Hello,

I don’t talk very much about research though it’s important and it’s been on my mind because I’ve been asked, “How did you know about this or that? Or, “Where did you come by that information?” I always give the same answer, “Reading” meaning; research and though I don’t love it, I just realized I don’t mine it either because it’s a total necessity for me. I am not a rocket scientist and the subjects I love writing about I know almost nothing about, actually less than nothing so I have no choice but to learn all I can about my topic, yet the great thing about this is that what I need to know about I am one-hundred percent interested in which makes the learning, the research not a problem.

For the second novel in the Owen Story trilogy I had to learn about Gulag and found this was the name of the state system that developed the harsh prison system, not the name of the prison camps, it just eventually came to be that the camps themselves became known as the Gulag or Gulags, and reading about the history of the system kept me glued to the pages until I read numerous articles on the subject, it was riveting—at least to me. I’m blessed to write stories with very surprising plot points, twists and turns and steady prose I find interesting, wonderful and feel the reader will find just as terrific.

The research, the reading, the learning is just part of the deal and it makes my stories all the more real, believable and true which is exactly what I look for in the stories I choose to take my time—which is so precious to us all—to experience and hopefully, love.

Write.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello and happy Friday!!!

Happy to make it to this day to write to you; I just love writing in mostly all its forms. I have signed up to take editing and grammar classes in July at Cleveland State University; both are one day classes and I’m looking forward to them. I can always use a brush up. While writing I sometimes come across a piece in my work whose idea I need to get across perfectly but can’t find the words to convey what I mean because my vocabulary isn’t that large or my understanding of certain words and how to use them isn’t that great, so taking a grammar class at anytime is a plus for me.

And editing, it’s extremely hard for me to self-edit which is the case for most writers I believe. I am so bad at self-editing my work, I take it to the extreme by getting rid of things that are useful and possible crucial to the story because I’m afraid of being too wordy or using three words when one could do or paragraphs that have more than eight sentences, I cut most everything which is not the way to edit. So by taking a course on editing (and grammar) every chance I get, I can brush up on what I know and learn what I don’t so that when I approach the editing process it will be with less trepidation.

And its never too late to learn something new, a better way to do something especially when it comes to writing because for me; I always want to improve so that my writing is so seamless to the reader he is joyfully amazed at the story as a whole and only by knowing what I’m doing grammatically or learn what to keep in or take out can I leave my readers with that great experience.

Write well.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello, how are you this Friday?

I listened to an interview yesterday with Dennis Lehane, the writer of Mystic River, http://www.dennislehanebooks.com. It was a good one, informative for two reasons: first, Mr. Lehane had a hard time talking about his work, his writing process and at first you would’ve thought it was because he was nervous—he was and it came through (most writers have trouble talking about themselves)—but I believe it was more, its hard to talk about writing, your writing and how you do it because most times writers don’t have a clue how its done. The mechanics, yes; you sit down in front of the blank page and get on with it; the getting on with it is the mystery.

I have been asked the questions: “How did you know what would happen next? How did you come up with that character and what he should be doing?” The true answers to those questions are involved, my fist answer is: “I haven’t a clue” the next “it’s complicated, so complicated I can’t define it.” The closes I can get to my writing is that it’s a process of layers; ups and downs, starts and restarts, mistakes and upsets, breakthroughs and drawbacks that go on for a very long time until I “think” I’m finished with it, have tied up all loose ends and filled in all the holes to something I want to believe is very readable and enjoyable.

As writers we all have our individual “process” but to put words to how it works is hard to do, so I suggest if you don’t have to—don’t, it’s not as important as making it work for you whatever it is, to get the work done, creating the story no matter how you have to do it; this is what its all about: writing.

Keep at it, its absolutely worth it.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello,
Yesterday, I received one of the best compliments I could’ve received for my book. A reader first told me reading You Don’t Know Me made her anxious, she couldn’t put it down because she had to know what was going to happen and had no idea what would happen next so was surprised; a good compliment but better was that she said and I quote “I didn’t find you anywhere in the story”. That was a wonderful compliment, exactly what I was looking for. A reader finding any part of me in the story would have been tragic, and I know you as a writer, understands this.

