Reprise: Miscellaneous Musings on The Business of Writing (and some new stuff)

Reprise: Miscellaneous Musings on The Business of Writing

The first part of this blog is a reprint of one from early last year. I was browsing and thought, "this is still pretty cool..." and all too real. 

At the change in font, it's new stuff.  

I’ve been thinking. Here are five miscellaneous musings on the business of writing.

1.             Writing is easy. Sitting at my computer with an outline or a manuscript open is a very cool situation. Most of the time words just kind of bubble up into existence my brain, flow down through my arms, and splash into reality on the screen.

2.            Writing is hard. Managing three projects, while not an impossible task, requires the ability to quickly refocus from one project to another. At times, I find myself trying to remember the last name of character…

3.            The business of writing can be fun. Talking to a the Reader’s Club at a high school or explaining my process and discussing plot ideas at a book signing or author’s chat event is a giant rush. I wish I could do more of that.

4.            The business of writing is a pain. Promoting a book is not easy. You need to beg for reviews on Amazon so their search engine “likes” your book more and more. You need to attract followers on social media—not as easy as it sounds. Oh, yeah, then there’s tracking sales, royalties, expenses…

5.             I’m glad I’m writing. Overall, since I’ve started “writing,” the highs are much higher than the lows. Do I wish I was selling more books? You bet! Do I sometimes berate software programs for their idiosyncrasies? Yep—usually quite loudly. Do I regret being a writer? Not a bit!

What am I doing now?

Last week I published Reverse Image - A Timeless Tale from the Traveler's HOT L Vol 3. This "short read," 130 6x9 pages in print, is the complete cliffhanger from Traveler's HOT L Vol 2.

At this moment, I'm finishing up The 5th Page, a crime/detective/mystery novel. I'm going to submit it to Amazon's new publishing program/competition. I'll report on that later this year.

I've added a weekly Timeless Truths blog. These will be up on Thursdays and are my remembrance of and reflection on sermons from various pastors of mine over the last 15-20 years. This week, January 7, is the premier posting.

I've got to decide on what my next project will be. I have narrowed it to three options.

1. Update/Edit Traveler's HOT L Vol 2. This will be a major restructuring of the book with the expansion of some stories, re-ordering of some stories, and deleting the cliffhanger altogether.
2. Working on The Drunk Gene. This sci-fi thriller follows the exploits of a former CDC scientist and a rouge molecular biologist. The rouge is determined to decimate allied military forces by inserting a gene sequence that will convert lactic acid to ethyl alcohol in living soldiers. The former CDC is called in to stop him. Since the CDC scientist hails from Manzanita, California, she hires Phil Mamba to help.
3. Seriously rework Who Leads the Shepherd? This Biblical history novel follows the life of an Israelite shepherd as his life unfolds during the life of Jesus on Earth.

I'll let you know what I decide.

Next blog: Details On and an Invitation to Attend the First San Diego Writer's Unit! Meeting

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My website is: www.crdowning.com