My first interview!

Hey!

My interview this morning went well. I'm not talking about a job interview either. I'm talking about the type of interview where a public figure is interviewed by somebody else so that viewers can learn more about that public figure.

I was the public figure interviewed.

It was way more fun than I had expected. That's probably because I love talking about myself far too much. Narcissism FTW!

Here's the link to the interview. http://pagereaders.com/?p=18

Check it out. I even read part of a chapter of my 2nd novel: The Cabin.

Back later.

Crap

Here's the text of the e-mail I just got:

Thanks so much again for sharing your revised manuscript with me. As you know, I've been on the lookout for a cult-themed literary novel, so I was excited to dive into The Cabin. While I found elements of the cult fascinating, I didn't feel that Josh and many of the secondary characters would be relatable enough to the average teen reader. Also, I worried that the third person narration felt overly removed, at time, and that the pacing wasn’t quite quick enough for our readership.

Given these concerns, I don’t feel that I'm the right editor for this project. I do wish you the best of luck in finding a publishing home for The Cabin.

So I give up.

Just kidding, although it's hard to stay motivated.

No, scratch that. Trying to stay motivated is like pushing through a pool filled with sticky, tepid oatmeal. Hmmm, maybe that still doesn't capture the feeling here.

How about: Rejections are nails that are being hammered by my self-doubt into the coffin of me as a writer. Yeah, that's more like it.

It's particularly disappointing because I had found a back door to get this manuscript off to this editor. Plus, she was looking for a YA book with my subject matter. Plus, I'm naive and probably don't do enough work before I send things off.

Oh well.

No, not 'oh well.'

Bring it on.

I can write. I can tell stories. I just had two story ideas come to me this week. I have stories to tell and I can tell them well. I can learn to tell them better and I can sell them and live as a writer. I can and I freaking, ever-loving, darn-tooting, for the love of all that's good and right WILL!

If I said swear words, that previous sentence would have read like a sailor who just stepped on the crustiest, sharpest barnacle.

I have to do some work now, but that's my update. I am going to put together a concrete writing schedule.

Do you realize (all six of you reading this (hey, that's up from 3)) how hard it is to make time to write? Five kids, all of them fun, my wife translating, bread needing to be made along with other household chores, and then exercising... not to mention a job that sucks the energy out of me... all combine to make it tough. Just thought I'd mention that. Just so... you know... pity.

No, keep your pity. Let it turn into fury and turn that fury and passion into a kick-a## story.

Lay off my somnium.

Stopping by and updating

Well isn't this a fine howdy-do?

Is that the phrase that I'm looking for? Probably not.

Anyway, no word on The Cabin yet. Of course, I only sent in on Tuesday, so today is only three days later. So yeah, I think maybe a couple weeks will tell. Or maybe a couple months.

And the answer could well be a big fat, N-O. But positive thinking... it'll be yes. Or... "write it better and then we'll talk." Or something like that.

Moving on. I saw a book called The Shack in Barnes and Noble. That sounds like the title of my book. I hope that won't be a problem. Of course, I could change the title of mine if the publisher thinks I ought to, but the cabin really is a central theme to the book. We'll see. Counting chickens and all...

So I've had pretty much no time to work on anything else to do with writing in the last month. This is because teaching at the ELC takes all of my regular work time, and dealing with the after effects of the accident. Those after effects (does that need a hyphen? whatever) have included talking to a lawyer, searching for and buying a new (to us) van, and beginning treatment for some whiplash I didn't even know I had, but which is giving me headaches and a daily, 3PM fever. Weird huh?

Gotta change that. But for now, I'm watching old episodes of Chuck online. It's a harmless, fun show. The John Larroquette cameo is just spectacular.

And that's all folks.

Hey! That's my somnium! Back off so I can carpe it. (Very dairy, I know.)

Quick update

Hey there.

I just finished another rewrite of The Cabin. I think it's solid. I also just sent it off to an editor at Little, Brown and Company. This is the editor who replied to my query saying that she was intrigued.

Hoooooo boy. I'm really on pins here. I know it'll probably take a lot of time before I hear anything back, but I'm feeling pretty jumpy right now.

