July Writing Update

 Elmore Leonard once said, “I never open a book with weather. If it’s only to create atmosphere and not a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people.” 

So What About the Weather? -  July has been pleasant here in our little part of the world. We have had some warm days, mostly offset by cool nights. Overall, the summer has been a bit cooler than the 30-year average. The fine weather has allowed for more flowers and more vegetables than last year. Two small hail storms were the only downside of this summer’s weather. The second one was short-lived, but nickel-sized hail took out most of our raspberries and the higher-on-the-vine tomatoes. Update - tomatoes are looking good and tasting even better!

Finishing a Book – I was asked this week if I had ever started but not finished a book. They should have asked me how many books have you started but not finished. My answer – too many. I have written nearly 200 pages with 200+ footnotes on one nonfiction project, now dead for five years. Add a kid’s book or two, a memoir, and two series books I abandoned. I nearly forgot to mention a history storybook and a historical highlights book. Maybe some days, I will go back and look at one or more of these books, but not soon.

Edits – The first long and slow edit of the third of my Blade Holmes western mysteries is complete. Now I will lay it aside for a week or two, then listen to the computer read it. Then a third go through. In the meantime, I am editing the third of my nonfiction books for older readers. It is a shorter book; I should finish this edit in a week or so.

 

Writing Quote of the Week – “A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God.” Sidney Sheldon

Photos – Today’s photos are from this week’s wanderings, walks, and strolls.

Summer Writing

At last, it looks as if summer is here.

My writing normally slows down a bit when warm weather arrives. For me, summer means lots of vacation days, short trips, golf, long walks, and hikes, gardening, a little fishing, and more time with my cameras taking wildlife and landscape photos. I also spend time watching Little League baseball and my favorite big league team the Rockies who are off to a great start.

One of our favorite places to relax and only a few minutes away

I will continue working on my new nonfiction book and hope to finish the 4^th  kid's chapter book from my Mike and Moose & Me series. Here is the link to the first of the series.

I am doing a few small promotions for my newest book – here is my latest post on it.

Just in time for summer. Beginning Gardening and Other Entertaining Lies. Everything from how to read labels on a bag of fertilizer to building backyard raised beds. Great for beginners along with terrific reminders and how to’s, for long time gardeners also.  Complete with humor and four short stories, each starting with a body in the garden.

NOW FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED OR A MERE .99 CENTS TO PURCHASE THE Ebook.

Give it a try today,learning and laughing all in the same book.

Other than that I will do lots of soaking in the sun and relaxing in the warmth of summer. How about You?

Last evening - sunset over Guernsey State Park 

Help For Writers and Other Fairy Tales

Help for Writers - Seems to me that more and more websites and blogs are tossing around books I classify as, writer helpers. Kind of like hamburger helper but for writers. When I see a new add for plotting, finishing, starting, editing, character development or one of many other writers helps, I look them up. Not what they are offering but them, what have they written and did it sell, often not, or not so much. Makes me think there may be more money in writing books helping others to write books than there is in any other genre. Just an observation.

Dusting off an old book - Years ago I started writing a book on failing in small business. It was a tongue in cheek look at how difficult it is to be one of the lucky ones that work on to make money in a small business. Think I might drag it out, it was fun. But don’t expect me ever to come out with a book on writing, well maybe, if I sell a few million, which seems unlikely. Several years ago vanity presses were all the rage, pay upfront and got your book published. Today buy the book and self-publish, at least the new way is easier. In all likelihood, few books will be sold, but at least by self-publishing, the writer will not finish in the hole.

First Snow of the Year

NANO Writers - As so many writers plug away trying to get sixteen hundred words a day in a quest to reach 50,000 words during November, the National Write a Novel Month, I have been taking it easy.  I could blame my lack of production on hand pain, and swelling brought on by arthritis, but it’s getting better, and I can type again. I don’t believe I have ever written much more than 30,000 words in any given month, guess that is good for me. Each year I think about attempting NANO, but each year I pass. Considering I was out of state the first week of the month and spend three days last week at a school board convention guess November is a bad month for me, writing production wise. Hey, maybe next year.

Too Much Hiking and Not Enough Writing - but that will end when the cold sets in

Progress Report – The books I had hoped to have ready for Christmas are going nowhere, I have done a bit of work on two of them but now hoping for February. Lazy strikes again, I guess.

