I started a new edit pass on my novel today. It was a bit of a shock. I thought it was clean, but I'm finding a lot of places to make changes; many more than I thought I'd have to at this point. Just goes to show you that your work is probably never as awesome as you think it is. And that editing is as important as the writing. Every bit as important.

I'm excited to report that I think I have the idea for my next novel. Not the actual plot, however! But I'm committed to writing a sequel of sorts to my first novel, which should be out shortly. I really like the characters I've developed, and would like to explore more about them, in an entirely different setting. That's a load off my mind, and is getting my creative juices flowing again. It's good to be thinking of the next book, and not just focusing on marketing/publicizing my present one.

Some good news from the weekend: I've hired my three actors for the marketing idea I have coming up. They are three very talented young men and women (two guys, one woman). It'll be exciting to work with them -- I just hope I can make full use of their talents. It looks like we'll be shooting this on Oct. 16, just a bit more than two weeks away. Yikes -- that's soon. Better get to work.

I'm trying to decide what to write next. The genre in which I've read the most is fantasy, but I haven't written much in that genre. Strange, I know. I wrote a sci-fi novel when I was much younger, but since then I haven't written anything in the field. I tend to gravitate more toward real-world situations; on the other hand, the novel I just finished isn't real-world, although it certainly has many of those elements.
The thing is, that readers love trilogies and sequels. If you hook them on the first book of a trilogy, they'll almost surely keep coming back as you release new books. But that doesn't give me the chance to explore other characters and stories, something I'm hungry to do. Every author wants to sell lots of books, but we also tend to want to write what we want, rather than what the market dictates.
All that to say that I'm still pondering.

Not much writing the last week. A lot of working, but not much writing. I've been talking to potential actors for a marketing idea I'm working on for my debut novel. I miss writing when I can't do it. I miss the immersion in another world, I miss my characters and getting to know them better. I miss creating new characters. Sigh. I'll be back at it soon, but these other details must be attended to.

I am learning a *lot* about promoting and marketing books. It's amazing, really, how the world of Amazon.com works. Reviewers are their own sub-culture.

Writers Write. Right?

I finished my novel last week (more on that to come.) I'm starting my next one today. That's what writers do; they write. Sounds simple; and it is, in theory. In practice, it's a tad more challenging. Most of us are busy, after all, and writing is hard. It takes a lot of effort. But if you're a writer, you do the work. If you've finished a novel and have been waiting more than a week or two to get going again, a bit of advice: GET GOING AGAIN. Then you'll know you're a writer.