This rewrite really does flesh things out better. It's funny, I tend to write telegraphically, so my rewrites tend to add rather than subtract.

Anyway, I have to get my oldest lad off to school and I need to get to work. I've had quite a few short nights lately; I'm looking forward to sleeping more tonight. Oh, and I've got a freelance project I have to do today.

Finally, apparently I was voted a top 25 writer at www.Helium.com recently. That's quite an honor. I really like those guys.

Better run.

I am going to carpe my somnium. It's happening.

I'm back, barely

Here I is. I hope any readers enjoyed that piece from the Onion. Hilarious.

Here's what's been going on.

Yesterday morning, I sent an e-mail to an editor with Little, Brown and Company. I'd heard that she was interested in a YA novel about a kid prot in a cult. Funny how I've just finished that exact novel.

Then I headed out to do some shopping, as we were planning on heading up to SLC to meet Alicia and her family as well as Nathan and his family. These are some of my oldest and best friends that I have not seen for a very long time.

But I didn't make it to the store. Heck, I didn't make it half way. That whole 5 mile radius thing is right on. As I went through an intersection, another car failed to stop at the stop sign and flashed in front of me just in time for me to have no chance to swerve or brake. Yep, it was a good accident. Airbags deployed and did more harm than good.

Van's trashed, probably a loss, but we will see next week. Allstate's a good company. I'm fine, despite some painful bruises and abrasions.

Then I got home, let my friends know we couldn't make it to the get together. They decided to come see us. That was awesome. So were the conference sessions.

It was also awesome to have that editor get back to me the same day to tell me she was intrigued and to send the whole manuscript to her.

I gotta go. But life is really just fine for now. Tough, but that makes it worth it.

Full circle?

Well I'm back at the ELC. Right where I was just over a year ago. Is this a step back?

I really don't think so. My writing vastly improved over the last year and I significantly advanced that aspect of my career. I'm surprisingly excited about being back at the ELC, and I have found myself quite interested in the success of other teachers. Who knows, perhaps the future is clarifying a bit.

Incidentally, my wife (the burning hot Annemarie) says that I share more with this blog than I do with her. She brought this up after my commentary about second-guessing and regrets in my last post. The truth is, I don't actually regret any of all that stuff I mentioned. I look back, see what might have been, think, "Huh.. oh well, we're good and have learned a lot and are undeservedly blessed and happy, so no worries, really," and then I let it go. So those aren't , emotional regrets. That was a mental exploration of what could possibly have happened, with no longing or nostalgia involved whatsoever.

I don't want anyone to think that I am an unfeeling, heartless, cold bastard, but I am perhaps too capable of moving on emotionally.

Anyhoo, the ELC goes well. It's always a furious initial swim to get to a place where I can stay afloat without too much stress. So that initial fury is in full swing right now, but I'll get there within the week I imagine. I've actually ended up with 3 classes for the semester. Two of them are level five applied grammar classes and one is a level 3 writing class. Since they are all basically writing classes, they qualify as 1.5 classes pay-wise.

So that's a good thing financially. Not the ideal, really, but it should get us to where we want to go.

That's all for now. Still working toward picking up The Cabin next week. I'm preparing a query to a lady with Little Brown, who I heard may be looking for a YA novel involving living in a cult.

Carpe somnium, amigos.

Scrabbling upward

Back again. I know, two days in a row! Shocking, but a blessing to all those reading.

Only joking.

The last couple of days have been challenging, to say the least. I've been trying to fight the hit on my self-esteem that losing out on this job is dealing me. Brain-wise, I know perfectly well that the job fell through because of budget issues, but that otherwise I had it in the bag. That is comforting, but it doesn't help the old concept that I am supposed to be providing for my family and that I just can't seem to do it.

Doubts and stuff keep resurfacing. Should I have just stuck out the MA in TESOL program? Why didn't we just stay in Alaska and stay afloat up there, particularly since this year's dividend is something in the neighborhood of $3000! Maybe we should have not done the whole QuitandWrite thing and just stayed at the teaching. I mean, there's no doubt that if we had refinanced this house to take out a bunch of the equity, and then re-invested that cash into another property, we would be better off financially.