Christmas Stories – I am considering some type of promotion for my book of western Christmas stories. Take a look here and read the first one, or most of it at least for free. The book, Under Western Skies, sold well last year and I hope to find some new readers this holiday season. 

Meanwhile, put your feet up grab a hot cup of cocoa and read or write a good book. 

Write What You Know or Write Romance

Write what you know. The old cliché, so often seen on writing sites but now I am reading that is not necessary to know what you write.  Instead, it has become a world of write what people want to read. You know, the jump on the bandwagon, as soon as something makes a big splash, write three or four similar books as quickly as you can and become rich and famous. Some authors are making a living at it, but I wonder if other than financial, how happy they are with their creativity and writing life.

So, if a writer can write and wants to write only for the money – here it is Romance. Romance books make up 40% of Amazon’s eBook sales. There it is, if you are in it for the money, write romance. Oh, and no need to write steamy erotica books, they are a tiny portion of the romance books for sale on Amazon.

Speaking of Romance, this lovely couple is heading for
Anniversary number 48 in a few months.
Some say high school sweethearts never last
Jan and I beg to differ.

Sounds tough for someone like me and old guy that writes historicals and western fiction. But as one of my all-time favorite TV characters, Colombo used to say, “One more question.” Only, in this case, it’s one more thing, and pretty exciting at that. Westerns were on the rise last year. Yes, more westerns selling. Up as much as 7% and a few good western movies came out as well.

Now if I can just figure out how to write a bit of romance into my westerns. Never mind, I already have. Here is a cut from my western, Commitment.

    Blade’s dream flashed ahead and the couple walked hand in hand under a canopy of overhanging elms, the heavy branches filtering the silver glimmer of a half moon. An eerie yellow circle of light cast from one of the new city gas lights illuminated each street corner.  The two walked as if no one and nothing else mattered. And nothing and no one did. They walked, they smiled, and they talked about everything and then talked of nothing at all. The couple passed from the filtered moonlight to the yellow of the street corners, watched buggies and saddle horses pass and held hands letting the troubles of the world find others on this perfect night.

    Blade had never been in love before, didn’t know what it felt like and wasn’t sure what it should be. But he knew it that night, and it scared him worse than he had ever been scared in his life. They had kissed for the first time on their fifth date several weeks before. The first kiss extended Blade’s stay in Kansas City from one month to six months and as the time had worn on their relationship deepened, growing stronger and stronger by the day.

Not too steamy, but it works, at least in my world, because I write what I know.

Sometimes a great western setting is all the Romance needed

A Month of Writing

June has ended, and it is time for a break 4^th of July – Independence Day. Food, Family, Fun & Fireworks and in our case we will visit a huge flea market and maybe a few antique stores.

Last Year Fort Laramie on the 4th of July

The end of the month also means a look back at my June writing. Once again it was not enough, seems like an ongoing theme. My goal for the year is a quarter of a million words, but I have never been close and looks like I will not be again this year. Oh well! All of my goals are sketchy at best, but I still would like to write at the 20,000 words per month pace, less than 700 per day.

So how did I do? 12,843 words, better than the past two months but still woefully short of my goal. For the year I am just under 122,000 words, if I pick it up, I might make the 250,000, but I am not betting on it not yet. I still continue working on a final edit, from the book proof and the finishing touches on, the first draft, of another novel.

Looks like about half of this month’s writing was in the form of blog posts as I made 20 total this month. Not bad and about what I expect each month.

Grandson Fireworks 

What’s holding me back? Lots and lots of visitors and lots of time with kids and grandkids. Typically I blame my lack of production on too much time with my camera, but I have not spent much time taking photos the past month. Must be the garden and maybe a bit too much golf. Oh and it was too hot to write, but now with an all new central air and furnace system it is terrific inside, but much poorer.

Maybe Not That Cool

Keep reading and keep writing and have a safe and memorable Independence Day.

Know Your Weapons

Seems like I see lots of author advertising lately for services offering expertise in areas that modern writers need. Two particular standout, one a guide to firearms and then yesterday a guide to bow and arrows. I grew up shooting both and it seems to me that if one is not familiar with a weapon they should, head out to a range and try it out, or leave it out of the story.  Or in my case, drive out in the country and shoot away at a target on BLM land. 

