Writing Can be Hard Work - Or Sorry About all the Photo's of Me

Trying to edit one book, complete another and research a third may not be good for a writer’s mental health. But, that is what I am doing, not sure why. I have a backlog of several completed, first draft books that I need to edit, polish and just finish up. I remember reading once that writing can be the loneliest profession and whoever said it may have been trying to do too many things at the same time. Oh, and I attempt, often weakly to sell a few of my books also.

Pitching a book

 

It is so easy to get started then look up and several hours have passed. Unlike many writers I don’t do much during the regular work day. Guess my 42 year teaching career warranted some of the normal work day hours off. So when do I write? Three in the afternoon to whenever I decide it is time to quite, three to six hours most days.

Research trip? Sitting in the Oregon Trail Ruts south of town yesterday.

Walking, playing golf, gardening and photography take up many of my mornings, not a bad way to spent the early part of the day either. Not sure I could ever treat writing as a day job. I have written for many years, publishing my first stories more than 30 years ago. Now that I am retired I still write in the evenings and on weekends, same as I have done for three decades. Does that fall under the old adage, “you can't teach an old dog new tricks?”

Typical working morning for the old history teacher

Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom we can neither resist nor understand.

George Orwell.

Orwell's Writing Tips

Like many great writers George Orwell spent quite a bit of time talking about, and writing about, writing. Orwell lovers who also write have probably ran across this before ---

“A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 

1.  What am I trying to say?

2.  What words will express it?

3.  What image or idiom will make it clearer?

4.  Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”

So with that in mind I thought I would take a random, and this is random, short paragraph instead of a single sentence, from a work in progress. With this particular project, a modern day western, I am about 30,000 words in. Here goes.

Detective Ron Hafner, Chief Holliday’s only plain clothes officer, had the site cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape before seven AM. Hafner and Holliday paced around the body, measuring, looking carefully at everything, Hafner taking photos. Holliday stopped for a few moments and smelled the air. He reminded me of a scruffy Calvary scout from some late night black and white smelling the air for buffalo, horses or the enemy. I made a mental note to ask him what in the hell he thought he could smell out there. As I contemplated sniffing the air myself, the Pronghorn Flats ambulance arrived with sirens screaming.

 “Shut off those lights and turn that dammed siren off, we don’t need to hurry with this guy,” Holliday shouted at the two EMT’s as they jumped from the ambulance. 

Now let’s look at Orwell’s four steps and plug them into my few sentences.

Step 1. What am I trying to say? – In this case I am still introducing three of the main characters, the Sheriff, his deputy and the narrator, the novels protagonist.
Step 2. What words will express it? Tougher question. I am trying to play with a bit of small town police work, efficient but small town.Step 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? I like the picture I have painted, might be a bit prejudiced here.Step 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect? They are looking at a fresh dead guy, should be fresh enough.
Not sure anyone today will take the time to look at each sentence this way – takes too much time. Writing today often includes deadlines, and deadlines frequently mean the closer it is, the faster the writing becomes. Have any of you read a book you loved, for the first half, and then felt like the rest was rushed to get to the conclusion? Seems I find way too many of these.

If the writing is too bad to fix - put it to a good use

Create Space Publishing

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”
—George Orwell

Well, I found help, help for the writing pain, especially if you are going the self-pub route. Rick Smith’s, Create Space & Kindle Self –Publishing Masterclass, is the only resource needed if you wish to publish on Amazon in either print or for e-readers.

The blurp on the front cover says, “The Step by Step Author’s Guide to Writing. Publish and Marketing Your Books on Amazon. I believe this says it all.

My current, work in progress, yes, I know I am supposed to use WP, but I still like to write it out. But I digress, my current nonfiction work in progress will have more than 100 photos and about 30,000 words. That could be a formatting nightmare, but thanks to Mr. Smith, and his book, I have made it through. Will publish by June 1.

Summer slows down my writing – too many distractions