#175 Germany!

The wife and I went to Germany for a couple of weeks with her sister and brother-in-law.  We landed in Munich, rented a car and drove the autobahn through the countryside until we reached Berlin.  Following are snippets from our vacation:

• We watched 2 Germany World Cup games at local bars, including the 7-1 semi-final defeat over Brazil.  In Rothenburg, the entire town retired to their individual living rooms to watch the game.  We walked through the medieval town hearing the game blaring from each window as we passed through the ghost town-like atmosphere.  And when Germany won, the town woke up and stormed the streets with waving flags and honking horns!
• We visited several bier gartens.  One of them could seat more than 6000 patrons.  They were always packed and everyone drank beers out of gigantic glass mugs.  
• The bicycle tour through Munich.  The weather was perfect and town was beautiful.  The tour guide kept calling me the "Butt Babe" because I was the last in line and was responsible for everyone in front of me.  I received a frisbee for my troubles.
• We visited the German underground, a series of bunkers built during WWII to protect a small percentage of Germans during allied bombing raids.  I got reprimanded for taking a picture three seconds after he implored us NOT to take pictures.  
• Our car got a flat tire somewhere between Rothenburg and Heidelburg.  There was no spare.  We had to get towed to the nearest town with a Buch Binder, which was Wurtzburg.  It was not a glorious way to enter the town responsible for Dirk Nowitzki.  But it was an experience none-the-less.  The tow truck driver was sweet on my wife because she had her hair in braids.
• We visited the Memorial To The Murdered Jews.  It was a complete city block of pillars within which you could lose yourself.  It was a somber and meaningful experience.
• Glockenspiels:  Before leaving, my grandmother explained to me how great the clocks were in Germany.  So I made it my personal mission to take pictures of every clock we came upon.  The task proved to be too much for me to handle.  There are a hundreds of glockenspiels in Germany, all of them beautiful and worthy of being photographed.
• The Andechs: We traveled to a monastery where we drank monk beer and ate pig knuckles.  The beer was among the best I had in Germany.  And the pig knuckles were actually delicious. The town in the valley below was beautiful to witness from the monastery located at the top of the hill.
• The last pastry I will ever eat was in Berlin.  The pastry was good, but for some reason I vowed it to be my last.  

#174 Interview With The Graveyard Cowboy

I did my first interview today on a podcast out of Atlanta called The Graveyard Cowboy Poetry Show.  The podcast is a creative variety show that focuses on poetry, but Clint and The Graveyard Cowboy have been nice enough to discuss prose with me.  Check it out here!

#173 A Clockwork What?

For some strange reason I picked up my copy of A Clockwork Orange and read the author's note that accompanied the 1986 re-release of the novel.  In the note, two things popped out at me.  1) He was surprised that his work lasted longer than a few years, as most literary works tended to dribble toward obscurity after being published.  2) American publishers refused to publish all 21 chapters of his original novel.  Instead, the big NY publisher responsible for A Clockwork Orange (Ballantine Books - part of Random House) only published 20 chapters, thinking the last chapter was not needed.  In his note Burgess defended his reasons for the 21st chapter and condemned American publishing for its excessive pride, its audacity to take a work of art and change it simply because they had the power to do so.

This is an old story, and most likely is only one of a thousand.  But this hit home with me considering my current struggle to self publish my own works.  I chose to avoid the big publishing houses because I felt they took a large piece of the financial pie because they had rigged the game so heavily in their favor that they could demand writers to sign less-than-worthy contracts.  But that was only a partial truth.  On top of that, they changed the art themselves.  Against the artist's will.

That is unforgivable.

Burgess recites in his note the reasons he allowed this to happen.  As it was in the 1960's, prominent writers did not make much money.  Financially he needed what he could get, and in the wake of Kubrick's film, he had only one opportunity to publish his book in the states.  For financial reasons, he took that opportunity.  This is a simple case of the big publishing houses flexing their muscles, a right they definitely had considering the landscape of publishing in the 1960s.

But things have changed.  Considerably.  The big publishing houses have enjoyed the leverage they've had over the years because writers had no way to get their stories to readers without them.  Writers had no power.

But now we do.  Writers can tell their stories (all 21 chapters) without a large company changing it.  I just wish Anthony Burgess were alive to see the shift in power.  The true liberation of the writer.

BTW, so dramatic for a Wednesday evening... It's because the US play Germany today.  I'm on edge!

#172 First Month Sales

Exchange Day has been out for a month.  I remember when it was nothing more than a glimmer in daddy's eye.  And now it has been available for readers around the world for an entire month!  My how time flies... Well, one down, infinity to go!