 

BLM

It reminds me of the old author advice, write what you know. If a writer does not know anything about guns or bows, write it simply. “the bad guy raised the gun or bow and shot him.” In many cases it depends on the reader, will they need to know the caliber, model, and manufacture of the gun? As a reader, I have never found it to be something I could not live without. As an avid target shooter, I don’t mind reading stories that go into some detail about weapons, but if the story is good, the word gun is okay, as far as the weapon, for me.

In my own writings, over the years, I have referred to both Army and Navy Colts,  made a simple reference to handguns of .38, .22 and .45 caliber and rifles of .306 and 30/30 caliber. All simple stuff, and all guns that I own and shoot. I also own several shotguns but have not, as yet, hey, I’m getting an idea here, worked one into a story.  In some cases like my Historical Fiction novel, Commitment, I get a bit more specific, but it’s not a required, must know, for the story, but it will be fun for gun buffs and those knowledgeable of historical weapons. 

Tell a great story, use details in things you know, write the rest of the story in a simple and straightforward manner and let the story carry the day.

Just my thoughts. Write on!

So, Just What is a Western?

What makes a book a western? Okay, that’s a fair question. I recently read a post whose author seemed surprised the book was considered part of the western genre. I have not read the book, but did look at the overview and it appears to start with a man fresh out of prison driving his pickup home – sounds like a western to me.

I believe if it is set in the old west it is a western, and I will not allow anyone to change my mind on that one. Modern westerns can be harder to pigeon hole. If it is set in a state or area where old time westerns were set, it may be a western.  A modern western is set mostly outside, preferably in wide open spaces, and any action in a town is short and usually in a small city or town.  Plots can be very modern and tackle modern day problems. Living in Wyoming this could mean dealing with, the oil and gas industry, coal, power plants, wolves, big government intrusion, big game hunting, guns, clean air, open spaces, livestock, and numerous other topics. I have the first draft finished of a young adult modern day western. What does it deal with? Oil and gas and the Wind River Reservation. I think it’s pretty good and topical, but it still needs a lot of work, I am hoping for, but not predicting a late March release.

In the old days, a western was just that a western. A mystery was a mystery, and literary fiction was, well same as today, mostly unreadable. Today we have multiple sub-genres. I classify both of my westerns as western/mystery. Western/Romance is the most popular western sub-genre today. Westerns could also be classified as, Western/Sci-fi, Wester/Thriller, Western/Horror, and lately Western/Erotica and Steampunk Westers are growing in popularity.

Westerns still seem to be bought and read today, they just may not be in the western section of your local bookstore. Meanwhile – read on.

Oh, by the way, right now I am reading, Stephen Burckhardt’s Christmas short, Into the West-The Orphan Train and Fishing and Other Misadventures by Bradley Stoner. I am also re-reading two books on Fort Laramie and the Indian wars.

Want to take a look at my books? Click here, and thanks. 

Write a Book and Get Rich - NOW

On the weekend,  I often spend extra time looking at writing blogs. Some have good advice, others are not very understanding of self or Independent published authors. One blog post suggested that spending 10 to 15 thousand dollars on promotions and advertising would be a good idea, money well spent.  After a two or three thousand dollars edit, that means a book would come in with expenses of 12 to 18  thousand dollars before the author makes a dime. Big traditional publishers might spend this on A-list authors, but I know of not a single Independent author or small publishing house who would, or could, spend that much money. Most of us don't have a bank account with more than a number or two on the left side of the decimal.

I read somewhere that 95% of books sell less than 100 copies, others say 200. I have no idea if that stat is real or made up, but it sounds reasonable.  With an author making two or three dollars for each book sold, it looks like tough sledding for most. Spending 15 thousand to make $600, is not very good business, not even in and author's imaginary world.  

This has nothing to do with the post, but we had a terrific sunset this evening

The good news, I have one book that is long past 200 copies sold, and another well past 100. Guess that puts me in the category of top 5% of all authors. Maybe I'm famous, or at least a best-selling author. (Tongue firmly planted in cheek)

Meanwhile see all my books here, including my newest book of Christmas Stories in the West.

Tellin' stories and Sellin' books - loving it!

