Tag Archives: Windfall

Back in the Saddle…

My life motto has always been I THRIVE ON MONOTONY.  After my life was turned upside-down for a little over a week, I am back to my mundane schedule and, believe me, it feels good. It feels right. It feels “write” to be back in the saddle.

And I have been writing, though I will admit I found it next to impossible to write in airports and on planes. There is too much noise. And it’s too crowded. But, I tried. Unfortunately that progress was almost nill.

However, FINDING VERITY made a huge leap even though I couldn’t write and that’s because I thought about the story. And, while I was thinking, I solved a problem. And after that problem was solved, FINDING VERITY grew. It grew to almost 88,000 words. And I’m feeling good about it. Damn good!

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done but I plod along knowing I can do it. This is my third novel. The first one didn’t get published. Last year I self-published WINDFALL. I think I might approach publishers with FINDING VERITY. However, if I do and there’s no interest, I’ll self-publish that one, too.

So, what is FINDING VERITY? Here is a hint. It’s a “coming of age” story about a boy who, after being abandoned by his mother, finds the strength to persevere. He survives a brutal experience in a foster family, befriends a homeless man, gets adopted into a loving family, and becomes a best-selling novelist though no one knows that because he writes under a “pen name.”  But then he meets an old woman who changes his life…

Book Mobile in the 1920s

Life of a Writer: A Writer’s “Free Time”

So busy…. so busy…

I truly believe that if one is serious about writing there is NEVER any free time. Because if a serious writer has “free time” it is spent writing. So, by definition, writer’s have no free time.

This has been a busy week. I entered the current contest at MoviePoet.  The challenge this month was to write a short script (5 pages or less) with only have two characters. The characters  must not have met, talked, or written each other before they meet. There were 34 entries and, when I enter these contests, I commit to reviewing the other entries. So, I’ve been doing that. I consider reviewing other writer’s work as part of my writing because I always learn from the task at hand.

I am up to page 30 on the ANGEL’S KISS, DEVIL’S MARK screenplay. This story is the sequel to my novel and screenplay titled WINDFALL.  My initial plan was to write the companion novel to go with the screenplay but I’m starting to falter on that plan. The story will make a good film but I am not convinced it will make a decent novel.

Most of my writing time has been spent on FINDING VERITY,  my current novel. Word count is almost 64,000 words and I am really loving this project. My goal is to have the first draft completed by June 1!

When the first draft is finished, I’ll be looking for “first readers.” If you’re interested, please send me an email!

A Busy WRITING WEEK, Screenplays to Novels…

When it comes to my writing, I’ve been very busy this week.

I wrote a short script for this month’s challenge at MoviePoet.com. The script has to be five pages or less, and it can only have two characters. The complication to the challenge is that the two characters must be strangers to each other. I’m pleased with my entry and glad to have that behind me. In previous MoviePoet contests, I’ve earned an Honorable Mention but never placed. Maybe this month… (or maybe not…).

I also read a feature written by Greg Tonnon, a friend of mine at MoviePoet.com. It is titled Habeas Corpus and I plan on reviewing it for him this week-end. It’s a good story, based on a real story. I hope someday it’ll be made into a movie.

I’ve done a lot of work on FINDING VERITY.  Currently, word count is 56,859 words. I’ll be glad when I can say the first draft is done. Then comes the rewriting, the part of writing that I really like. It always amazes me when writers say they don’t like rewriting. For me, rewriting is the part where I see the story improve, getting stronger and coming together. I’d really like to have this project done this year.

As for the sequel to Windfall, titled ANGEL’S KISS, DEVIL’S MARK. I have started the screenplay and finished the first 15 pages. I plan on having the screenplay completed by August so I’m on schedule. Then I’ll start the companion novel.