Run

I won't lie to you--for the past to years or so, my ability to write, and to create, has been severely diminished.  That's the primary reason blog posts, as well as new novels, have become so infrequent.  I even have another novel I began at least as far back as 2014 that remains uncompleted; I plan to finish it eventually, but lately I just can't find the inspiration.  The good news, however, is that I have managed to complete a shorter novel, entitled Run, which is available now in paperback, and will be available next week as an eBook.  It details the relationship between Sienna Thorpe, a successful architect who loves her job but has spent her entire life running from love, intimacy, and the potential for lasting happiness.  Her life is changed forever when she meets Harmon Brent, a transplant from Alabama who has come to Kentucky to put down roots.  Harm is a man with a great head for business--his sporting goods stores have spread across the country and even to foreign countries, but he's never had much luck in his personal life.  I attempted to write a longer novel than my last one, but only succeeded in reaching 50,000 words.  The purchase link as well as the cover are featured below.  As always, I welcome comments, feedback, and suggestions.


Run

Dark Horse

Way back in July-August of this year, I tried my hand at writing a romance novel with elements of mystery and suspense thrown in.  The book was written in a little under thirty days, but in spite that short timeline, the story was the result of a great deal of thought, effort, and writing.  Thus far no publisher has been interested, however, and therefore I have put together the book for sale on my own.  I recently learned how to “style” a document—a debt of gratitude is owed to the Smashwords Style Guide—and it was much easier to put together the book after going through this process.  For the first time, one of my print novels looks like the genuine article.  I wish I had known earlier how easy the process truly was.  I have already reworked the interior of one novel, and am considering doing the rest.  It is a simple cut-and-paste job; the most difficult part is redoing the interiors on CreateSpace.  Anyway, for readers who might be interested, I am including links to the e-book and paperback versions of Dark Horse at the close of this blog.

Dark Horse

 

Round About Way

In the past I have complained about being rejected from both jobs and publishers and receiving either a form letter response, or none at all.  I will never do that again.

As an author, I have to say that the previous month has been by turns rewarding and draining.  I wrote an entire novel for NaNoWriMo that I am extremely proud of, but I have also received too many publishing rejections to count.  Most of them were innocuous enough, and I quickly moved on.  However, I am prone to pinning my hopes on a certain thing:  a job that I really want, a vacation that I want to be amazing, or a book that I really feel needs to reach a wider audience.  As such, I had entirely too much emotion invested in a novel that received a crushing rejection.  This rejection did not come in the form of a brief missive, however.  It was a lengthy, detailed email of several paragraphs, spelling out in comprehensive terms why this book was not only unacceptable for their line but also focusing on flaws in my story and its execution.  I will be honest and tell you that I did not read the entire email.  The breadth and scale of the rejection was more than I could take, and I decided to move onto the very next thing:  an email from a friend, letting me know that she was enjoying another of my novels, and that I was a very good writer.  It’s funny and interesting in hindsight that these two messages were received in the same batch.  It was almost as though some power greater than me knew that I needed encouragement and positive feedback in the wake of something negative and discouraging.  At any rate, I am editing two novels and readying another for publication, so hopefully my audience will stick by me—and hopefully I will be able to stand by my writing.

NaNoWriMo, Week One

If writing is like exercise and a skill that must be practiced, then I allowed myself to atrophy and weaken in the two months while I took a sabbatical from the whole business of conceiving novels.  The good news is that I was able to slip back into a familiar routine and push myself to craft and create and image.  In the first week of this project, I have written upwards of 14,000 words, and while I am not sure if this is a personal best, it does prove that I remember something about how to lay out my thoughts.  I’m sure it also helps that this is a sequel to the last novel I completed as well as a story idea that I rendered in my head, figuring and refiguring and wondering about constantly.  This novel feels like it’s headed somewhere, and I have plans to write another, unrelated one next month if everything pans out the way I hope.

Sittin’ on the Fence

Lately I haven’t been writing, for a variety of reasons.  In the interim I have been pitching some of my work to agents and publishers and hoping for anything to stick.  In the beginning writing was a way to challenge myself, to see if I could actually do it.  Then it turned into crafting stories that I enjoyed reading.  Just because I like something doesn’t mean anyone else will, but I always hope it will speak to someone else.  You usually don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression so you’re always paranoid about your appearance—you don’t want your query to be rife with errors, and you want your opening chapter or writing excerpt to grab an editor’s attention immediately.  Any time you put yourself out there, you set yourself up for rejection.  I’m not a fan of rejection in any way, shape, or form, but I guess it’s just part of life.

What Am I Waiting For

I feel a bit lazy these days.  Scratch that—very lazy.  I have been sending out more and more book queries, but aside from reading I haven’t been performing much in the way of important tasks.  Of course, reading is designed to keep the mind sharp, and some of this comes under the heading of research—in this case, animal husbandry.  It’s kind of interesting that it took me writing ten novels—some of them remain unpublished—to throw myself headlong into this kind of research. Yes, I’ve fact-checked my novels before, prior to writing certain passages, but there’s also a great deal of leeway that comes with fiction.  You need to know what you’re talking about, but you don’t have to be an expert.  Then again, being an expert in a subject is never a bad thing, nor is expanding your knowledge base.

