Subsequent Events Intervene (SEI)

As usual, best laid plans succumb to the SEI principle: Subsequent Events Intervene.

I had plans to work furiously on Rings of Truth, and then Dogs Off-Leash reared their heads again, and now I'm spending my time writing a proposal for local government.

It's OK, it's all good writing, and this is particularly satisfying as it is science based. And, it's not writing fiction.

I have to pay attention to what my writing is telling me. After all, it comes out of my head! And right now, I'm not writing fiction. I have my desk side table full of books on Bering Strait archaeology and climate science, preparing to revise an old scientific paper on St. Lawrence Island archaeology with new climate data.

So it goes.

Rings of Truth

I've just turned a corner in my next novel, Rings of Truth, passing from research to plot completion and outline.

My first novel, The Environmeddlers, was a compilation of earlier writings, with characters and scenes created to fill in the story. It was difficult and, I think in the final analysis, not too successful.

This time I am plotting out the story in advance, and working out the characters' personality descriptions, so that the characters react to the story in ways motivated by their character traits.

I have an ulterior motive! Once the characters are solid and playing well together, I hope to bring them into new scenes in future stories.

Did anyone say "sequel?"

Is Research Really Writing?

It's time to poke my head above the writing waters and take a look around.

I've been working on two large research projects over the past couple of weeks, work that has kept my head down and focused all day every day. So I haven't written anything for some time... or have I?

We all know we have to do research in order to write, even if we write fiction. Usually, the writing comes first, setting up the plot, defining the characters, setting them in locations. We have to do the research to make sure what we write is authentic, real and, above all believable.

The difference between fiction and fact is that fiction has to be plausible.

This time, I've been doing the research first, if it ever does result in a story, essay or novel. I've been doing genealogy research, finding documents and stories about my ancestors back to the 17th Century, and researching family history for a friend.

It's absorbing work, this research, requiring long hours of internet interaction, downloading and organizing. The results tell a fascinating tale of human lives over generations, living with everything Life throws at them, getting by as best they can, dealing with the societies, cultures and relationships in which they find themselves. It's the human drama, spun out in census records, marriage and death certificates, birth records, divorce decrees, family histories, transcription errors, legends and sometimes outright false stories, deceptions, half-truths, lies and silence.

It's one of the reasons we do genealogy, if for no other reason than to make sense of the strange things that happen in our own lives, and the decisions we make every day in dealing with them.

I think I'll include genealogy in my research for my next novel. Even if it isn't true!

Marketing Surprises - surprising markets

The writing world is full of surprises, and the marketing of writing world is no exception.

This morning I discovered sales of five copies of my family genealogy, Descendants of Edmond Lewes of Lynn, Massachusetts. This is a book I'm not actively marketing, as I wrote it as a genealogy reference for fellow researchers in my Lewis family line. It sells for 30 cents more than what it costs to print it at Lulu.com, so I don't make any money at it. And there's a free PDF download offered as well.

It just goes to show you, people buy books when they want to buy books. There's no accounting for buying patterns.

Of course, readers have to know a book exists before they can search it out and buy it, so I guess that's what marketing is for. It must be good for something.

So my next question is, "Do I go eBook or not?"

Ruminations on that question tomorrow!

Hacking Through the Book Marketing Jungle

The good part of self-publishing is being in control of the entire process, from creation to writing to editing to formatting to cover design to publication and to marketing. 

The bad part of self-publishing is being in control of the entire process, from creation to writing to editing to formatting to cover design to publication and to marketing. 

I’ve gotten through the publishing part and that was fun, satisfying, challenging and rewarding. I have a book in my hands, a real book with cover art, ISBN barcode, back cover and the whole nine yards. Others have even bought it, read it and liked it. Hey Mikey, they like it!

Now comes the hard part, the part I hate: marketing! dun dun dah duuuuuuun. Ugh!

So I’m trying to make marketing as painless as possible, a system I can set up and let it run with minimal manipulation, giving me time to do what I enjoy, which is writing. I guess I’m doing that now, but you know what I mean, creative writing. Maybe I’m doing that too.

So I ask you, what do you think? Would you like to be able to subscribe to a weekly newsletter, with snippets of fiction, plot developments, those quirky things that go on in my mind as I write? Are you interested in the process of writing or do you prefer to cut to the chase and the exciting contusion?

I’d like to get to know you, set up a dialog, find out what things you like to read (not that I’m going to write them. I’m just curious about what others like to read.)

Here’s your chance. Give me a challenge! 

On to the next level!

After an interesting and enlightening bookstore interview, and two successful radio interviews, I’m encouraged to take my book marketing to the next level.

I’ve found that people do respond to what I’ve written, sometimes in surprising ways. Readers seem to like the combination of adventure/thriller with comic/bizarre elements to it, something like a cross between Michael Crichton and Douglas Adams, and, in my case, with a healthy dollop of Ed Abbey in the mix. 

I’m also contemplating... well ok, I’m planning... participation in NaNoWriMo, the 50,000 words in 30 days exercise as a method for getting a first draft under way. It’s a good incentive, with some built in pats on the back and encouragement, which I need to settle in and get started. Once under way, I suspect it will flow pretty well.

So Clovis and the gang will be back on a new adventure. Clovis will be searching for information about his grandfather, Chester Jennings, who disappeared on the Yukon River in Alaska on a tree-ring collecting expedition. Look for exciting tussles between global warming Alarmists and Deniers, a visit from old friends and some new encounters with The Trickster.

Meanwhile, it’s on to the comments sections and my quest to make the world safe for Natural Climate Variation!

The Environmeddlers are on the Radio!

I was recently interviewed about The Environmeddlers at the Capitola Book Café by Rick Kleffel for his radio and podcast program, The Agony Column.

Yesterday, KUSP-FM presented a promo piece for the interview, which will be featured on The Agony Column, this Sunday, September 30 at 6 PM.

It was an interesting experience being interviewed about the book, a lot easier than I had anticipated, though I’ve lived with the book for ten years! The response from the audience was very positive. It was a strange experience to hear others taking me seriously as an “author!”

It was even stranger hearing me on the radio (I’m used to being behind the mic, not coming out of the speaker). Who is that guy? Though I sounded nervous to me, others have said it sounded calm and natural. 

The full interview should be fun and fascinating to hear. Rick is a consummate producer and a fantastic interviewer. I don’t know where he finds the time to do all the reading required to do a weekly program like that.

No, no, I’m not going to take up podcasting. Strictly print from here on out!

Speaking of which, signed copies of The Environmeddlers are still available at Capitola Book Café!