“If it sounds like writing, rewrite it.”; this is one of Elmore Leonard’s rules and it means: get (the me) out the way of the writing, the story, or you’ll have a bad novel and I of course can’t have that. Having the reader fall into the hole of the story is the ultimate, enjoying the novel so much she wants to get it read in one sitting, is the goal, the pleasure for me as a writer and I can’t ask for anything less.

Write.

If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know, my e-mail address is: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello and Happy Friday,
I know I’m blogging today instead of Friday but something was on my mind: I’ve decided to enter You Don’t Know Me in a writing contest. Boo—right? I dislike entering contests, well book contest for one-- I don’t like short story contest either-- I never win and for another I hate paying to enter the contest and never win. I have won a few screenplay contests though with a prize or two along with it but it’s different from winning a contest for a novel. I’m entering the Writer’s Digest Self-Publishing Contest ( http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/self_published) that’s calling for entries through the end of April. The contest is open to all kinds of self-published novels including genre fiction. Do I think it’s worth it? The prizes for the grand prize winner will be three thousand dollars, promotion in Writers Digest and Publisher’s Weekly, your novel to major newspapers, distribution to Baker and Taylor, a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review, a workshop and one or two other things. There will also be 9 first place winners who will get one thousand dollars and a few other prizes—sounds great.
Do I think I’ll win at the one-hundred dollar entry fee? Well, possibly not the grand prize because my novel is genre, its crime and mystery, not pretty and my kind of novels don’t win grand prizes; at least I don’t believe they do. Do I have a chance at being one of the nine first place winners? Maybe, again the people who read the novels probably go by a formula that would not fit my novel so my hopes aren’t high. Honorable mention possibly? Yes, I think I could fit here. So if I’m going for Honorable Mention possibly, why even send the novel and the money; don’t forget the money, at all? Well, it’s kind of like the lottery I’ll say. Though I don’t play the actual lottery I can pick up at the gas station, everybody plays some kind of lottery don’t they? Even if our chances are nine million to one and we’re the one. So entering this book contest is my lottery. And let me say like that one—heck like everyone of the nine-million--I always have hope it’ll be me this time and because I believe in my novel, I believe it’s a terrific story and has a chance like all the other novels submitted so its up to me to give it that one chance and all the other chances that comes its way.
So I’m saying good-bye to my book and the hundred books. We’ll see in October 2008 how it did though no matter what, prize or no prize, it’s a terrific story and novel that makes me proud, very, very proud.
Keep writing too.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello and Happy Friday to you,

I am in the mist of writing, running with it right now, a good thing; its adrenaline isn’t it? I am determined to try and remain on schedule with the newest Owen Story novel and get it done by Christmas though it’s not easy. I’ve never put myself on a deadline with my writing but had to this time for reasons I listed in my last blog; so there is a lot of writing to do, a lot, but I’m determined until the book is done--and good; great. I’m going back to it now to get it done for the day, I love it as you know--bottom line--so I’m going to get back to it. Talk to you.

You keep writing too.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Hello and Happy Friday,

I was sick this week but I feel much better now, so that I'm revved to write. I've finished most of my research and will get to what I call serious writing which will mean trying to get a chapter in--that much. I'm eager now to see where the story takes me. I'm still working the first Owen Story novel, getting people to read it, its a very slow process and I have no problem with it. I believe its going to take a very long time for people--readers--to become aware of You Don't Know Me but I'm going to do all I can to make it happen.

So writing the next Owen Story Novel and getting the word out on the first Owen Story novel are this years projects so that makes for me--at least so far--a very good year.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at: mathewsla@hotmail.com, I’ll love to hear from you.

Until next time God willing,

Lori

Hello,

I’ve finished most of the research on my next book (at least until I need to do more on some area in the story I know very little about) it’s a good thing because I’ve set a target date to have the book ready. Was this a smart thing to do? Probably not, but it was necessary. First, because people have asked when the next book in the trilogy would be ready so I have to give a date. I don’t want to keep telling folks: “I don’t know”; “I have no idea” or “I’m not sure”, they all sound lame and—to me—unprofessional; not to let those who have read the first story know when to expect the next when they know a second novel has to come in a trilogy. Secondly, I like having an idea when to have the book ready because it’ll make me do the thing.