Arg. Why can't I be like the Last Unicorn and not be able to have regrets?

Then there's my certainty that The Cabin is going to sell, and then do really well. But that's going to take time. And then if it doesn't even happen, clearly I just suck.

Which I don't think is the case.

So now I've signed up to teach two writing classes at BYU's English Language Center. That's a semester-long commitment, so I will put the full-time job search on hold. I've also started prospecting for more freelance work via www.getafreelancer.com. Then there's the work I'm doing for a friend, who runs www.schooltipline.com.

Scrabbling upward. Got to keep afloat and keep the dream alive.

Sometimes (read: often) I find myself thinking that the cosmos (read: God in His Heaven) is telling me that I'm not really ever supposed to get tied up in a regular 8-5 job. If that's the case, and if we're supposed to just continue on our atypical path, that's fine. But we need to have some of these outside the box things come through.

Blech. I'll stop with the moroseness.

I wrote three articles for Helium today. One is for the Marketplace, and if it gets picked up, that's a pretty good paycheck for an article. Incidentally, I'm making upward of $50 each month on Helium, without really doing anything for the last few months. Not a terrible residual.

I'll be picking up The Cabin again probably in another week. I need to get settled in at the ELC again.

Carpe somnium, dudes.

Well if that doesn't just hang it all...

How dumb. I got a verbal offer on the job I interviewed for a couple weeks ago. The offered salary was good enough to accept. The job was as a creative writer in their marketing area.

Then I got the written offer, and it was the same. I had a start date set; it was to be tomorrow the 3rd.

This afternoon I got a phone call from the head of the creative services department. Due to her just having found out about budgetary restraints and cut-backs, they had to not hire me.

So I was downsized before I even started.

Double crap.

Really.. in all truth.. and not to put too fine a point on it.. (please don't say I'm the only bee in your bonnet) this is a very unpleasant turn of events.

Now I'm thinking George Michael. Because now I really 'got to have faith-a.' Baby.

I've sent out about five queries about The Cabin. One agent already said no. Her loss.

I also sent out a query with my revised version of It's Not Tomato Sauce, my picture book manuscript.

Off to bed. There would be a tear in my beer if I drank the stuff. Beer, not tears that is, since of course I drink tears. Like water.

Still gonna carpe that somnium.

Just stopping by

I've had to make some changes. The need for a steady income has grown rather a lot so I have been seriously after a full time job. I am doing the second interview at a company that I really like tomorrow, so hopefully it will all work out shortly.

As for writing, this is a writing job I am hoping to land. But also, I've been re-doing and reworking my synopsis and query letter for The Cabin. Some kindly friends who are authors have been very helpful with these things, so thank you Janette and David.

Anyway, I am nigh unto ready to send out my query to some agents. Some final changes will get me there. I am excited and nervous. So far the response from readers has been very positive. My sister, Emma, says she had cried twice by the time she was in Chapter 5, so that's good.

Anyhoo, I need to go to bed. I'll be back around. Sorry for the delay.

But can you believe the cheek? Yeah, sure those female Chinese gymnasts are 16. Oh for sure! I worked in Asia for over two years, nearly three, and I know a thirteen or fourteen year old when I see her. Pshaw.

carpe somnium

After the Weekend Break...

and I have a plan. Successful writers swear by the idea of letting the first draft 'cool down' for a little while. This is difficult for me, since I am so excited about finishing draft 1 of The Cabin and I just want to keep going.

But I will do it and I have faith that the book will be better for the cooling down process. I expect to pick it back up in September.

This leaves the question of what am I going to work on now? Well, the priority is to make some money and provide for my family, so I am dedicating a major chunk of my time to being the guinea pig for our new approach at ChartedCourse. This means that in a few minutes, I will start calling businesses and trying to set up appointments for presentations. I'll be doing this for about twenty to thirty hours this week. Woohoo!

As for writing, I am going to write ten articles for www.helium.com this week, as well as rate enough to get my rating status higher.

I am still waiting on the editors to get back to me about the new direction I want to take for The Mars Betrayal. The loooooooong lag is beginning to get to me; I really hope they haven't just decided to ignore me and see if I go away.