Write On

Jeff Goins wrote recently of his idea on what it takes to be a real writer. His answer, is to call yourself one. I happen to agree. If you write and want to call yourself a writer, why not. I called myself a baseball player in  Little League and a football player when I played in college. Was I ready for the majors or the NFL, sadly no. I wrote my first story when I was six or seven, and a great story it was, and have been dabbling in writing, first part now full time, ever since. Over the past forty plus years I have published in newspapers, magazines, a state publication and a  travelogue, Online I have been published on cooking sites, coaching sites, western sites,  mysteries, and travel sites. How much money did I make? Not much.

I have also written nine partial books, dozens of short stories, seven complete book of which I have published four. I call myself a writer. When I am speaking to groups I tell them I am a writer but not a famous or a rich one. I also tell  people that if they want to be a writer to be rich and famous that those are the wrong reasons.

I like to write and like to read and I like to read about writing but am not a marketer. Not by any stretch of my imagination. I have very little knowledge of social media, know nothing about SEO, and am woefully behind in my ability to self-promote – not my style.

If you are interested in SEO marketing and in really getting out and selling through social media or need a lot of information on Indy writing check out Greg Strandberg, great stuff a couple of times a week and always entertaining. But for me, all of my promotion is done by word of mouth,  on twitter and Google +, not much at all.

Oh, and I have an authors site on Amazon.

So I continue on as a writer and a happy one, celebrating each sale as if I am James Patterson or Steven King selling another million. Don’t take this wrong, I am not complaining, I am happy with my sales, would love to sell more but I really am in it for the story. With that said I will have three books coming out in the next year. I will be doing all of my minuscule promotions right here and on Twitter.

If you write it doesn’t matter if you call yourself a writer, scribbler or author, I salute you and happy writing or write on dudes - something like that. 

Summer book presentation - that's me with the good looking legs

Writing Can Be Fun

I read and often post many quotes about writing. They are mostly from established and famous authors. Thought it might be fun today to post some quotes from a non-writer. I think these are pretty funny. Both are from one of my all-time favorite comedians. 

"I’m writing a book. I have the page numbers done; now I just have to fill in the rest."

 "I've written several children's books ... Not on purpose."

Steven Wright

Well, after that post - guess it's time for me to get out of here

Writing Break and the Great Crain Migration

So where have I been the last week? Well, I have been on vacation. We went to Grand Island, Nebraska to see the Sandhill Crain migration.

Crains & Cows

Spectacular there were more than 200,000 birds, I would guess we saw three or four thousand.

Dancing for the Ladies

We also went to the south-east corner of Nebraska to see family. I got to spend some time with brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-laws and various others and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Now I am back home writing and editing.

Always Great Nebraska Barns to Photograph and Edit

I am also excited about being part of a documentary for the Wyoming State Parks, Historical Sites and Cultural Resources. I have finished my book, still with a reader/editor, on the Civilian Conservation Corps and this is the subject of the new documentary. The CCC not my book.

The CCC Worker Statue and the Museum - also the cover of my new book

And, by the way, 85 degrees here in my part of Wyoming today.

Why We all Hate Commas

 Using commas, oh my.

I read today that writers do not use nearly as many commas as were used in 1900. I remember being taught that if you forgot all the rules, which most of us have, to place a comma whenever you hear a pause. Today this seems to be a little used and mostly forgotten comma lesson. Why? Because that leaves too many of the dreaded comma’s. There is a relationship between pauses and commas, but it is not strong enough to always use a comma for a pause.

Best advice I read on commas is that if you are not sure leave it out. Now that’s pretty good.

I am reading a new grammar book taking a look at how comma use has changed. Hope it helps. My undergraduate minor was in American Literature nowadays I wish it would have been in English.

 Not really.

My photo of the day

Relaxing this evening in the beautiful North Bluff Castle at Guernsey State Park

A Good Western Mystery

I like westerns and I like mysteries, guess that is why one of my favorite type of books is a good western mystery. Here is what I believe makes up a good western tail, or for that matter, a good mystery.