Though I am so into writing the new book, can’t wait to write everyday, it still can be hard getting to it for a thousand reasons—we writers have a thousand reasons—to keep pen from paper so by having this date its easier to get around those reasons and just do it. Lastly, I can’t wait to get the entire story told as fast as I can because it’s a wonderful story, fast, rich, surprising, exciting and I can’t wait to get all those pieces together to solidify the novel. I can’t really hurry my writing—its not in me—but by having the date I have a path, even a beacon I’m heading toward which makes it a little easier—even exciting--to write knowing where I’m headed: toward that date.

So, I’m writing, enjoying it and keeping at it headed for that special time, not day because that’s impossible, a specific month in a specific year that’s all and for me its more than enough.

Please, keep writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello and Happy Monday!!!

I know I usually blog each Friday but didn't get the chance to, so I wanted to get a note in today.

I have been feeling under the weather for the last few days, cold and cough, flu like symptoms but I've been self-medicating and feel tolerable today. Though I haven't felt one-hundred percent it of course hasn't stopped me from doing the things I have to and need to do: taking care of my sons, working (I'm swamped at work) and of course writing. Someone could say 'You don't need to write, put it off until you feel yourself again.' That's a thought, but a passing one for me, whether or not I feel like writing doesn't enter into the occasion, I write anyway, its what I do.

Yesterday, I'm lying on the couch, my fever is blooming, I'm watching I Love Lucy on DVD and hear a name that fills my brain (Yes, it could have just been the fever making talking). I think about the name, change it a little--fine tune it--and reach for my notebook. I write a page filling out this character whom I have pages on but no name; the name adds that something and truly gives this character his flesh and blood.

I write no matter how I'm feeling or what I'm doing because all it all, it makes me feel good. And though I was feverish, I was smiling too as the- character-with-the- new-name filled in my blank page.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at:matwrite1@aol.com, I’ll love to hear from you.

Until next time God willing,

Lori

Hello and happy Friday,

Are you writing? I am; here and there and it’s coming out like puzzle pieces, a small section here, a longer section there, sometimes one line. This works best for me, every writer has their way of doing things, of writing,I’m no different though probably slower. I need to write lines, then gather them together in front of me and make something out of it and the good thing about this for me is that I do have a good idea of what that something should be. I guess it’s my writing process. What’s your process?

Not to change the subject but I have to say this, today I listened to two books on tape: one was “When the Women Come Out to Dance by Elmore Leonard; the other “A Killing Night by Jonathon King, man what a difference. I know it’s the author’s unique style that makes the difference so obvious. Listening to Mr. Leonard is like listening to Pavarotti at his prime, on the most beautiful summer night of your life, with the person you love the most in the world sitting beside you holding your hand. Listening to Mr. King is like reading a three hundred page book on tax law, at three in the morning, alone, in an office cubicle with terrible lighting while scratching the bad case of poison ivy crawling all over your body; yes, that bad.

I have a number of goals I want to reach when writing—so do you--and at the top of my list is to someday settle into my own natural style, rhythm and flow that is so easy for readers to recognize, feel comfortable with and most importantly, enjoy, so that when they hear or are reading one of my novels it will always be like listening to Pavarotti on a summer day with the one you love. Getting to this place in my writing takes practice, time and could possibly never happen, yet it’s a goal I’m striving to reach; that sense of professional uniqueness that is on the money every time and stands my writing out from the rest. I want readers to get that same wonderful feeling about by novels I get when I pick up an Elmore Leonard, knowing without a bit of doubt I’m getting something special, funny, surprising, riveting and worthy of my time every time. Who doesn’t want their writing to be in Elmore Leonard’s league? In his league, you are there and it’s not an impossible dream; work at it; I do everyday.

You do it everyday too.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello good morning and good Friday,

Okay, I’ve mentioned this what probably seems like a thousand times and now I’m doing it again, my novel You Don’t Know Me is out in the world, great and so…? So I have to get more folks to realize it and to buy the book; a traumatically hard thing to do—at least for me. I’m following the general guidelines for promotion of the book or self-promotion depending on the way you want to look at it, so I have press kits I’m sending out, encouraging people who have read the book to write a review—good or bad, sending out copies of the book to people with influence in the media to get the word out and still there is more to do and one of those “mores” ( because it smells of self-promotion) I am leery of doing.