On another note, I just finished David McCullough's John Adams. It was marvelous. Here is the brief review I wrote on my list of finished books that I maintain:

A stunning, magnificently understated portrait of a man who did possibly more than any other single man to create our country and keep it going in times of strife, extreme partisanship and war. Bad-mouthed, singled-out for invective, underappreciated, John Adams was a true American, possibly the very first of his kind. I loved this book. I wept through much of it. I had no idea that my feelings for this country and what it can be and what those first Americans did for us ran so deeply. I'm seriously tearing up as I write this. I love John Adams now, and thus McCullough did what he needed to. Every American desirous of being a good citizen should read this book.

So there you go. Man I loved that book. My next book to read is a no-brainer fiction novel, but then I will read McCullough's book about Teddy Roosevelt. Then hopefully the copy of Truman that I requested from the library will be available.

I'm also supposed to read the Fablehaven books as well as The Known World. Furthermore, I really ought to read something of Brandon Sanderson's, another book by Shannon Hale (which I am told is better than Goose Girl, which was very good but lacking) but I can't remember the title of this book just now, and the list goes on.

As for my garden, it grows. Lots of squash, green beans, tomatoes and apricots. Gonna make some salsa this week.

Again, if any readers of this would like to read The Cabin, just let me know. I need readers... and I need validation. Please.

Gonna be a bestselling writer.

carpe somnium

Boogey down

because I just finished the first draft of The Cabin. Sure, it's not ready for publication, but I like the story! That's kind of a good sign (as my writing group knows).

It's about 63,000 words and the end went a little differently from what I had planned. But that's how these things go sometimes.

If any reader of this wants to read The Cabin for me, let me know. I need some good readers who will really weigh in with opinions and criticism (not only bad criticism though.. we writers are fragile).

I'm gonna go home now and smooch my wife (not that we only smooch to celebrate.... anyway) but I will probably be back later.

Check out Facebook and become a fan!

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggg!

You can't stop this! You just can't stop this!

I am so close to the end of this book I can taste it! In fact, I've written it! Now I have one or two chapters to write to get there. One with the brother. The other with the romantic interest.. maybe. I can probably combine them. I've got the characters' goals clear, the scene level objectives laid out and a story that's got me excited.

What more does a guy like me need?

Oh yeah, steady income. Sheesh.

Anyway, after that on-parade-rain, I better report on today's work. I started the day at 56,338 words. I now have 61,516. That's about 5200 words, give or take. Okay, take... but over 5000. And it felt great. I can't wait to have this draft done so I can read through the whole thing and have others read it.

Now if only I could feel the same excitement about The Mars Betrayal.

I have to get to bed. But I am finishing this tomorrow or Friday. Any readers of this who want to be a trusted reader of The Cabin, let me know. I have to warn you though, it's likely I'll have some kind of simple contract written up to make sure my story stays safe. It's not a trust issue; it's a business issue.

Anyhoo... check out Facebook, find my writer page and become a fan!

Gonna be a bestselling author.

CAARRRRPPPEEEE SSSSOMMMNIUMMMMM!

Veerry late on Tuesday night

and here I am. I just get this momentum and then my character, Josh Kerr, just takes me along for the ride. It's exciting, but my sleeping patterns are all wack.

I started the day at 51,324 words. I am ending my day at 56,338.

I know I said I saw 6-8000 words to go, like last week. But now I am seeing about that number still. So The Cabin will likely hit 65,000 words in its first draft form. That'll happen this week. Tomorrow I'm going to write like a madman.

I feel good about this story. It's one I am loving to tell and I believe others will love to read it.

And on the adding romance front, it's a go. It's difficult, but I think it's going well.

Remember to check me out on Facebook, find my Writer Page and become a fan, and also to check out my other blog. Oh, and definitely take a look at the family blog that Annemarie's working on.

carpe somnium

I'm going to be a bestselling writer.

Oh! I have to share! I entered a community boards contest on www.helium.com. I hadn't done that before, but thought it would be fun. The contest was to write something that made readers laugh out loud.

I won the contest! Here's a link to my humorous piece: http://www.helium.com/items/1122547-humorous-story-about-meditation

Hope you enjoy!