1.     A crime early in the book, preferably in chapter one or two. Most readers prefer a murder mystery, makes for a much better read for many than the old fashioned cat burglar stories. (Although Lawrence Block and his character, Bernie Rhodenbarr, a burglar, is one of my all-time favorite mystery series).
2.      Draw a clear line between the good guy and the bad guy
3.     Reveal clues along the way, let the mystery unfold     Give the reader a chance to catch the bad guys using the same clues as the police, cops, sheriff, sleuth or whoever is the protagonist/good guy.
4.      Don’t solve it all until the last chapter.
5.      Above all else don’t end it with someone waking up and it was all a dream. Don’t make an unexpected turn with some kind of twin thing or a fantasy type ending when the rest of the book was not a fantasy. Readers are not that dumb.

This style of western is not always easy to find. I think a good western needs a strong plot, like a mystery it is always as much about the story as the good guys and bad guys shooting each other.

A little nervous and starting to move when they saw me

Ten Reasons I Can't Get Around to Writing

Writing can be pretty lonely. I write at night, sometimes late into the night or the next morning. I read many blog posts that focus on, finding your best creative part of the day. Morning seems best for most - not me. Not sure why I was never a great morning person. Seems about eight in the evening until 1 or 1:30 in the morning is best for me.

That doesn't mean I don't work during the day, I go from 10 to noon or maybe one, that's about it until the evening hours.

So, how do I spend the hours of a day when most, non-retired people are working?  

1.   I get up late (Embarrassing, but relaxing) 

2.   I play golf (Even in winter when it is 50 degrees or better)

3.   I work in the garden (Seed starting this weekend – indoors)

4.   I work in my wood shop (Many projects and a great mess)

5.   I ride my bicycle (As long as the snow and Ice are absent)

6.   I hike the trails of Guernsey State Park (Love this)

7.   I take photographs ( I average about 800 a month, and no, I don't save them all)

8.    Yes, I do work some. I work five to eight days a month as a substitute teacher in the local school district. (After being in front of the class for 42 years it is a hard habit to break).

9.   I play my harmonica (love the haunting sound, it reminds me of times past and the old west. I’m not too bad either).

10.   I watch old movies (if it’s in Black and White I will probably like it, I also DVR the old B&W Gunsmoke episodes).

There you have it, a day in the life of a procrastinating writer. I still write about 20,000 words a month, not much to some, but pretty good for me.

Fort Laramie

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well". 

Mark Twain

Re-Write and Do It Again

The toughest part of writing is writing until its good enough. Writing until the pickiest critic, yourself, is satisfied.

I had someone recently ask me why I have not attempted to publish the four, yes four, books I have written. Easy, they are not good enough. I am continually working on them. When I get rejected I want my best stuff to be rejected, not something I wrote in a few hours.

I actually have enough short stories to put together three more books, but who’s counting?

"Books aren't written, they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it..." - Michael Crichton

And if I need inspiration I take a quick trip to the park.

I Only Know Three Things About Editing

First - Print it out and edit from the paper copy

Editing from the screen has become the method of choice for many writers, and will work if you plan to send it off to a professional editor afterward. If you do not have the time, or money, for a professional editor, you must edit from paper.

The last time I posted about not hiring a professional editor I got quite a few comments from writes saying a book should never be published without proper professional editing. This is wonderful advice if the writer can afford the over $1,000 needed to get a good job.

As I have stated here before one of the problems in editing, and the writing business in general, is finding a good editor. Book doctors and editors need only to advertise and they are in business. Sad, but there are some real scam artists calling themselves editors who may or may not run your works through a quick editing program and pronounce it edited and ready for publication.

Second - Read it aloud

Reading out loud will let you find, bad punctuation, poor word choice, awkward sentences and sometimes tense changes. The good news here is that programs are available that will read your work. They will sound like a computer reader, odd, but maybe not so odd since it is the computer reading.

I like to read it myself and listen to myself, which sounds a bit full of myself, but it works. Wives, husbands or friends reading your words to you works great.

Third – Look for overuses of easy/lazy words. Here’s my list.

That, stuff, things, very, got, all, every, seem, almost, sometimes, big, little, have got, just - and the dreaded, was-is-are-am

It is simple to use the find and replace editing function to pick up these and at least, attempt a fix.

There you have it the only three thing’s I know about editing, not much.  Must be why I am looking out my window at a foot of new snow instead of writing today.

Oh- don’t forget to spell and grammar check, often.

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