To commemorate this landmark I have included a graph of sales up to this point.  So the real question is: what do these numbers mean?  Do these forecast in anyway what the book's potential is?  Or do these numbers forecast the number of friends/family and friends of family I have willing to spend a couple of dollars on my behalf?  Most blogposts I've read from newbie indie writers claim that sales for their first books were extremely slow in the beginning.  For 6 months or more sales trickled in (with little to no promotion), until something clicked and their books took off.  I would be fine with that.  5 months from now I intend to have 2 more books out and will be close to finishing another.  At that time I will have quadrupled my shelf space (3 of the books being in one series).  So we will see how this graph changes over the next few months.  We'll see if something clicks.

My ultimate goal per book is 1000 copies sold per month.  Many indie writers sell 5X that.  With 1000/month I could make a living.  I could continue doing this, which would make me very happy.

#171 World Cup 2014 - Game 1

Watched the US Soccer Team's first game with my brother Cody, who is relatively new to the soccer scene.  So I dressed him in US garb, complete with headband, and explained the rules of the game.  In the middle of the broadcast the American announcer said something strange.  He said, "Let's tip our cats to the US team, for they've played really well today..."

Cody thought this was the funniest thing ever.  Each time one of my cat's entered the room he would say, "Hey, come over here so we can tip you!"

After the whistle blew, securing the US's 2-1 defeat over Ghana, we could think of only one thing to do.  So, here's to you US Soccer Team.  For you, we tip our cats!

#170 Joke's On You!

You know how the first time you tell a joke it just doesn't come out right?  The timing is off.  You forget a key component.  You have to say, "Hold on.  Wait.  Let me start over!" Or you have to admit it was funnier "If you'd been there..."

Writing stories is similar to telling jokes.  The first time you get the story down on paper, the timing is a little off.  Or there are missing components.  Or perhaps a character is underdeveloped.  This is why the revision process is so important.  I am revising Book 2 of The Exchange Day series. I am not a huge fan of revising because the process reveals all the flaws in the story or my craft, which can be a bit demoralizing.

However, it is through the revision process that the story gets fine tuned, becomes smooth, and ultimately leads to your reader's satisfaction.  Just like a good joke you can count on because you've told it so many times, you know just how to get it out right!  So treat revisions with as much care as you devote to the first draft.  Both are equally important, and are essential to telling an effective and entertaining story.

As if you didn't already know that!

Amazon Ranking Update

My first book [Exchange Day] has only been out a couple of weeks now, but I achieved a new high on the Amazon Best Sellers Rank.  My new high is 33,150!

So out of all the books offered, at some point during the last week my broke through the top 33,000 books sold.  Now, that may not look like much, and truthfully, it means I have a lot of opportunity to improve.  But still, I will celebrate even the small victories.  I will open a great bottle of wine this weekend and know that someone somewhere is reading my book!

#169 Desert Island Book List

For the indie writer, finishing a novel is NOT enough.  Us indie writers are responsible for finding editors, graphic designers, formatting, and marketing.  So much to do.  So much to worry about!

My first book Exchange Day was published 2 short weeks ago and I have been toiling over marketing ever since.  I posted on FB, asked friends to share the book page I created, begged friends with twitter accounts to tweet something for me, and have told everyone I know to share the book by good ole fashioned word of mouth.  But I knew I needed to do more.

I've been reading Indie Writer Blogs to learn as much as I can about other forms of marketing that I can explore.  A few days ago I learned about KBoards.  These are discussion forums designed to share info on books.  I am unfamiliar with the KBoard culture, but have enough common sense to know not to annoy everyone with self-promotion.  However, I do not really understand the point of most forums and have a difficult time understanding how they can be used.  So I decided to start small.  I found one forum titled "Your Top 10 Desert Island Books," and read all the posts.  Seemed straight forward enough, though I don't know why strangers would care what books I would take with me on a deserted island.  So I decided to pop my KBoard cherry.  I made a list of 10.

I have posted this list below, not so that you can judge the books I would take with me.  I posted to show you how much of a social media lame-o I am.  I numbered my list like everyone else.  However, for number 8, I unwittingly typed a sunglasses emoticon.  Not sure if this comes across as a square trying to play on the newfangled computer.  Or if it looks like I am cool and especially like Game of Thrones (which I do.)

Oh well.  Live and learn, I guess.