Well, my kid’s school is having a PTA sponsored cabaret with a raffle and some of the ways you can help make it successful is to work the cabaret, provide food or even donate an item to the raffle. My first thought was donate a copy of my book; my second thought---that’s self-promotion---but now as I write this, is it self-promotion or selling books? Okay, I’m donating something—they asked for donations—it just happens to be my novel. I would of course let the PTA representative know it’s an adult mystery crime thriller and it’s so entertaining and fast paced the reader won’t be able to put it down and if they can, I’ll give them a sweet treat of their choice. Hey, that doesn’t sound too bad, as a matter of fact its great promotion for the book so I'm doing it.

I've made the call to the PTA rep and offered my book as a raffle prize along with a sweet treat and I feel great about it for a few good reasons: I think I built the novel up pretty well, it’s a way to promote the book to garner more interest in it and I may get more sells a.ka. readers out of it; alright all the way around, yeah.

In the books I’ve read on promoting your book, you’re told to try any means at hand, to be innovative when coming up with ideas, to take chances, don’t let any opportunity to promote your novel pass you by and to keep at it; I figure I’m doing better than I thought or at least I’m keeping at it. I don’t expect my book to catch on overnight, it takes time even years plus other novels following for that to happen ( if it happens at all) but I’m patient and won't worry about it because its something beyond my control, all I can do is take every opportunity to promote my novels, to keep at it, not give up, do the best I can and most important than any of it: keep writing the books I love. You do the same.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello and how are you this Friday?

You Don’t Know Me is out in the world (please go get it at Lulu.com) and now is the challenge. You would think the writing is the largest challenge, it is; but I place getting the word out about the novel and getting people to read it runs neck-and-neck with the writing and often times surpasses it. I recently realized how much brainstorming and research must be done to try and figure out how to get the word out about the book; it’s a job in itself and with no guarantee of success.

Despite going in knowing your efforts to get people to buy your book may be a losing battle before you start, it’s not all bad. How can I say this when I lay it on so thick how hard selling your book can be? I say it for three reasons: one, the book's as done as its going to get so that worry is over and you can feel good about it. Two, I’m writing the next book in the trilogy and it feels great to dig into the characters and the new story taking my mind off for a while the business side of writing.

And third, there seems to be a template on how to try and sell your book; it doesn’t guarantee sells of course, but there are certain routes you can follow—most all writers follow I think—that can capture sells, for example: creating press kits introducing your book and yourself that may garner an interview about the book in print media, radio or television and can interest bookstores and libraries. You can do signings or have your novel read by a local book club where you can make an appearance to discuss it if they like. You can give talks about the writing process where your book can be featured; there is an endless number of resources that can help you create the best plan to get your book out to the public. Though I've said there is no guarantee you’ll sell one book (maybe to your mother if she likes you) I believe you can count on your novel selling if it has the right stuff: seamless writing, a great story readers feel they have not come across before and characters that stay with them long after the book is done and who they want to meet again.

Does my novel have this? I think so, but only the readers—I hope millions of readers—can tell me so.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello,

I hope you had a great holiday and will have a wonderful New Year to come. If you get a chance read this blog: http://www.gspitsit.blogspot.com/ its wonderful. Its written beautifully and has a great message regarding priorities, making yourself a priority and not being someone else's
option, its a terrific post and really hits home about the human condition and its failings that usually end up hurting others. The premise of the post is priorities and how our priorities differ from one another and what you may think should be a priority, someone else might not. There are people out in the world who don't think writing is a priority--or should be--for most writers, but is more like a self-indulgence that can be done or not and it's definitely not something should be at the top of anyone's priority list. I of course believe it's wrong, I do list my writing at the top and although it doesn't come near where my children and family stand; its still up there and I pay attention to it, to its details, baby it, agonize over it, rejoice in it and make it work for me when I can by putting in the time and effort just like you would do for anything or anyone you truly love.

So, we all choose our top priorities and writing is one of mine and one of yours too I know, and its a great thing especially when love of it--of doing it--is one of the reasons why and that's a blessing.

Write, keep at it no matter what, keep it at the top.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

Lori

Hello and Happy Christmas,

The holidays are upon us—sometimes literally--they can be a heavy burden incorporating trying to make sure everyone gets what they've asked for, fighting traffic and pushing through crowds to get to that crowded shopping mall, concerned about overspending or under spending on those you love and worrying if you’d get everything done before the day arrives; it can be way too much.

