New Book - old passion

Just watching Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan inspecting their first catch. What a movie, what a story - the hell, what a soup of stories and messages. A fantastic platform to think about new book titles. Wait, no worries, I am not trying to write another Forrest Gump story here, it's just some kind of epiphany or something - I guess.

Anyway, I am now pulling together branches for a new fiery novel but this time around the dough for it will need to be kneaded, the recipe followed to the dot. It's interesting, I got an inspiration last year and my first novel poured out of my memory - already there, already structured. Yeah, not a perfection but nevertheless. This time, it's fiction in its purest sense - I am not engaging with my past experience and everything in its entirety is made up. I'm fleshing out characters, painting scenes, sewing plots and approaching writing with scientific rigor.

It's a test I guess but I love writing, I really do and even this new, much more systematic approach that the story demands from me is not going to defer me from continuing living my passion - something I dreamed of for so long but never had the fire in me to get past a couple of sentences.

It's a different genre from my first novel but I don't care - as long as my brains entertain my fingers into producing something of decent quality. In the mean time, I am still waiting for the proofreader to get her job done and enjoy every moment with my family. I am blessed and grateful for that every single day of my life.

Moon Dance

Just reading Moon Dance: A Vampire for Hire novel from J. R. Rain - sigh.Yes, it is beautifully written and I am learning a great deal from... duh, I can't find the author's real name. Well, I read a dozen or so other books too - can't believe myself but that's what's happening -honest!

It's bewildering, for the first time in my life - cross my heart - I am actually doing things in exactly the kind of way recommended by my peers. In this case I am talking about the vast, vast majority of other indie authors and pros and all people who can say something meaningful about writing fiction.

It really feels good and my writing is improving every single day as I absorb the wisdom of all these wonderful people around the web who - in their sheer altruism - help their indie colleagues around the world make their work better for the benefit of all (me including).

Are these books any worse than your classical bestsellers? Some, yes, but most are really decent and some are of superb sleepless-nights-kind of quality. You probably guessed that I'm not writing much right now and you're right but that doesn't prevent me from reading and reading and reading some more.

Then again, I am helping my daughter get her first children book published but her writing is just so cute and graphics represent the only real work for me. Yep, a family of writers it seems - my wife has got her own little cookbook project (I'll be writing about this in August when it comes out). In the mean time, reading and waiting for the proofreader to do her job and then some more editing - plenty to do and I can hardly wait!

Proofreading!

That's it, I pressed the button and despite the delay, I think the novel benefited from additional editing, from sharpening, from pretty much everything that I've done with it. It's really frustrating though - I can always find something that needs improving but you've got to stop one day - or go completely crazy.

OK, there will be some more work once the book gets back - full of tracked changes. I will then have another go reading through the printed out hard copy but that's minor in comparison to what I've been doing so far.

Anyway, I am happy with the result - the story is full of twists and turns but that makes it pretty hard to decide on the specific genre it is supposed to belong to - I guess war-adventure-romance comes close. The book cover does its job too - symbolism, hidden messages and alike - and it is visible and readable in all acceptable cover-art formats.

Sooo, 20th July is my new deadline and this time it will be met.You never know with a novel but I am determined to get it onto Amazon Kindle bookstore by then. Wish me luck...

Proofreading away

Here we go, it's precisely a month since I last posted on my blog - shame of you Mike. No, I haven't given up - never - come on! The thing is that I've been working hard (going to bed at 3am or 4am in the morning every single day) to get the book ready for publishing. So, where the heck am I now - even I wonder? Well, I am proofreading and cover art away from having my FIRST novel ready for publishing.

Did I mention cover art? Oh yes, here it is:

It is my own creation and I wonder what the readers might think of it. I guess you noticed a change in the title. Well, the thing is, I have infuriated Nathan and his family name is now Noone (sorry Nathan). I hope he doesn't pull all his hair out but the change was necessary - frankly speaking. Goodbye Nathan Travis, long live Nathan Noone! I am hoping to get back the 312-page manuscript from proofreaders in about 21 days. That means, "Deceiving Noone" will be available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by 15th July 2012. It's a delay alright but a delay well needed. More regular posts from now on - promise.