Inspiration on the Small Screen

When I was a kid I didn’t really understand Westerns, but I watched plenty of them—John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper, Audie Murphy, Robert Mitchum—the list is endless.  And then there were the TV ones—Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Virginian.  I even categorize the original Dallas as a kind of Western; the ranch played an important role in the mythology of the show, and Ray & Donna, the cowboy and the lady, had the love story that most captured my attention. Little wonder, then, that as a grown-up I’d write a bunch of novels featuring cowboys and not think twice about it.

If you can name a soap opera that aired in the past thirty years, I probably watched it.  My favorites were The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives—and I hold a soft spot for Guiding Light and As the World Turns, which I watched alongside my beloved Mamaw Bell.  Anyway, those things, which I still watch, gave me a good background in story structure, romance, and continuing dramas.  And I’m also pretty sure they made me more empathetic and understanding of problems and circumstances I have (thankfully) never encountered.  Empathy, more than anything else, may be the writer’s greatest tool.  You have to walk in your characters’ shoes, endure their pain, and experience their joy.  Entertainment value can only carry you so far.  If you don’t “feel” anything for the characters in a book, TV show, or movie, what’s the point? 

Do You Remember

I got kind of depressed by the lack of a project so I started writing another book.  So far, so good.  I’m also still in the process of editing the third book so it’s going to take a little extra time to get it on sale.  Anyway, the leaves are already falling and the weather is doing that hybrid summer-autumn thing that leads to a sweater in the morning and shorts in the afternoon.  Gotta love Kentucky weather.

Twice as Nice

It's official--I'm a two-time author.  My book is up digitally and physically on Amazon and I am thrilled.  This has been a really interesting year so far.  When it began, I was not an author.  Now I am, a mere seven months into the year, the author of two whole books.  I've decided to stick with the author thing for as long as I possess the time and energy.  I would love to have, you know, a full-time job that pays the bills but as of today no one is interested in me.  Therefore, I'm gonna keep writing and blogging until my fingers fall off or the world gets tired of me, whichever comes first!
Kindle e-book:

http://www.amazon.com/Kentucky-Summer-ebook/dp/B008J1T3PA

Paperback:

http://www.amazon.com/Kentucky-Summer-Mr-Tommie-Conrad/dp/147819815X

Published

A short five months after I first put pen to paper, my novel is published in paperback form.  It's been an interesting journey, a learning experience, and a fun ride.  I didn't really have a goal in mind when I started other than writing a story and finishing it.  It was, without a doubt, the longest thing I'd ever written.  I'm not even sure how far I was into the process when I began to explore avenues for publishing it.  The writing process was very easy for me.  I only struggled when it came time to wind down the story and let it reach its conclusion--a topic I've written about previously in other blog posts.  I have faced a similar conflict in finishing my second novel, something I also did this week.  It has been a momentous week for me when it comes to my writing.  Anyway, I write quickly but it's the editing that takes the longest.  I also had to come up with a good cover for my first book, which was another unexpected challenge.  It allowed me to get in touch with my artistic roots again.  I'd never used watercolors before so that was another learning experience.  I'm thankful to already have a cover in mind for book two, something that will speed up the process when I go to publish it. 
My foray into publishing became reality around midnight last night.  My eBook had been online for a month but now a physical copy is available to be placed in the hands of friends, family, and, hopefully someday, a library or two.  Seeing the proof of my book, unfinished as it turned out to be, was pretty exhilarating and exciting.  First of all, I was astonished that it was ordered, printed and delivered within two days.  Second, I was shocked at how many typos slipped through--I have literally read the entire work about seven times now, so any remaining typos must be really stubborn. Finally, I placed the eBook in a free promotion for a few days.  If anyone discovers my blog via the Kindle book, I thank you and hope you will stick around.  I will likely focus more on this blog now as I take a break from writing.  If my mind lets me, that is.  I didn't intend to write two novels back-to-back either.  Now that I have, my goal is to pursue this writing thing as far as I can.  I only hope there's an audience out there for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-Mr-Tommie-D-Conrad/dp/1477604987/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339806408&sr=1-1

 http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-ebook/dp/B0082BQLQQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339769592&sr=8-2&keywords=tommie+windswept

Currently listening to:  Come Wake Me Up by Rascal Flatts

Pin Your Name to My Heart

Thanks to my wonderful friend Josie, I decided to become a member of the Pinterest community.  I border on being a Luddite sometimes, for a variety of personal and logistical reasons, so me branching out into so much technology this year is a big step.  In graduate school we discussed a wide variety of emerging technologies that would shape the future of librarianship—and the world at large.  Perhaps Pinterest is the newest social tool for authors to share their works?

