Executions Are Messy

All that blood, the occasional bird droppings from perched hopefuls looking for a free meal, entrails etc...

HOLD THE PHONE

I meant execution as in putting a new idea(l) into motion, not putting someone to death...

When it comes to writing a novel, the telling of a story is simply not enough. There's a right way and a wrong way to execute it. I find myself in the category of a 'storyteller,' not so much a 'real author.' This is aparent when I read books like the current one I'm devouring called "Neverwhere," by Neil Gaiman. I'm faced with the reality that I have a long way to go. While my writing is impressive to some, it is also quite lacking to others. It, like most things, is all relative, as the saying goes.

So, here's the question.

What do YOU do as a writer, to help ensure you aren't just 'telling' a story?

Please, nobody quote the "show don't tell" thing... I'm looking for more than that from you all today.

Driving Success

Photo found from Gary Settle/The New York Times

The author Erich Segal, who coined the phrase "Love means never having to say you're sorry," passed away this last Sunday, the 17th. I believe anyone would be hard pressed to find an adult who hasn't heard that phrase mentioned above. It will likely survive through history alongside other famous sayings for many lifetimes to come. As a writer, I'd find almost no greater honor, than to be quoted from my work like this. Though, many amazing authors have tried to come up with phrases and sayings in their work that could mimic the success of Segal's love-quote, it's probably unlikely that the average published author will ever achieve this goal. Regardless, having nigh achievable goals like this will likely cause us writers to try harder, write better and search diligently for those perfect words or sentences that hopefully leave our readers with something that they can take with them through their lives.

Are there any goals or success stories you look toward that drive you to be a better writer? Care to share them here?

The 1st Novel

Today's post is simple. It's more of a question really.

If you are an agent, editor, or publisher, here is your question:
Do you believe it is wise for an author to try to pitch his 1st novel after finishing it, or suggest they write a second one to pitch which may be better due to the experience gained from the first one.

If you are a published author, here is your question:
Do you think your first novel was as good, in quality, as your 2nd 3rd etc... If you think your writing/storytelling has gotten better, do you wish you would have saved your first novel's idea for now, now that you have more experience.

If you are an aspiring author, here is your question:
Is the 1st novel you intend to pitch your "BEST" idea, or are you just hoping to get your foot in the door after being published, only to "bring out the good wine" later, so to speak?

My Literary Journey

My story may not be worthy of a best selling memoir, but I'm sure everyone is dying to know just who I am and what I'm all about. So, for all of you passing by this site, let me explain where I got the nerve to claim myself as an aspiring author.

It all started when I was but a lad, 15 years of age, budding student of my charter school in Phoenix, Arizona. In my particular school, many students were re-starting from drop out status which meant, there were a lot of students 18 years of age or older. One of those students, we'll call Kelly to protect her identity, was a particularly beautiful girl. She was 18 and worked in a position as an exotic dancer at nights while she attended school during the day to try to finish her education. At that time, she was my biology partner and boy I couldn't be happier. She was the apple of my eye, the frosting to my cake, the.... ok, you get the drift. I had a huge crush on the girl. She happened to be part of a poetry group, that met every so often. One of the boys in that group approached her with a poem that he had "written for her." _________ fill in the blank with my disgust. She was flattered and, though this particular boy was nowhere near as handsome as I was (biased opinion allowed since I am writing this blog) she became somewhat involved with him in the flirty manner that made me sick.

Here's where it begins...

I approached a good friend of mine and exclaimed angrily "That's so stupid. Poetry is ridiculous... Anyone can write, here I'll show you." My friend humored me and as I took him to a computer I thought of something to transcribe. It took all of 30 seconds for me to kick out a small poem. ( Sadly, I cannot remember what that poem was) My friend proceeded to read the poem out loud and when he was done, he told me with a serious tone, "That's actually really good man!" I re-read it, turned my head to the side like a parakeet being asked a question, re-read it again and realized it wasn't half bad after all.

Of course, you can imagine what any hormone filled boy does, with the knowledge that he can write poetry. I immediately began to write something for Kelly. The next day I asked to join this poetry group and proudly handed her the poem I had worked so hard on. She took it, read it, smiled and hugged me with thanks. She told me that she loved it and that she planned on putting it up on her wall.

"OH GLORIOUS HEAVEN, THERE IS A GOD!"

I was floating on a cloud. Unfortunately she, being much older than me, didn't have desire to invest her romantic efforts into me. I eventually moved on, graduated at the ripe age of 16 and proceeded to attend a local community college in hopes of getting a degree in software programming. While going to school, I took the typical English classes required for every degree. Those classes re enforced my desire to write, but weren't enough to push me into a career of writing; after all, I was a computer guy and back then the computer industry was exp loading with potential.

During the years to follow, I spent most of my literary effort on personal poetry, but eventually turned to blogging on politics and world views, then went on to blog for the Christian community.

Eventually, after a hard few years of a broken marriage, I divorced and found I had a lot of spare time on my hands after the split. One fine day, I was sitting in my apartment with my roommate watching anime and I had a fleeting idea for a book. I thought long and hard about this book and found myself developing plot. Little by little, the book came alive in my mind and the characters started to surface and even take on personalities. I realized that I was sitting on a potential dream that had taken a back burner to married life. The dream to become published. I had always desired to write something, but never found much hope for poetry. Beyond impressing a girl or two, the poetry thing just didn't have a lot of potential.

Part 2 coming soon...