Sometimes...

You don't always have to tell the story, sometimes you just have to let the story tell you...

Someday at Christmas there'll be no Modern Warfare 3

It's December! Actually half-way through December and I haven't made a single post until now. I'm so sorry, not only have I not been working on the blog, but I'm still on chapter 19 of my novel as well. <insert-sad-face>

To be honest with you all I've been distracted, and I'd really like to tell you that's its been serious adult life issues that have been keeping me from my work, but it's not.

It's been that darn Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 [CODMW3], curse that delightfully addictive game. I've been playing almost non-stop since I got it, which is why is in less than 3 weeks I'm a level 77 Brigadier General in mulitplayer and well on my way to Prestige Mode! (Out of 3,468,992 players I'm ranked #135,514 In free-for-all combat!)< BOOyah!>

But I digress, after all, this isn't a blog for gamer nerds (which I am) it's a blog for writing nerds (which I also am). Aside from my unhealthy video game addiction I have also had some serious adult issues IRL (*irl = I.n R.eal L.ife) as well, but none that would stop me from writing, actually they are more inclined to make my writing better, but I'll save that announcement till my next post. (Muhahahahahahaha!)

And now for something actually pertaining to my writing, I finally got one of my test readers to finish the first five chapters of my book.... and they loved it! They could name names, recall scenes and even repeat the story line exactly how I imagined it would be interpreted! It was a great feeling to know you're on the right track and things are coming out on the page the same way you imagined them in your head.

It was an awesome feeling when my reader started trying to predict what was going to happen next and being able to actually see and hear the excitement they had about the story and the characters, it took everything I had not to spill all the beans and tell them how the story unfolds, but in the end I held it in.

But it definitely motivated me to write more and to keep getting better.

till next time,

Lefty

P.S. [DTRS] Clan forever!!!! HUAHH!

Ot Russiie s Lubvye

The blog has gotten 10 views from Russia, I don't know if that's some type of error but I'm excited anyway! A few years ago I tried to teach myself Russian. Primarily because speaking two languages is the equivalent to a super power in my opinion, and if you're gonna speak another language, it might as well be Russian.

As you may have guessed this post has absolutely nothing to do with me working on my novel. I just like Russia, for no other reason than it's just seems like a cool country, and since I may, or may not, have some Russian readers I figured I'd share.

Til next time,

Dosvadonya Muy Brat,

Lefty

P.S.
The blog title says "From Russia with Love", in Russian. (te-he-he)

Books on Writing Books

I tend to obsess. A lot. Especially when I'm embarking on a new endeavor our starting an journey that's new territory for me. And though I've been a storyteller for most of my life (mostly in the form of random and unnecessary lies)  novel writing is still very much uncharted territory for me, so I did what I always do when I'm not sure about something, I research it until my eyes bleed. This lead me to purchasing a lot of books about writing books.

Now most bookstores have a full section for books on writing books, usually it just marked as reference though. Now essentially the books all say the same thing and most of them don't even do that well. In my opinion most books on writing books aren't worth the paper they're printed on, and that's saying a lot, because I don't usually say such things, but I feel it has to be said. Now there are a few good writing reference books out there, but those are usually the one that offer insight into the writing process of already established authors, the books that offer and step by step instructional on how to write a book are worthless, because in the end you're not actually writing a book you're feeling in a worksheet with some fancy details.

There is no formula for writing a successful novel and there is no magic book out there that's going to show you how to do it, the only thing you can really do is write. One of the biggest obstacles of writing a novel is the pursuit of publishing, and unfortunately most books on writing books are just someone else's successful attempt to get published, but just because it was put in print doesn't always make it helpful or even relevant in most cases its just an attempt to get 20 bucks out of an over enthusiastic aspiring writer.

Now there are some great books on writing books out there, but they are the exception rather than the norm. As a matter of fact everything I come across a good one I'll come back here and let you guys know about it (since we're pals and all)

Till next time,

Lefty

November = NaNoWriMo

It's November which means its NaNoWriMo, which means National Novel Writing Month, but for me November means a lot of other things. For one my first year wedding anniversary was this month, Nov 6th to be exact, me and the wife went to Chicago for the weekend and had a great time, but I also took a complete break from writing for the weekend, not even letting myself think about my book project for some 72 hours (of course I cheated, but only because Chicago is a difficult city not to be inspired by) But before we left I finished Chapter 18, yep Chapter 18 done, on to 19. I sent out a few excerpt to a few trusted readers and hoping to get some good feedback as a really burst into the second half of the project. I'm planning for about 12 more chapters to wrap the project up which is less than I've already done but perhaps the most important portion. I hope to be done by year's end but as December get closer, its seeming less and less likely. Here's to trying.

Till next time,

Lefty

Chapter 17. Done.

On September 20 I posted that I had just completed the 16th Chapter of my Novel in Progress, guess what I did last night as well. No not that, I finished Chapter 17!

I didn't realize that the competition of the two chapters were nearly a month apart, mostly because writing chapter 17 actually only took me little less than a week, starting it however took me three weeks. Strange I know, but I had an odd transition to overcome leaving 16 and getting to 17 and in the end I took a completely different direction than I had original planned (I know you've heard that before) which all just further goes to prove, a really good writing project often takes on a life of it own.

Anyway remember that character from chapter 16 that I said made such a large impression on me that It garnered her some more page time, well it did and in Chapter 17 she gave the performance of a lifetime. Its good, not to boast or anything but I mean i really enjoyed writing it and I'm just super excited for you guys to read it, that's what I mean by good. I was so excited in fact that I did let a friend of mine read it, fresh out of the notebook at that, completely out of context, not even proofread, or in anything other than my horrific handwriting. That's how excited I was about it.

She hated it! No I'm joking, she actually raved about it, she loved it, at least that what she told me, and I don't really have any reason to suspect she was lying, so now I'm even more excited about revising, streamlining, typing it and including it with the other chapters and having more people read it!

Oh the joys of writing, they're so self-serving!

Til Next Time,

Lefty

In Case I Haven't Been Totally Clear...

In my last 'Book Update' post, which also happened to be my first, and up until now, my only 'Book Update' post, I told you all that I had just finished chapter 16.

Now when I started blogging back in September I also told you that I would take you with me through my entire book writing process, which includes writing, publishing and marketing/promotion.

So with all that being said you may, or may not be wondering, “Where the heck is Chapter 1?” or “How the heck is he on Chapter 16?” in which case both would be very legitimate question, both deserving of a very legitimate answer. Regardless of which question you may have asked, my answer is the same, “I actually started writing some time ago. A long time ago actually, like maybe 8 months to a year ago, and yes I’m only on Chapter 16. (which sounds lie an average of 2 chapters a month which isn’t really to bad when I think about it.)

So yeah, you haven’t experienced the entire book writing process, at least not in real-time. But believe me I’ll go back and cover every sleepless night I experienced working my way up through the first 16 Chapters.

If it’s any consolation, I’m planning roughly 32 chapters in all so you came in right at the half-way point.

Til next time

Lefty