Random Musings
Blog Post!
Book Four of Molon Labe is done, at least on my end. I have been writing more articles and essays for various blogs and sites. One of the biggest mistakes that many writers make is that they stay in their little self-published zone. I think I’ve mentioned that before.
Book Four gave me a colossal headache. For one thing, the dates in the story were wrong; it seemed that three or four days worth or action and conversation took place on one specific day in the novel. I have sorted out the problem, condensed a few things, and instead of the section being about 35k, I shortened it to about 27k. So the novel as it stands right now is 157k, but remember that I am not done with the novel just yet.
I will be starting Book Five today. There are a number of essays and articles I want to be sending out today. Most are political. The easiest way to find out what side you are on in terms of politics is to read something you disagree with. While I am somewhat conservative, reading George Orwell’s account of giving up his well-paying job to understand the plight of the poor is enough to convince me that something has to be done about our homeless population, if not the drug addicts than at least our veterans, who deserve far more than the VA is currently giving them.
I have been reading Bird by Bird by Ann Lamont, which is a writing book that combines some of the advice given by Stephen King with the wit and humor she is known for. One of the biggest problems with writers, she observes, is that they believe that somehow everything they write does not need editing and is the greatest thing since Dickens penned A Christmas Carol. I am on the tenth rewrite of Molon Labe and I can tell you that it is now finally getting organized. Books 1-3 are something I can live with, and while Book 4 could stand more scrutiny, I have decided that my editor should take a look. My editors already wrote me back about Book 1 to say they think it is my best one yet. Maybe it’s because I took my time on it. I see a lot of writers releasing two or three books a year, and they’re usually just okay. I’ve learned the hard way that an extra rewrite can go a long way toward turning a novel into literature.
I’ll be providing links to various articles I have written as they are posted on various websites.
