A Writer's Week #56: A Host of Possibilities

Hello. My apologies for not posting last night, but I was at a big Lion's club function to kick off the Connecticut Lion's Mid-Winter Conference. It's a big to-do, so I went and checked it out. Lots of fun stuff going on including a fantastic performance by the National Theater of the Deaf.

This week was one of unexpected possibilities. On the one hand, sales of the audio book continue to be slow and winter is a hard time to try and sell anything as shows and other venues are few and far between. On the other hand, I've got one great blog that's agreed to review the audio book in the near future, and I am going to be asking a few other bloggers to review it as well. If anyone blogs about books, please consider reviewing the audio version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. Please leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook.

I am also getting ready to crank up the school visit caravan. I've got three class visits lined up so far, with more on the horizon. I'll keep you updated on how that goes. I'm even more excited than usual about these visits this year, because I'm planning to add a little more multimedia. I'm still figuring it out, but I want to use the audio book and the blog. I've used the blog before, but to have an audio book available to get the kids interested should be helpful--especially when I visit younger classrooms. I've designed an interactive map of Calendria that will be a nice tool to use, too. It's going to be posted on my new author's website. More on that in a bit.

I also spoke with Sharron Lavatori, a good friend of mine and a learning design professional, who is going to help me design a little curriculum based on The Deliverers and this blog. Apparently, I've managed to incorporate a lot of varied learning elements into my blog. Who knew? I was just trying to make it fun and interesting for kids. So I'm really excited about the possibilities.

With the help of a professional like Sharron, I hope to one day be able to offer a more robust curriculum. That way, in addition to my standard informal chats about writing and what students can do to write for fun on their own, I will also be able to offer a more formal program that I could present to an entire grade. We'll see what happens with that.

On the writing front, The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang has hit its first snag. I've been breezing along without a care in the world for weeks now. I managed to write 2,400 words, which brings me to 14,400 words, 64 pages, and 13 chapters, but I ended the week feeling a little disappointed. I was sure I was going to make 15,000 words, but I think I lost my way a little.

Here's what got me. Eric and Kate met someone who was supposed to be real fierce and tough. Everybody is afraid of this guy. Even his name is tough--the Fang. He's really threatening them and giving them a hard time. Then, somewhere along the line he does a 180, starts treating them better, and now I think he might wind up being an ally of sorts. I always say that characters have a life of their own, and sometimes they do things that surprise me. This is one of the few times though where I've said, "No! This should not be happening! He's got to be a mean guy."

So, I'm going to have to take some time and evaluate what I've got. Is he really mean and evil, is he their friend, or is he playing his own game? I'm thinking I know the answer even as I type this, but I have to figure out how to work it all out. Stay tuned.

Oh, one last thing. I'm putting the finishing touches on my author website. In a week or two, I'll be transitioning most of my weekly posts over to that site. Now, don't worry, this blog will still be around. I plan to use it as a base for information about the worlds in my books. Here you'll see in depth info about Calendria and the Lands Beyond, Vynistra City (from The Deliverers 2) and eventually the Dragon Islands (from The Deliverers 3). I'll let you know when the change takes place, and give you a tour. Have a great week!

Back To the Grind

After having a joyous ten days off in a row, I schlepped back to work on Tuesday. A big part of me was ready to get back, but there was part that would have liked to have stayed home. I was able to get a decent amount of writing done (more on that tomorrow) while I was off, so that was good.

Suddenly, though, I was thrust back into the work frenzy, and it seemed like everything kicked in all at once. We started a big training initiative the day after I returned, so the first day back we were scrambling to make last minute preparations for that. Then, I had a big Lions Club planning meeting scheduled for that evening. Add the fact that I had to get my rear in gear in the morning and get back to the gym to work off some of my vacation excesses. That meant that I left home at 6:30 in the morning and arrived home a about 10:00 that night--ugh! Can I have another helping of vacation, please.

Still, in spite of work, an exercise, and Lions I haven't neglected my first book. I'm managing to keep things going on the publicity front. Earlier this week I was the subject of an interview on a fantastic blog, The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow. They'd also reviewed The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel just before Christmas. I'm very grateful for their support and encouragement, and I really recommend that you all check their blog out and follow it!

On the local front, I'm working on getting my first major book signing set up. I'll share the details when I get everything hammered out, but it's shaping up to be a nice event. It'll combine books, friends and food--how can you go wrong with that?

As I'm writing this, I can't help but think how much I've been blessed regarding this book. The help--unasked for no less--that I've received has just been overwhelming. From Ana Vogel and her layout, to Daniel Vogel and his cover and illustrations, to my wife Stephanie, Christine and all our friends, to Stephanie and Jess at Secret Files, to the Citizen News and the News Times, and all the friends  who've been so enthusiastic about the book, and on and on. Thank you all so much!

That's it for now. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about some actual writing!