As a writer, my saving grace is to write through all this and I hope it’s yours too. It may not be true for all writers, but when I can catch a break from all the hoopla and pressure to focus my mind, concentrate on any aspect of my writing; fleshing out a character or a situation the character’s in, doing research to move the story along, working on the story itself and getting a page done or even half a page written, its like taking a mini-vacation in the midst of a storm. I feel good then, as if I’m actually doing something instead of running and getting nowhere like everyone else during this time of year.

So, I’m writing when I can and fortunately it’s pretty often and I feel very blessed this year to be able to do so. I feel blessed for a number of reasons this year ( not just for the writing) the list seems endless and it’s a good one: my sons, my family, my friends, my health, a job I like, publishing my first book, a number of things and I’m going to keep at all of them to make sure next year is not just as good, but great.

Write all you can, it’ll make the season merrier.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello and Happy Friday,

You get anything written today? I hope so because every word helps doesn't it? At least I think so, because sometimes it can be hard to get a few sentences out let alone a page, so the few words you produce that eventually become a sentence, then a paragraph until an entire book is created, its wonderful.

I had my first interview today about the book. The interview was for the Sun Press News Paper and was conducted by this beautiful young woman named Holly and to my surprise I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be, part of it was because the interviewer was easy going, she asked thoughful questions and the interview didn't take to long though the main reason I didn't faint from nerves at the prospect, let alone doing the interview, was because I told myself 'don't you flub up your first (it could be your last) interview so get over the nervousness.' And I got over it because I know, the only way to get my book out there is to promote it as gracefully, as positively, as succintly and as professionally as I could and babbling nervously, not being able to tell the readers about my book and encourage them to go out and read it emphasizing it would be more than worth their while, is not my objective, getting readers for You Don't Know me, is.

I know I'm not the most out going, vivacious person out there; able to sell igloos to eskimos, but one thing I do know, my novel deserves a champion to rally for it positively every chance I get, to be its number one cheerleader, so if I get a chance at another interview I'm going to work hard and put out my best effort so that my novel can have the chance to be found by great readers.

Keeping writing; there are really no excuses not to is it.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

************************************************************************************************************

Hello and very Happy Friday to you,

I’m very happy this Friday because finally, finally, my novel You Don’t Know Me has faced the challenges of being self-published and won; its out there now, available on Lulu.com and also on Amazon and soon other places.

I urge you (you knew I would) to get the book, as a paperback copy or download it and let me know what you think. I’m asking for your review, your suggestions, your critique, your comments, whatever you want to give me because I would love to know how readers feel about the characters, the story line and what improvements I can consider for the second book in the Owen Story trilogy.

So, give it a look and let me know by e-mail or with a comment. I would greatly appreciate your feedback and above all else I hope it's a story you'll enjoy.

Keeping writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing.

************************************************************************************************************

Hello,

Are you writing today? I am a few lines here and there that are coming together into a great novel though slowly and surely which is the best way for me. Like you I’m sure; I do a lot of research because I’m not terribly smart( though you probably are) and I need to get what I’m writing, right: I research hard, it’s the blood flowing through my body of work. I was going to write more on this topic; then I read an article about the book and movie, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

I realized how being able to write is such a gift, no matter how you do it and that there are no obstacles to the determination to write as beautifully exampled by Mr. Bauby who suffered a stroke that left him with a condition called “locked in syndrome”. He was paralyzed except for one eye motion and a few other minor movements. Mr. Bauby’s mind was untouched and was filled with so many things to say, to write, that he; dictating by blinking his left-eye lid, created in fourteen months his novel. What is there to say about the awe-inspiring determination to be heard, to write? We’ll find a way to do it no matter how we are physically or mentally.

I’m proud to be—at least in my mind—a writer like Mr. Bauby who will try and write despite any obstacles though I can’t (wouldn’t want to) come even close to the challenges he had to overcome. I’m just as proud to be a member of the club of writers who had a member like Mr. Bauby who died seventeen months after his new writing life began.

Keeping writing; there are really no excuses not to is it.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving,

I just wanted to wish you a happy turkey day for those who celebrate and just a happy day for those who don't.

