Take a peek at our video then head on over to the contest page...located HERE.
So...It Turns out I Didn't Lie
In January, I posted something that contained the following statement -
*Announcement*
I will be losing something soon, and I can't be more excited. I'm not allowed to reveal the details just yet (don't you hate it when people do that), but one way or another, the modifier attached to "aspiring author" will be disappearing from my description in 2021!
Then in May, I posted this - I LIED.
I won't go into detail about what was said in that post, but essentially my plans fell apart. I was devastated, naturally. But after thirteen years of chasing this dream, quitting wasn't an option. It's a good thing too because this just happened yesterday.
That's right, it's finally happening! The whole thing is surreal. And the irony of it all is the book being published (KNIGHT RISE) is the first novel I ever wrote back in 2008.
I have a Facebook author page now (HERE) and a Goodreads page is coming soon, but if you are interested in my book and/or my publisher, go here => WILD LARK BOOKS.
Obviously, there'll be more information to come, but for now, I wanted to close this post by saying THANK YOU. Thanks to those of you who have followed me on this journey and propped me up when all I wanted to do was throw in the towel.
I am in your debt!
WRiTE CLUB 2021 – Slush Pile Readers
It’s year #10 for WRiTE CLUB and special things are
ahead. But first things first, we need to once again ask for help in setting up
what truly is the backbone of this contest. Slushpile Readers.
One of the most challenging aspects of WRiTE CLUB is
narrowing down all the entries (171 last year) to just the top 30. To make that
fair and unbiased – I create a central repository (via Dropbox) where all of
the submissions are stored, then a selection committee of at least a dozen judges
read all of those entries and vote for their favorites, which is then used to
select the top 30.
Before you raise your hand to volunteer, let me fully
explain what you would be getting into.
This is a big commitment! First, you must be open to installing and using Dropbox (a free file sharing program
that I will provide complete instructions on how to use). Then once the entries
start pouring in (Nov. 1) you will have approximately a month to read what
could be 200+ entries, each one approximately 500 words long -- which equates
to the length of a small book – select 30 of what you believe are the best ones
and rank them.
Most importantly – you cannot be a WRiTE CLUB contestant if
you do this.
Additionally, there will be a pair of twitter-parties
where all the judges will be making observations about some of the entries they’ve
read so far. This is done to raise interest in the contest and build
excitement.
So, what do you say?
Interested in helping shape how the competition plays out – without
officially participating? If so, email
me at WRiTECLUB2021@gmail.com and
I will be in touch shortly.
Thank you in advance.
DL
Returning to the Scene of the Crime
I was getting anxious.
I needed something to work on. I currently have two books on submission and a 3rd being considered for submission. I've already written a sequel to one of the books on submission. I didn't want to start a new story (or another sequel) until I knew if submissions would payoff.
There was nothing left for me to work on...except one thing.
The first. The very first novel I ever wrote a dozen years ago. It has been sitting on the shelf almost this whole time. The embarrassment. Yeah, it was that bad. But I knew that its core was solid. The premise, plot, characters...all worthy. It was the narrative that sucked.
Another problem was that it was 135,000 words long (like I said, the narrative sucked). I didn't know back then that a mystery novel from a first-time novelist wouldn't sell at that length. But cutting 45,000 words—a third of the book—was insurmountable. So I put it away and moved on.
After being left with nothing else to work on, I accepted the challenge.
Although I have a bit more work to do, this morning I finished the first re-draft, coming in at 95,000 words. I like it now, a lot!
Wouldn't it be weird if the first novel I get published turns out to be my original....a dozen years after it was penned?
Crazier things have happened, right?
Confidence
It's pretty much universal. Every writer battles it, but especially the ones who haven't been published yet. What am I talking about?
The eternal question. Am I good enough? Good enough to be published? But it's more than just the one question. If you are published, will your book sell enough to be considered successful? Do I have more than one book in me, or will I be just a one-off? What if I suffer from writer's block?
I'm willing to bet that if you're like me somewhere along the way a person or two (usually a relative or close friend) complimented your writing and urged you to consider getting published.
"This is a lot better than some of the books I've bought and read!"
Sound familiar? Been there...heard that. Confidence on the rise.
I also hear a lot of writers describing their voyage through the literary world like being on a roller coaster. Lots of highs and lows. Accurate, but I'll take it a step further by saying it's like riding a coaster blindfolded. On a real coaster, you can scan ahead and sort of prepare yourself for the turbulent shifts, but not so in the publishing world. Having the rug ripped out from you (via query rejection or publisher denial) will test the strongest of confidence.
It's why I've debated - on multiple occasions - about throwing in the towel. It's just not going to happen, I'll tell myself, my confidence ebbing away again. But then I consider the fact that I've had two different agents, representing three different books, who've had enough confidence of their own to represent me. Surely that means something? I've also had highly successful authors and experienced editors compliment my writing and tell me I have what it takes.
So why is nothing happening? It's all so frustrating!
Can you tell that I'm struggling again? Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything. Just needed to vent. I won't go as far as saying I'm good now, but I have stepped away from the ledge.
Where does my confidence level sit now? Good question. An eternal one.
