Now How Is This Supposed To End?

I see so many posts lately about writers block. Writers who get stuck and cannot seem to go on. Seems like I have so many projects going on that this is not a problem. If I get stuck, I just put it away and work on something else. Seems I always have several projects going and others shoved, temporally, to the back burner. But, the blocks do come.

Talking to High School Kids About Writing

Someone asked me recently how I could write, and why I do, in so many different genres? Well, the answer is I don’t. I write westerns or about the West. I do expand the area, maybe more than most, but at the heart, still westerns. Some of my writing’s lean more toward historical fiction, like my book, Commitment, because I use some actual people in real settings, but in a fictional story.  UnderWestern Skies, my book of Christmas stories meets every requirement of today’s Westerns. Except they are not all set in the old west, some are modern day and others are set in the 1950s or 60s. This book of western tales falls into several sub-genres, romance, a bit of sci-fi and in one case, just for fun, fantasy, but all westerns, not doubt about it.

 My chapter books for young readers are not in their truest sense westerns, but they fall into the fringes of my take on westerns. The books were set 60 years ago and in small town Nebraska, I call them growing up adventure westerns. They are high-interest fiction and written, in part, because of my love of reading and trying to encourage kids to read in today’s society, where we have a new culture dominated by two-minute YouTube videos.  The books titled, Melvin the E Street Ghost and, Then Mike Said There’s A Zombie in MyBasement, are fun, and I hope, catchy for the eight, nine and ten-year-olds they are meant for.

I also write nonfiction, but they are books about the west. The only one I have published is about the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Building of Guernsey State Park, is set in Wyoming and deals with the CCC created by FDRs New Deal. My works in progress, and I have two, (the ones I am not writers blocked from), are both about Wyoming, one dealing with Fort Laramie and another, a general look at the Indians and forts of early Wyoming. I think that makes these pretty much western.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned writer’s blog which brings me to this. I have a novel I cannot finish. I have got it out and put it away, at least, a dozen times. It is a favorite of mine, I like the characters, the setting, and I even like the murder the book tries to solve. This one has a modern day setting and much of it takes place on a golf course of all places. Is it a western, absolutely, an unfinished one. Why is it unfinished? A bad novel writing mistake, I didn’t decide on who did it and why before I started writing, and now I don’t know. Someday I will figure it out – probably not today.

My Amazon Author Page

One last note, my new book, Ghost of the Fawn, is still on track to be released before the end of February, wish me luck.

Beautiful Winter Day Here

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!

Making a Few Bucks Writing Books

I have been spending a lot of my summer reading time looking over writing and marketing strategy. What have I learned?

Traditionally published authors still have a leg up on independently published writers. It may be harder than ever to get a publishing contract from a traditional publisher. If a writer works in the western genre, forget it. No publisher, from a big traditional house, is taking on western writers. Some small publishers might, but their resources are limited.

If an independent writer understands aggressive marketing, he or she might have a chance to make a good living writing books. Seems to me there are quite a few writers and bloggers marketing themselves as writing gurus and making a living at it. Maybe that’s easier than writing a good mystery and selling it.

Don’t take this wrong, I do not understand a thing about marketing books or creating and selling my own brand. That’s why I read all of the marketing stuff I can. Is it working? Somewhat. Last month was the first that I made a significant (for me), amount of money. What is that for me? Over a hundred bucks – last month over $200. And I would love to make that much every month. Not a living, but then I never expected it to be. I do like the fact that it gives me a little extra spending money.

I should be much more aggressive with selling books on Facebook and on Twitter. I just can’t do it, don’t want to make friends feel like they have to buy one of my books. So, guess I will be happy with what I make. I love writing, not so much marketing the product of my time. I do enjoy talking to groups and selling a few books at that type of event. I also like leading readers to my author's page on Amazon.

A chance was offered to publish my non-fiction (CCC book) traditionally with a small publisher, but I passed as the time frame would have stretched the release date out another year.

I am deep into another non-fiction historical and once again have a chance to go more traditional, with a smaller but successful publisher. I am too old to wait for the timeline they offered and my per copy money would be less than .50 cents, not nearly as good as going the self-pub route. Guess I will stick to making my pin-money income and enjoying the writing.

What am I going to do next? Head out to the golf course and enjoy the day.

All blog posts are better with a photo of Bison relaxing in the noon-day sun.

Think I will go on with the idea of - writing for the story, and hoping for the best.

Last evening another wonderful sunset

Rewrite or Leave as Is

I've been doing some editing the past two weeks, everything I do keeps bringing me back to this quote.

“I have been correcting the proofs of my poems. In the morning, after hard work, I took a comma out of one sentence…. In the afternoon I put it back again.” ~Oscar Wilde

Sometimes it might be best to walk away

I am surprised at how many times I have rewrote something in the margin and later scratch that out and write in bold red  - LEAVE AS IS

The good news is the weather is great in Wyoming and my golf game is already getting to mid-season form. Almost time to plant the garden and do some more editing.

A Western Bestseller

I still read many traditional westerns each year. Seems like not too many of us still do, although there seems to be enough of a niche market for old time shoot-um-up westerns.     

Today’s westerns, at least after perusing the Amazon bestselling lists, seem to lean more to modern time stories set in the west, usually more mystery than conflict of characters.  Historical, Romance and Young Adult westerns all seem to still be popular and in some demand today. None are bad areas and all seem to sell.

Oddly it seems when westerns are listed in categories of mystery or romance they are more acceptable to the mainstream – just my thoughts.

Now I am going to set down and start writing my, all new, young adult, mysterious historical western – hope it will become a best seller. Tentative title, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. 

She Disappeared in the Mountains, Just Like Her Grandma –Aliens?

Early Snow in Wyoming - Anywhere from an Inch to a Few Feet.