I will have four days away from my day job, so I'm going to get in as much research for the second Owen Story as I can with some added writing which would be great because I feel I'm getting into the heart of the new novel so I want to keep the momentum going.

I hope first you get a break from your working life and next that you can spend most of it with the people you love as I will, and of course the rest of the time, writing. Talk to you next Friday.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Lori

Hello, how are you this Monday morning?

I'm posting today instead of this past Friday because I had a problem logging on.

I’m reading a book called Fangland and I won’t give you the author’s name because to me the book is not good, not good at all and I was surprised by this though you may wonder why. There are supposedly more bad books out there than good ones and every one knows this, but when you run across a bad book you are nevertheless surprised and I think that’s our fault. You pick up a book, read the storyline, think its going to be really special, you have high hopes for it so you buy it, start reading and is utterly disappointed it turns out not to be anywhere near as great as you wanted it to be. But the question is: why not? Why wasn’t Fangland better?

First, the main characters were not people you cared about, there didn’t seem to be any attribute that adhered me to the characters or their situations, they were not so much plastic but were boring and almost unbelievable. Second, though the story line sounded interesting the crafting of the story was terrible, it jumped so jarringly from one character to another and their thoughts, you could literally hear the transition and that made it worst because I didn't like any of the characters in the first place. And third, the writing got in the way, wordy speed bumps all the way through with some of the descriptions so out of place and strangely florid or ridiculous it made me roll my eyes—I clearly read the trying too hard.

So I didn’t finish the book—couldn’t—it took to much out of me and it made me wonder, could my book be the same? Then I thought, no way, I couldn’t do such a disservice to he folks I want to read my novel. First, I worked to make it readable from page one, no jarring lines that the reader tripped over, using only the words necessary to move the story fast forward, to keep the reader turning the pages. Second, I tried to make each character original and outstanding but human with all the foibles, failings and freshness of anyone. And lastly, storyline, it had to be great with every twist and turn able to catch the reader with glee making them unable to put it down until the story was told.

I had wanted to enjoy Fangland, the name itself led me to believe it would be great, but no such luck, but it did do one thing for me, make me aware of how I don’t want to write, of characters I wouldn’t want to create, of what not to do. I believe those who chose to read any of my work deserve to read something great for taking their chances with me. Keep writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,

Hello,

If you check out my blog today I have changed its color, added a note or two and brightened it up a bit with new color, it’s the least I can do and I literally mean it, it’s the least amount of computer work I can do, I have no outstanding computer skills or talents. I look at my friend GiGi’s blog with its pictures and links and know it would take me forever to figure out how to add those touches to my own blog and these aren’t big additions. Those are small examples of my lack of skill, a larger one--that has caused me restless nights of late--was trying to format You Don’t Know Me to submit to Lulu for publishing. Though I read the instructions carefully regarding what I needed to do, I could not manage to format my novel in the exact way needed for it to be uploaded to Lulu; I had to contract the formatting out and at a pretty penny, thinking all along, if I had better skills I could have done it myself. I also wasn’t sure about my ability to successfully complete the uploading of the book to Lulu and not wanting to make a mistake that would set the novel’s debut back further, I contracted this out too.

It’s funny how, as writers, we want to control every aspect of the writing experience and most writers might, I just can’t, specifically regarding the self-publishing route where all the best companies are of course technologically based where the process has been streamlined to hitting a few computer keys though the key is knowing which are the right keys, I just don’t know it and have to seek help.

To be honest, the process is not all that cut and dried like I thought it would be, there are a number of elements that must be in place, must be just right if you want to be successful at submitting a novel to the best self-publishing companies and the least of it is if you have a good story. You want your book cover to be great to capture attention but it has to be formatted correctly (again) or you’ll have trouble submitting it, you need to make sure the novel has the right elements and not story elements but to be written in an acceptable font, some of the pages have to be in a certain order and those pages have requirements such as making sure you have proper gutters—it took me a minute with this one.

It was a lot to take in for me, again maybe not for most writers who are better at computer tasks than I am, for me though I tried, but was not successful at the tasks. I felt badly for about a minute at not being more computer gifted until I realized it didn’t matter because I’ll have the same thing a writer with more computer skills will have: a complete, touchable novel anyone can read and enjoy; this can’t be beat.


Keep writing.

If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com

Until next time, God willing,