editing

That Weekend

mikemjensen Useless Observations, Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

Usually there’s one weekend that really kicks off the warm summer weather. Usually it’s in May.sun

Everyone will return to work or school sunburned, lengths of pant and shirt sleeves shortened, tales of wild escapades will be told.

From the looks of the vacated rain clouds that have brought us the most measurable precipitation (people from desert areas understand that statement) in 10 years and the forecasted sunny weather; I’m going to guess that that weekend is the one that starts tomorrow.

I hope I’m right!

 

Stupid Storyline Update- It is less stupid today. A few hours of rewrite have stemmed the crappiness.

“The first draft of anything is [crap]. Earnest Hemingway.

Or sometimes even the 10th.

 

Day 94

My Little World

mikemjensen Writing Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

f3e3c16cfaecf46ddfd1669f96f001b6Hey kids.

I’ve been working on my latest book and I’ve kind have been working on it for a long time now. Specifically, I’m working on this certain chapter; I’m guessing a couple of weeks at this point; at least on this edit. But it’s OK.

I don’t have an editor and even if I did, I have to be happy with the writing as I finish it or why else do it. There is a line of trying to be too perfect, but I’m far from that point. I’m just trying to get it right.

I read about other writers who can crank out books seemingly in their sleep. That’s great for them. I’m not them. I have to work at a different pace. I Edit. Then I edit again. And then edit a few more thousand times. It’s funny to me how little of the original text survives and yet the story remains and appears to have never been edited ever before (that can go two different ways. I speak of the good way, of sounding natural and flowing.)

During this pass through the chapter, a key chapter in my opinion, I have had ideas that need to now be incorporated into earlier chapters and I have had ideas that will reshape the ending of the book. It’s all in a state of flux and I’m creating more and more work to get it all finished. But again, it’s OK. It’s what I signed up to do.

Signed up with me, that is. No one is making me do anything. I’m doing this on my own. For me. To share one day, yes; but it’s mine right now. If I were to stop working on it, few if any would care more than a passing moment. If it isn’t good, no one will stone me. If It never sells, no economy will collapse. It doesn’t matter but to my little world.

And if spending countless hours of my free time, trying to make my little world as good as I can possibly make it, isn’t worth it. Then what is?

The Work in Progress- April 26, 2014

mikemjensen Ain't Dead Yet, Cursing Black's Gold, Porter Rockwell, Twice the Christmas, Work in Progress, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Writing-desk

So I thought I would take Saturdays and use them as updates to where I am in the writing/publishing process. I know boring stuff, but I get asked every once in a while so why not.

I am still struggling along in the edits of the second book  the OPR series currently titled Cursing Black’s Gold. I just can’t seem to get it just right. I’m very pleased with the ending, but the middle part needs some work. After attending a writer’s conference, I did get some insights in what was stalling my progress. I refocused and things seem to be moving now just a bit. By next week I hope to have more progress and maybe an estimate on the publish date.

Ain’t Dead Yet continues to sell at a slow but steady pace in the kindle store. The most common thing I do hear from those who talk to me about the book is “When is the next one out?” (see above). It’s a nice thing to hear.

Under the category of “Pay more attention to your reports”, I learn upon reading a few of those reports that Twice the Christmas during the December special, was down loaded in Great Britain, Denmark, and Italy. I think that’s rather cool.

I can’t wait to get started on the finishing touches of this year’s Christmas story. I won’t talk much of it right now, but it is waiting for me as soon as Porter II is done. I’ll shed more light on the story once I get back to work on it. The working title is The Biggest Little Christmas in the World. Some out there might recognize the origin of that tag line. And yup, it has to do with there.

OK. That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more riveting writing news next week.

mmj