Report on Monday, August 4th.

Okay, so I outlined everything pretty much until the end of The Cabin. Feeling pretty good. I also wrote 1100 words, which isn't as many as I'd intended, but I crashed in my easy chair for a couple hours this evening after the children were in bed.

So now it's late and I really need to get to bed so that I can get up early-ish for a sales call in Salt Lake City. We're doing a presentation of the business benefits package that ChartedCourse offers as a supplement to traditional benefits.

It's my first major presentation to a big company, so it's pretty exciting.

For now, that's it.

Gonna be a bestselling writer. Oh yes.

Oh, btw, if you are on Facebook, search me out and be my friend. Then become a fan of my writer page. Please. I'm needy!

carpe somnium

Monday, very nearly a year after beginning this journey

and I am very close to finishing my third novel. I have every expectation of completing the first draft of The Cabin this week. I expect I have 6-8000 words to go. Again, excitement wars with fear. Fear of what?

I don't really know.

I'll be back to report on my day's work. Woohoo!

carpe somnium

Are you feeling hot, hot, hot?

Judging by thermometers in the area, the temperature in Provo, Utah hit at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit today.

Sheesh. Why oh why do I live in a desert?

Anyway, onto the writing thing. The Cabin is now at over 50,000 words. I've done 2378 words so far today and probably 2000 yesterday. Or so. I think there are likely about 8000 words left. Just a guess.

I have mixed feelings about finishing this book. The final scenes are pretty heavy- not necessarily in tone, but in what they need to accomplish. I need to show this guy's journey accurately, making where he ends up be worth a reader working his way through the book to get to it.

So I'm a little anxious. I almost don't want to finish it, but at the same time, I really do. I feel like I've got some great momentum going and I need to not waste it. I want this book to be good, and I'm willing to do what it takes.

As soon as I can get some feedback on the stuff I'm sending with my query for this book, I will get it sent out. I had wanted to have the queries out already, but there's no rushing excellence.

So that's it pretty much. If you haven't visited my other blog: http://gruntandsweat.blogspot.com you should do so. It's kind of fun and maybe more interesting than this one.

I'll be back.

carpe somnium

Late Wednesday night, really very early Thursday morning

and here I am. I was supposed to report yesterday evening, but was far too tired to get back online.

It's 2AM and I've done 3896 words in the last two days. These were all in The Cabin. Some tough spots in these last few chapters. These were where my main character, Josh, had to start finding his way back. I found that he wanted to change the story again, but that's fine.

I'm debating whether or not romance is going to make it into this book for real or whether it will be an unrequited crush. I am tending toward the requited, if I do it at all, since this book is actually reflecting the journey I wish I had made myself take growing up. Hey, I might as well have it all if I'm writing the story, right?

Anyway, I've got probably ten to fifteen thousand more words left in this book. That puts it at about 60,000 words. With rewriting, since I've seen some things I need to add but knowing that there is always some deadwood and a darling or two that needs killing, I figure it will end up at 55,000 words.

That's okay, right?

I must to bed.

I will be a bestselling author.

carpe somnium

My Tuesday goals

Okay. So I will get at least 1000 new words written today in The Cabin. However, I have finally finished prepping the materials I will submit to an agent/editor, so I need to start the process of getting all that together and sent out. I have to dig up my list of agents that Dave Wolverton sent me.

Anyhoo, that's it for now. I'll be back to report.

Oh, I might be on the channel 2 news on Friday morning. More details on that later.

Final Friday report

Okay. Finally. I did some more work on those first three chapters to make them into two and tighter. I feel good about it.

I also wrote an 850 word chapter to transition from when Mal leaves to when he dies. I also added some other stuff here and there, so I am going to call it 1000 words. I am looking forward to continuing the story next week, or tomorrow if I have time.

Off to bed.

Reporting so far...

Okay. As I mentioned I was going to do in my previous post for today, I forwent my sales calls in order to work on The Cabin. I was able to make some global changes as well as condensing the first three chapters into two to make it tighter and more impactful. I think the opening scene is stronger now. I need somebody to help me see if it is strong enough yet.

I intend to do some more work on this tonight. Shooting for 1000 new words. I'll report later.