nervous while doing it, I was able to talk about the book so folks could understand what I was saying and surprisingly for my first television interview, it was fun. I will be hosting a book signing next month at my local Barnes and Nobles and I’m looking forward to it and not trying to worry too much that only my family and friends will show, I’m going to try to make it the best signing I’ll ever have (I mentioned this last week) I mean it. About the review, if it’s done (a possible big if) I know for sure it’ll be good or bad so it's best I concentrate on what I can control, that those readers who see the interview or come to the book signing; know I’ve written the best book I could and that they should take a chance on it because it will be worth their time.
Keep at the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I just sent an e-mail to Ms. Karen Long; he book editor for my city’s main newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Ms. Long and I have written a few e-mails back and forth because I’m asking if she'd consider reviewing, You Don’t Know Me. I sent the book to her (along with my press kit) a few months ago but didn’t hear a thing. A couple of weeks ago I got up the nerve to send her an e-mail and she responded. Ms. Long let me know she receives three to four hundred books—published by traditional press mostly—weekly, can you believe it? So, if any self-published show up in the count they are out of luck for that reason and for another, she does not normally review self-published novels. Yet, Ms. Long let me know if I sent her the book again she would give it a second look; I wonder if she’d given it a first and didn't like what she saw?
Anyway, I sent the book last week and of course haven’t heard a word. I let Ms. Long know I would accept a good or bad review; the bad, because I believe Stephen King (I could be wrong) said, " A review is a review—someone’s paying attention--and you can learn from them all." Between you and me, I’m on the glass-is-half-empty side when it comes to the review; I don’t expect a good one for a number of reasons, some not based on fact, most on feelings. On the fact side, a number of people go to self-published work with the already established belief it will not be good, though I don’t know if Ms. Long falls into this category as a well-renowned book editor, I can’t imagine she does, though you never know. I don’t want to expect a good review because the chances I will get a good one are not very good—too many goods; but its how I’m feeling. And oh my God, if I get a bad review and every one sees it, terrible. Oh well, it’s what I asked for and I’ll have to get over it. Lastly, Ms. Long may not want to review it at all, making all my angst for not.
I did a cable tv interview for the book on Wednesday and wasn’t frozen nervous while doing it, I was able to talk about the book so folks could understand what I was saying and surprisingly for my first television interview, it was fun. I will be hosting a book signing next month at my local Barnes and Nobles and I’m looking forward to it and not trying to worry too much that only my family and friends will show, I’m going to try to make it the best signing I’ll ever have (I mentioned this last week) I mean it. About the review, if it’s done (a possible big if) I know for sure it’ll be good or bad so it's best I concentrate on what I can control, that those readers who see the interview or come to the book signing; know I’ve written the best book I could and that they should take a chance on it because it will be worth their time.
Keep at the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Hello,
I’m apprehensive today because of something I have to do next month, my first book signing. I’m nervous which is understandable; it’ll be my first but what makes me wring my hands is that I’m not going to be doing the signing alone, but with another writer named Kimberly Mckenzie (http://www.booksbykim.com). I checked out her site which is pretty nice and read about her first novel and the announcement that she has four more ready for future publication. She appears to be a very smart person, a seasoned and ambitious writer; so, I’ve been picturing the session and the picture has not been perfect.
I see Ms. McKenzie having people lined up at the door to sign her novel and she's so poised and confident as she works her crowd while I’m the opposite, near paralyzed with out a reader in sight. Okay, my imagination is working over time as usual; the only things that quell my nervousness-turning-to-sick-nervousness are a couple of points: she and I write different types of novels; I write crime/mystery/thriller fiction and she appears to write more African-American romance novels; I may pull in the mystery readers and she the romance; the day of the signing will be a day before Mother’s Day and people might take a chance on picking up something new and fresh to read to give as presents to their moms and give my novel go and lastly, I will be getting the word out as much as I can about my book before the session to bring in people (I hope) who are eager to read about Owen and his trials and tribulations.
So should I still feel nervous about my first signing? Of course; I can’t help it; I’ll feel this way until its over, but what I must do is make this the first of the best book signings I'll ever have, push the nervousness out, smile, and act as if I hadn’t a worry in the world all in the name of selling novels and more importantly, finding readers who will love the novel and the future ones.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I’m apprehensive today because of something I have to do next month, my first book signing. I’m nervous which is understandable; it’ll be my first but what makes me wring my hands is that I’m not going to be doing the signing alone, but with another writer named Kimberly Mckenzie (http://www.booksbykim.com). I checked out her site which is pretty nice and read about her first novel and the announcement that she has four more ready for future publication. She appears to be a very smart person, a seasoned and ambitious writer; so, I’ve been picturing the session and the picture has not been perfect.
I see Ms. McKenzie having people lined up at the door to sign her novel and she's so poised and confident as she works her crowd while I’m the opposite, near paralyzed with out a reader in sight. Okay, my imagination is working over time as usual; the only things that quell my nervousness-turning-to-sick-nervousness are a couple of points: she and I write different types of novels; I write crime/mystery/thriller fiction and she appears to write more African-American romance novels; I may pull in the mystery readers and she the romance; the day of the signing will be a day before Mother’s Day and people might take a chance on picking up something new and fresh to read to give as presents to their moms and give my novel go and lastly, I will be getting the word out as much as I can about my book before the session to bring in people (I hope) who are eager to read about Owen and his trials and tribulations.
So should I still feel nervous about my first signing? Of course; I can’t help it; I’ll feel this way until its over, but what I must do is make this the first of the best book signings I'll ever have, push the nervousness out, smile, and act as if I hadn’t a worry in the world all in the name of selling novels and more importantly, finding readers who will love the novel and the future ones.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
I’m working on publicity for You Don’t Know Me and I've committed to a book signing at my local Barnes and Noble in July or August, I have to secure the date because it’ll be along with another local writer. This will be my first signing at a book store and I of course don’t have much experience on what is needed to make a book signing a great one, though I’m sure the book store will advise me and I will “research” it of course.
As a matter of fact, I was going through some back issues of Writer’s Digest Magazine and found exactly what I needed, an article on how to work a book signing; it was right on time with some great pointers; but what really surprised me, was reading an article I really could use. It’s not that I haven’t gotten some wonderful and useful information from articles and stories I’ve read over the years in Writer’s Digest and The Writer Magazine: pieces on grammar, structure and plotting; advice from famous writers or lists of places to send my writing, its just this was the first time I needed advice on what to do when you've got an actual novel out in the world. Usually I’m devouring the stories on how to write, not those on what to do after you’ve written and published; I’m moving forward and I’m thrilled by it.
One book down. Now for the second one and the rest!
Write, write, write.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I’m working on publicity for You Don’t Know Me and I've committed to a book signing at my local Barnes and Noble in July or August, I have to secure the date because it’ll be along with another local writer. This will be my first signing at a book store and I of course don’t have much experience on what is needed to make a book signing a great one, though I’m sure the book store will advise me and I will “research” it of course.
As a matter of fact, I was going through some back issues of Writer’s Digest Magazine and found exactly what I needed, an article on how to work a book signing; it was right on time with some great pointers; but what really surprised me, was reading an article I really could use. It’s not that I haven’t gotten some wonderful and useful information from articles and stories I’ve read over the years in Writer’s Digest and The Writer Magazine: pieces on grammar, structure and plotting; advice from famous writers or lists of places to send my writing, its just this was the first time I needed advice on what to do when you've got an actual novel out in the world. Usually I’m devouring the stories on how to write, not those on what to do after you’ve written and published; I’m moving forward and I’m thrilled by it.
One book down. Now for the second one and the rest!
Write, write, write.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
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