On Success

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”  

–Ernest Hemingway

I want to be a writer. Actually, I am a writer. I have been writing for a very long time—stretching way back to my high school years in the early 1980s. I got serious about it in the mid-1990s, publishing a few shorts here and there. Then I let it slide until a little over 2 years ago. Now, I write pretty much every day for at least an hour (constraints with my job), and I feel like I am producing quality work consistently.

I believe this to be successful, perhaps in an organic way—considering that I am more concerned with quality than quantity, and don’t stress too much about having new material out there every other week. Would I like to make a living at writing? Certainly. But I think legacy is more important, and I would rather have excellence in the periphery, than slush in the mainstream—especially when I am long gone and unable to defend myself.

The reason I bring this up is that I have been reading several books on e-publishing—the majority consensus being the exact opposite: quantity over quality. Write fast, publish more, market more, and make money. This mindset crosses over into another pet peeve of mine: reality TV culture and social website inundation—people shouting in the dark, begging for attention, pushing buttons… all in the name of fame.

But that’s another can of Alpo. I want to talk about success.

Being successful doesn’t necessarily mean being famous and making lots of money. Being successful, to me, means doing what you love, enjoying it, and learning and growing from that experience. I’m already doing that. The problem is: I want more time for it—and the only way to accomplish this is to develop my passion into a career with compensation, or at least substantial supplemental income. I believe this is where the confusion over the meaning of success lies.

I write slowly. I am a perfectionist and sometimes agonize over the simplest sentence. I finished a draft of a novel over a year ago and I am still in revisions (an hour a day, remember). I was recently told by a professional author that the two sides of my brain were fighting, that my inner-critic was scrutinizing every detail, self-sabotaging myself, and that the first draft was the important part, not to sweat the rewrites. I find this appalling. Publishing a first draft with a light going over is kind of like leaving the house naked, all imperfections for the world to see. No. I disagree... and not respectfully. Funny enough, the same author (in his book on e-publishing successfully), mentioned more than once that there is no correct writing method. Everyone is different. Do what works. Develop your routine. Trust the process, etc.

WTF?

So, now I skip the parts in these books about the writing process. The feedback I get from those I trust is good. I know how to write. I’m just slow. I’m less apt at marketing (loathe it, actually)—so, I pick and choose the sales tips from these books that I feel are relevant without being too intrusive to people who respect me and/or my work. I hope that the combination of the two will one day lead to my having more time for what I love.

Will that make me successful? 

No. It will make me more successful.

TWS

PS: If you’re curious about the novel mentioned above, the first two chapters are up on Wattpad for free. Please vote and/or comment which will result in more people seeing it. Click here.

I have fought with the idea of having a blog for a couple of years now. Granted, I could talk horror movies until the cows come home. I'm a bibliophile, worked a number of years for a large chain bookstore, and can talk about pretty much any category of fiction or nonfiction knowledgeably, if only in some cases, peripherally. I'm a music whore, indulge in pop culture observation and conversation, and have in the last decade, become quite an accomplished cook. But what can I say about these interests (obsessions) that hasn't already been said in hundreds of magazines already, not to mention a ba-zillion existing blogs?

Pretty much nothing.

I've read almost as many "how-to" books about the self-publishing industry as I have independently published zombie novels--and that's a fucking lot, as I have long been obsessed with that sub-genre (over 35 years now). I wish I could say the ratio for good-to-bad was 50-50, but it's closer to 20-80--for both. There's usually much emphasis on marketing and very little on quality of writing and workmanship. That doesn't bother me too much, because I've been writing for a long time and have confidence in my skills and what I create. What bothers me is that marketing, necessary evil that it is, takes away from my writing time.

That includes this blog.

So, I've had to make some rules for myself when writing blog entries. Whether they stick or not, we'll see. But the secret to success is adaptability, and I will commit to these rules loosely with that in mind. I see no reason in boring you with details of the constraints I am placing upon myself, but will reveal the most important one:

Keep it short.

I want to deliver maximum quality in minimum quantity. I strive to be the USA Today of the blogging world. In this era of Facebook pokes and Tweet wars, blog entries should not be overly long and boring. God knows, I've got more important things to do.... like get back to my social media.

And so, back to the legitimate answer of the question from the first stanza. What can I offer here that you can get no where else in the world? Me. My voice. It's aged, but served me well. Perhaps it will one day be of benefit to you.

That being said... I finished the McCammon book, The Border, and enjoyed it. I am currently reading Wait for Signs  by Craig Johnson, of the Longmire series. I have never read anything by Johnson previously, nor have I seen the Longmire television show. But I have to say, this book of short stories is great and I may be indulging in more. Recommendations?

I want to tell you about a dead guy I'm obsessed with but I'm out of time. Soon, I promise.

TWS

Hello, and welcome to my first blog. I'm not much for keeping a journals, but I do have interests and I do write. A good place to find my writing is here on Amazon. I hope to have some freebies up on Wattpad in the near future.

I read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies. My interest in the horror genre goes way back to my childhood and those that know me will attest that I am somewhat of an aficionado. I would like to utilize this blog to connect with other like-minded souls. I don't want to limit it to just horror, as I cover a lot of ground in various media. But horror does bear mentioning as it is a big love of mine.

Other than scary books and movies, I would also like to discuss the writing process. I have been writing for more than half my life, but have just got to where I do it every day and have for the last two and a half years. I am continuously learning and improving with the daily schedule, and I am curious as to what methods you may have tried to achieve results.

It will come up more as we go, but I am in the process of revisions of my first complete novel. This second draft has taken me much longer than I had anticipated. I agonize over it, but it also thrills me. I look forward to its completion and hope that people find it worth the wait.

I am somewhat "old-school," and find much more enjoyment in proven masters of the genre. Examples would include Richard Matheson, Stephen King, and Joe Lansdale... but I am not afraid to sample anything, and frequently read self-published work to discover new gems (I particularly like apocalyptic zombie yarns, and have read my weight in them--good and bad).

I am currently reading The Border, by Robert McCammon. So far, it is a great book that reminds me of earlier McCammon novels like Swan Song and Stinger. It is a welcome return to form, even though I am a big fan of his more recent colonial American mystery series as well.

Well, that's it for this initial entry. You are most welcome to join me on this journey. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, methods, observations, and recommendations.

TWS