Andrew J. Aulner's Blog, page 3

NaNoWriMo 2014: Week Four

This is it.

It’s been three fantastically taxing weeks of frenzied writing and (on occasion) frustrated writer’s block, but I’ve almost finished the second act of my novel and am nearly prepared to move into the thrilling climax of my novel. No, I still don’t have a title, but I promise to come up with one before I officially “win” NaNoWriMo on November 30.

While the experience isn’t over yet, I’d love to talk a bit about what it’s been like thus far.

Week One was fairly easy; I got to introduce both my cast of characters and my story’s premise. I was still developing my own style for this novel, which was very different from my previous work, the more light-hearted “Bully Buster.” However, it was incredibly exciting to experience the joy of a new creation once more.

I had to slog through Weeks Two and Three. Most writers will tell you that the second of act of any story, whether it’s a play, a film/book trilogy, or the middle portion of a novel, is by far the hardest. Unlike Act One, it isn’t about solid exposition, and unlike Act Three, it isn’t about wrapping the story up, either. Act Two is the part that most readers enjoy the most, however, and I believe that this is for one simple reason: it’s the meat of the story. Act Two is when things get the darkest, the toughest, the most rumble-and-tumble. Stuff really happens in Act Two. Despite fighting the fact that Act Two is also the least-defined section of a story, I managed to create what I hope will be an enjoyable middle portion of the book.

Now it’s time for Week Four. I somehow have to create a thrilling climax and successfully wrap up any loose ends in my story. I don’t have any ideas for a sequel, and I’m not sure how much further I can take my wisecracking private detective protagonist in a follow-up story, so I’ll try to resolve things as best as I can in a noir novel.

One week to go for Andrew J. Aulner. 50,000 words, here I come.

NaNoWriMo 2014: Week Three

Okay, let me be the first to admit that I haven’t been keeping everybody updated on my progress through this year’s National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), a (now) international “competition” that encourages participants to write a 50,000+ word novel in the span of the 30 days of November. For you math whizzes out there, that equates to about 1,667 words per day (rounded up), and that’s assuming you want to finish on the very last day.

I took up the challenge this year because I’ve been feeling stagnant as a writer. Yes, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have my first novel, “The Bully Buster,” published, and yes, I feel so grateful that the overall reception has been quite positive. However, any writer worth his (or her) salt, with the exception of authors like one-book wonder Harper Lee, will tell you that writing never stops with just one book or story or poem or screenplay or playscript. Writing is a lifelong journey, and I felt that I needed a kick in the pants to get up and write something new and fresh. So, I decided that I was going to churn out a novel this month.

I regret that I didn’t post any blog updates for Weeks One and Two, but now that I’m over halfway through the novel, I’ll fill you in. I don’t have a title yet (not even a temporary one, because I’m pretty lame with titles), but the basic story is as follows: a private detective named Richard “Rick” Dale, a WWII veteran, has set up shop in 1946 Chicago. He takes on a case with a beautiful blonde named Scarlett Singer (or is that her true name? Dun-Dun-Dun!), as well as a concurrent, seemingly unrelated case from the Chicago Police Department concerning a break-in at the Chicago Museum of Art. Over the course of the novel, most of the characters involved are trying to get their hands on an object that some believe will grant supernatural powers.

So, yes, I’m basically writing “The Maltese Falcon” mixed with “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Sue me (no, that’s not an invitation, Warner Bros. and Paramount). Bear in mind that this is only the first draft (NaNoWriMo rules dictate that there shall be on editing; this is supposed to be your best first effort).

I’m 28,363 words in (and I haven’t done my writing for today), so I think I’m well on my way to “winning” NaNoWriMo 2014. I know where my story is headed, and I like to think that I’m still in control of the characters and various other elements of the narrative, although writing does have a fun tendency of getting out of hand over time, so we shall see what happens over the next two weeks.

My First Interview

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I rushed into Salem Communication’s offices for their Omaha-based radio stations, including 100.7 The Fish and KCRO 660 AM (Omaha’s Christian Talk). All I knew was that it was almost time for me to speak on the radio for the first time in my life, and I was nearly petrified.

Once I reached the office, I realized that there was no secretary at the desk; I almost panicked. Fortunately, there was a bell to ring, and she poked her head in as soon as I hit it. Within minutes, I found myself sitting in front of a microphone next to Dave Clark, the host of KCRO’s program, “Heartland Viewpoint.” It was just past 11:30 am, and Mr. Clark was finishing up the news when he introduced the story about my book, “The Bully Buster,” and turned to me. All of a sudden, I had to speak over the microphone and avoid sounding as nervous as I was.

Miraculously, I managed to thank him for letting me on to the program before Mr. Clark took over, to my relief. He asked me questions about the subject matter which my book dealt with: bullying. After a bit of back-and-forth, the show had a brief commercial break. During this time, Mr. Clark formally introduced himself and we talked about the book. Without the pressure of being on air, I was much less tense.

Once the show came back on air, Mr. Clark invited me to discuss the writing process, how I went about getting published, and any advice I might have for aspiring authors. I greatly enjoyed being able to talk about my passion, and after the interview ended, I thanked the gentlemen in the studio before heading out.

All in all, it was a fantastic first step into the world of radio. I sincerely hope I get a chance to do it again.

All Over the Web

I’ve never been a master of social media, but every book I’ve read on marketing in the digital age has advocated using this new medium to my advantage. To make a long story short, I try to produce content on the following media pages in order to maintain an active following among my readers:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewJAulner?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @AndrewJAulner
Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/author/andrewjaulner
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ultimatep86
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ultimatep86

Live!

I am so excited that my author website has finally gone live. I have never done a full blog before–the closest I’ve ever come to has been micro-blogging via Twitter–but I am certainly looking forward to this new opportunity. I want to share many things: the story of “The Bully Buster” came into being, my passion for writing, thoughts on the creative process, and more. So sit back, relax, and check in every once in a while. I’ll be here, blogging away.

Welcome to my new blog!

Welcome. My name is Andrew J. Aulner, author of The Bully Buster. I’m so happy to have you as a visitor to my blog about my new book. This project is very special to me, and I hope to share some of that excitement with you here.

I’ll be using this blog to interact with you about The Bully Buster, expanding on some of the topics in it and blogging on some of the ideas related to my book. This is a great place for you to get to know me, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. What did you think of The Bully Buster? What questions do you have for me? How do you relate to my book?

I’ll be returning here frequently with new posts and responses to feedback from you. Until next time, tell me a little bit about yourself.