#168 Identity Revisited

I wrote a post earlier this year on identity.  As an aspiring writer, I questioned the moment when one could or should refer to himself/herself as a writer.  This is a sensitive topic for many (me included) and ultimately I believe this is a struggle each writer faces individually.  In an effort to help others with this issue, I would like to share a small step forward I took this weekend.

I found myself mingling with friends/acquaintances/strangers at two events: work function and birthday party.  In the life of a writer, this constitutes an EXTREMELY busy weekend.  As is usual at these functions, I was asked what I did.  Normally I struggled through my answer, looking like a pageant contestant searching for an answer to world hunger.  A mannish, unattractive pageant contestant.  Something was different about this weekend.  My confidence was up.

So what was different?  For starters, I published my first book Exchange Day a couple of weeks ago  (you can check it out at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.)  Secondly, I've finished book 2 and currently have it with my editor.  Thirdly, I am well into my 3rd project and am very excited about where it is and where it is going.

My first book has only been out a short while and has not sold more than 40 copies.  My other books are not out yet.  I have not made enough on my work to make a living.  I have not had many reviews. It is not the validation of others that has given me this confidence (though I must admit that the positive words I've heard so far about Exchange Day has helped tremendously.)  It is the fact that I am writing.  That is what makes me feel like a writer.  And no one can control that except for me.

If you are a newbie writer and you struggle with the question, "What do you do for a living?"  The best thing to do is write.  Cause when you are consistently writing, it is easy to look that person in the eyes and say, "I'm a writer!"

Amazon Ranking Update

Just checked my Amazon ranking, and it has broken the 40,000 mark.  There is a lot of room for improvement, but I must take baby steps.  For the first week or so, I remained in the 80,000-100,000+ range.

#167 Needy Writer, Much?

Know how you can tell if a writer is exceptionally needy?  Just break one of his/her ankles.  I play in a soccer league, and unfortunately rolled my ankle so bad I will be on crutches for the next couple of weeks.  I never considered myself to be needy, but learned quickly how much of a pain in the a$$ I really am.  I woke up and plopped myself down on the couch, and the needs began to surface.  I need my laptop.  I need the power chord.   I need a glass of water.  I need to be listening to Radiohead: Hail to the Thief.  I need a bag of ice.  I need more pillows.

My needs never stopped.  No wonder no one likes writers!

I will end this post with my final need.  I NEED to keep writing!  So many pages left to fill...

#166 The Secret Life of Alexander Mori

Watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty this weekend.  Was a fun movie, but there was one scene in particular that felt especially relevant to my life.  It was the scene in which he debates internally whether or not he should jump on the helicopter...which translates to the key theme of the film, should he live life to the fullest despite the potential fears and dangers that come with adventure.

Last week I released my first novel, Exchange Day.  I toiled over clicking the final button that would e-publish the novel on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and several other e-book sites.  I worried that the book wasn't ready.  I worried that people might not like it, that they might judge me for putting myself out there as a writer instead of pursuing a job of which I was certainly more capable (bartender or record store music organizer.)  But like Walter Mitty, I decided to go for it.  I pushed the button and instantly felt like Walter as he clung to the interior of the helicopter rising dangerously into the air.  We see his expression of fear and wonder as he lets go of his inhibitions and decides once and for all to GO FOR IT!  That was me exactly.

And all week I have been exhilarated and nervous about checking my sales.  This was a soft launch, so I did not post anything on FB or any Amazon forums.  I told a few friends and family members, and that was it.  To commemorate this week, I have included a picture of my Amazon Dashboard.  You can see the $16 I've earned, all attributed to the 8 people I told.  However, you will notice one thing strange.  Beside Amazon.co.uk, you will see 1.21 GBP.  This truly is amazing.  The first person (non-family member) who bought my book lives in England!  

I've jumped on the helicopter, and it is rising into the air.  I am nervous and exhilarated, but most importantly, I am ready for this adventure!

#165 Stopped In Their Tracks

Editing book 2 now and things are coming along swimmingly.  Except for one thing.  I wrote some version of the following phrase 6 times in this book:  "They stopped in their tracks."  I do not say this phrase and do not know why I have been writing it.  Makes me feel like I am writing in the 19th century or something.  So, today I searched out all of these phrases and replaced them with something much cooler.  Like: "They froze."

I'd say that was a good day of writing!

#164 Random Appreciation Day - Steve Buscemi

I wanted to throw Steve Buscemi some random love today because he is one of the greatest actors of our generation.  He frequently appeared in The Coen Brother's early work, including one of his best characters in Fargo.  Can't leave out Reservoir Dogs and Desperado, which were iconic films from the 90s.  He has the range to pull off cameos that greatly enhance a single scene, as exemplified in Pulp Fiction and The Wedding Singer.  And he could hold his own in the big budget films that weren't accustomed to such talent on set.  And if all that isn't enough, he's also in Lonesome Dove.

