F. Scott Andison's Blog, page 2

Cost/Benefit Balance

Yesterday I finished the last additions to the third and final book in the Meghan O'Byrne Chronicle (entitled Ascension). Soon I'll have a proof copy to play with/edit to go along with my proof copy of Redemption (the 2nd book in the series). Summer reading and edits are the order of the day.
I may produce one more proof copy apiece after edits and then it will be done. Both should be finished and fully published by the end of September. Then focus can shift to the Inner Core re-write for the fall/winter with a mind to finishing that book up before this time next year.
I wish I had some more professional editing/proof reading support as I truly think it would improve my books. It's frustrating knowing I can only take them so far myself (in terms of catching mistakes or the phrases that could be better - or re-written/removed!) but I can only do what I can do. I think getting my books out is better than them piling up waiting for the possibility of getting professional help (without paying for it because I really can't afford it).
Once Inner Core is done next year I'm going to reassess my attempts to become what I'll call an established writer. Why do I want that anyway? Perhaps it would be better to do it more for fun as a hobby? Hours are precious. Writing is hard work. My friends and family truly don't respect what I'm doing (other than my wife). I believe they think I'm just wasting my time but are too polite to say it. And of course they could be right.
These past twelve years have shown me I can write but the big question is, will I ever be acknowledged as a writer. Is that what I'm looking for? And if it is - am I willing to pay the cost for that very uncertain benefit?
I hope by next summer I'll have an answer.

I can't resist (though I know better)

A review of Lost & Found - A Love Story noted the novel had a "bizarre premise" and was at times "completely predictable".

Have to admit can't argue with those observations even a bit - but I did find them somewhat amusing. WHY?

Time Travel Romance = bizzare premise

Romance = completely predictable

I still think it's a pretty good tall tale and I'm glad I wrote it. If I was going to rate it I'd give it a 4 (but I'm not going to as it might take the average down - well, not now, but in the future :)

Party on Garth!

Shoot the puck

I have waffled so many times about whether or not to try and get my books “perfect” before I put them out or just take a best shot and let it rip as as. I'm moving to the latter approach for two main reasons. First, the cost of getting a proof book (cover and all) is almost half of what it costs to print the book at on 8 ½ by 11 paper. Second, if I find an error (or rather errors) I can change them and load up a new version at no cost. I have to realize that on my own I'll never get it as good as if I had a professional editor/proof reader working with me. So be it. Time to clear out the old writing and make way for something new. Taking this approach I should have everything that I've written cleared off my desk by this time next year. Nine books done and published. I'm not sure about the tenth right now other than I'll write it in the first person. That will be challenging and fun. Up, up and away.

Redemption

After a surprisingly difficult time getting back into writing it, I've managed to produce a penultimate cut of the second book in The Meghan O'Byrne Chronicle entitled 'Redemption'. Towards the end I probably went a little fast and as always rushed to get it uploaded to Kindle. But here's the thing - I've discovered I can get a proof copy of the book from Amazon cheaper (about half the cost) than running it off at a local print shop on regular paper. This time I plan to use the book format to do all my final editing. It makes it easier too as you get to see how the book will actually look and feel. I can upload several versions if I want and do multiple proof copies before I actually hit the publish button. All things going well I'd say the book should be out by the end of the month. This gives me hope I can get the last book in the series out by the end of 2019. That would be fantastic!

An oldie but a goodie

Wrote this poem at least 20 years ago. Even more true today than it was back then!

Ride, Ride Ride
They never hide
Chins in the air
Tight underwear
To jobs, to work they run
Its lots of fun
But don't tell anyone
The welfare bums are on the run
They plan, devise and seek
The destruction of all our keep
Tear up the planet
Rip out the trees
So more can work
If you please
More cars, more grime
More pollution, more crime
Working but getting nothing done
Destruction, production of the gun
Run, Run, Run
Must get work done
Spend, Spend, Spend
Lend, Lend, Lend
The credos of our time

Thanks Valeta!

Just a quick shout out to Valeta who helped me improve the ending of my latest novel 'Lost & Found - A Love Story'. Brilliant observation on the way I'd originally had it written.

A Change of Plans

Well my plan to finish the revising/editing the second book in the Meghan O'Byrne Chronicle trilogy (entitled Redemption) got thrown out the window. I had such trouble getting going that I edited and published my latest book Lost & Found – A Love Story over the past month! I'm sure the novel could do with more work and I know I'll find some stupid mistakes once I start looking through it in detail, but I don't care. I'm not sure it matters much anyway.

Nice thing about publishing with Kindle is that it cost me nothing (other than the copies I want to buy for myself). All the formatting, setup and cover work I did myself using templates so it couldn't have been easier (or cheaper). My goal now is to get the books I have written published so I can go onto net new writing. That said I'm probably thinking it will take at least a year and as much as 18 months to finish everything.

I only ordered 4 copies of Lost & Found for myself. I've had it with giving copies away (printed ones anyway, as they cost me about $11.00 Canadian). Think I'll try a e-book giveaway on Goodreads and see how that goes. I wonder if it's worth advertising it? My Fall From Grace campaign is pretty much a complete disaster although on the positive side the $100 budget should last pretty much forever!

Towering Giants

Towering giants
Like a maze
Surround me at every turn
Their fearsome faces menace
With each impatient shuffle
A terrifying panic
Will one step on me
out of accident
or malice?
They can crush me, if they want
Being nothing
Feeling nothing
They are with you
They are with me
Our own creations
Creations on Creations
First the spirit, then the God
Then the material
With its ritual
We are a machine
A money machine
Chewing up the earth
Destroying what is ours
For no reason
No purpose
No hope
We all make it so together
We all make it so

Pundits of Power

Pundits of Power
Leaders of every church
All selling something
They’ll leave you in the lurch
Dealing in the non-real
The shouldn’t and the should
Their own fear grabs them
Creating evil out of good

Tear down the tangle
Rip up the mess
It causes jangle,
Ruin and duress
People going to die
for bricks and mortar
Leaders going to lie
with guns and war

Things are so simple
Noone is keeping time
Things are so simple
It’s always on the line

Here we go again

I'm not sure I'm experiencing writer's block right now but I just can't get going on this edit/re-write of the second book in the Meghan O'Byrne series. That said, I'm still rethinking how relationships develop and how certain events will come to be. Writing Meghan's recovery is challenging because I find I either want to go into too much detail or take too much of a long shot view – if you know what I mean. I guess it's good in a way because it's really churning things up and making write a more realistic story line. It's a tougher, grittier recovery for Meghan that I'm seeing, and one where she gets an opportunity to learn and develop her own present sense of identity.

I have to say writing about writing the book is getting me excited about getting on with it. It makes me think about the book and the various scenes that make it up. I want to do the best I can bringing them to life.

In the meantime, wasting valuable writing time, I went ahead and created a draft version of Lost & Found on Amazon's Kindle site. I ordered a couple of proof copies I can work on. It's so much easier for me to do final editing (usually with the help of my wife and others) when a novel is in a published book format. It's probably that I just needed to fill some hours instead of working at writing – but what the hell. It cost less than $20 to get the proofs delivered as I did all the formatting and cover creation myself. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like.

Now back to the real work!