So, cheers to Steve Buscemi.  Thanks for all you do!

#163 Running In The Rain

Every writer, and every person for that matter, experiences moments of emotional and inspirational fatigue.  In the world of a writer, this can stunt a particular project, even bring it to a complete halt.  The question for a full-time writer who wishes to remain a full-time writer is how can one deal with this fatigue?

This week I experienced inspirational fatigue because I am in the process of editing/revising a project that I hope to publish by June 1st, though my heart has actually moved on to writing a brand new project I'm excited about.  The tedious work needed to read, re-read and fix mistakes drove the inspiration from me almost as much as watching one of the reality shows that has somehow made it on TV.  The fatigue hit me so hard today that I closed my computer and decided on a whim to go for a run.  I haven't run in quite awhile, so I thought it might do me some physical, as well as emotional good.

After I got about 20 yards from my house, it started raining.  Another 200 yards and it started raining hard.  By the time I made it to the other side of the neighborhood it was pouring.  Running in the rain felt invigorating.  Reminded me how much fun it is to jump into the deepest part of a puddle, even if you know mom is gonna get pissed.

I returned home, showered, and then sat at my computer.  My run got my heart rate up.  The rain gave me fresh perspective.  And for the rest of the afternoon I was able to get good work done.  Sometimes when you feel the slightest of ruts beginning to obstruct your motivation, go for a run in the rain.

#162 Momentum v. Variety

Book 2 of my upcoming series is going through my process, which gives me some time to consider what project to start thinking about now.  So here is my dilemma.  I've been writing on one story for the last 7 months.  It is coming along nicely, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.  My work has gained momentum, which allowed me to hammer out book 2 in just over 7 weeks.  However, a new story idea came to me in January, and I spent time organizing an outline.  The story is interesting and completely different from what I've been working on.

Should I continue with the story I've been writing, ensuring that I ride the wave until it crashes onshore?  Or should I change things up, bring in a fresh story with a fresh voice, so that when I return to Book 3 of the series, it will be something I've missed and am eager to once again pursue?

Or, am I overthinking this?  Perhaps it doesn't matter, as both stories will be written before this year is up...

#161 Misery

Today is an important day for me.  I finished the first draft of the second book in my upcoming series.  I still have a lot of work to do, but it is important to recognize the important steps taken along the way.  To celebrate, I am going to watch Misery, because nothing makes me want to be a successful writer more than watching a movie about an author interacting with one his favorite fans!

#160 Celebrations?

My younger brother, fresh out of school, dreams of being a writer.  I can understand that, as I have the same dream.  He writes comic books, primarily, but has recently ventured into the world of short fiction.  The other day we watched Romancing The Stone with our mother (I know, strange movie choice...) and the film begins with Joan Wilder finishing a novel, another installment in her romance series. To date the movie, she finishes it on a typewriter.  Afterward, she opens a can of fancy cat food, pours a glass of wine and enjoys a quiet evening next to the fireplace.  After the cat finishes, she flings the plate into the fire.

My brother finished his first short story this morning and texted me.  He said, "Can I borrow Doodle to have dinner with him?  LOL"  Doodle is my cat.

I called him and told him we need to come up with a better celebration than feeding our cat fancy food and flinging his empty plate into the fire place.  But other than drinking wine and eating good food, which I do most every night anyway, I do not have a good celebration in mind for my brother, or myself.  I need help!

So, what is a suitable celebration for finishing a novel?  When is it a suitable time to celebrate?  Once the final draft is complete, or must a writer wait for it to be published to celebrate?  Or, can we celebrate both?

#159 Work Space Follow Up

Just wanted to follow up on my previous post.  This sometimes happens in one of my three writing areas.  I wonder how many cuddling cats Hemingway had to deal with...

#158 Working Space

I grew up reading Stephen King, who told many stories about writers.  I was always fascinated with the rustic, simple yet classic rooms his characters wrote in, the actual physical locations.  In Misery, Paul Sheldon wrote in a quiet bed and breakfast far away from the city.  Jack, in The Shining, had the magnificent ballroom inside the Overlook hotel.  And there is Mort from Secret Window, Secret Garden who wrote in a cabin in the woods.  So I figured I would show where I do the bulk of my writing.  Alright, King.  Ball's in your court.  You can post a pic of where you write in the comments!