I will say that Pinterest Day One has not been the easiest.  Learning how to pin images to my boards and how to search and find other users and their boards involved a steep learning curve.  Then there was the business of internet connectivity and the whole mess of logging in and verifying my email…I was ready to give up in a hurry after all of that.  Once I finally figured out how to pin images, it became a lot easier.  There’s no way to know how far I will actually take the Pinterest thing.  So far it seems a nice way to look at photos.

One nice feature of Pinterest thus far is that it is linked to Facebook.  When my last computer died, I lost my favorites, including a webpage and wiki I had made while in graduate school.  I tried but was never able to find them again, so I have no way of knowing if they are even still floating around in cyberspace (the wiki should be anyway) so I find myself hoping, at last, that some of my web creations are…lasting.

Currently listening to:  The Sweetest Days by Vanessa Williams

http://m.pinterest.com/conradcorner/

Typing Outside the Lines

Last night I was working on my second novel and it was so odd.  It felt as though my words were coming from somewhere outside myself.  Maybe I've been doing too much writing while drowsy.  I've noted here before that writing forces you to push outside boundaries and look outside yourself so this kind of plays into all that.  I think there is an element in writing that allows authors to live vicariously through their characters; any type of creativity implies placing a certain amount of yourself in the work.  A character who is your own creation is ultimately yours to mold and shape, to provide their voice, to allow them to make certain choices and mistakes.  Little pieces of me have fallen into my writing so far.  I can only hope that stories and elements and interests that I like are relevant and interesting to others.  On that note, I'll sign off for today.  My writing can become too circular sometimes...

Advertising

Now that my book is completed and published to Amazon’s eKindle Publisher, I have to figure out an effective method of advertising.  I like to think this blog is one of those avenues.  I suppose my ultimate fear is apathy and dislike for my work, although at least dislike means someone read it.  There are truly works written for every taste, which is why the book aisle in any store is so full of novels and non-fiction titles.  I’m still not entirely comfortable with my self-drawn cover but since it was done on a limited budget I guess it’s better than the placeholder cover Amazon provides.  Later I’ll try to create something better.  Ultimately I’m not sure how long it takes to read the book, but I do know it took me close to six hours to finish each time I edited it.  If anyone has any comments, hopefully positive, feel free to share them with me.  I look forward to hearing from fans, no matter where they may be.

http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-ebook/dp/B0082BQLQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336857034&sr=8-1

Fin

I have no doubt posted this here before, but my first novel is finally complete.  It took more a month to edit, which is remarkable but not surprising.  The editing process was much more difficult than the conception and writing of the book.  As I read over it one last time, I started to question a lot of my decisions and my writing process.  At the same time, though, it is my work, something that came entirely from my head and my heart.  The entire process, from beginning to end, has been a learning experience.  Any time you begin an endeavor, you are required to push yourself, to give yourself motivation to clear hurdles and complete your journey.  Along the way you must face doubt, all the while second-guessing yourself, and entertaining thoughts of quitting.  This has been an added benefit of sharing my goals and my writing; had I quit several people would have hounded me until I actually finished my novel.  I thank each and every person, multiple times over, for the encouragement they’ve provided, no matter how great or small.  Had I been writing in a vacuum, unable to share my thoughts and feelings, I may never be where I am now, on the verge of publication. 

Immersion

I am not sure of the process which other authors use; I can only speak to my experience.  When I write, I find myself immersed in the setting.  I picture it in three-dimensions, imagining that it is unfolding in front of me.  I see the characters and settings in my mind, as though they were a movie playing on my brain.  I try to feel what they feel as I write, whether it is love, anger, happiness, or sadness.  Visualization is my greatest gift, one that I'm sure many others share.  I create in my mind things that seem real even though they are not.  In my real life this can sometimes be a problem--no store has yet discovered how to stock items that are merely in my head--but in the creative process it allows me to expand my horizons, push my boundaries, and step outside my comfort zone to see how a story should flow.

Connected

When I was in graduate school, I read the excellent book “The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud” by Ben Sherwood.  Last night I was finally able to see the movie adaptation with Zac Efron which is also pretty good.  Some of the bonus features talked about the need to be “connected” to those who pass on; we wind up trying to hold onto just a small piece of them.  It got me to thinking about those who come in and out of our lives; how they impact us, sometimes profoundly, no matter how long we know them.  We form unbreakable bonds with people whom we may go years without seeing.  We maintain relationships with far-flung friends whom we may never see again.  A deep connection to someone rarely seen can be so much more fulfilling than the relationships that are a part of our daily lives.  As such, no matter how many of us, myself including, claim to be loners, we are all striving, each and every day, for some type of connection.  Whether we connect in friendship, love, or some indefinable, these are the relationships that sustain us, that nourish and encourage us.

At the same time, I think about the movie’s message of how we desire to connect with those who have gone on before us, those friends and loved ones we have lost.  I like to think of my grandmother as my guardian angel.  I like to think that she watches over us and guides us to make the right decisions.  In life she provided encouragement, but never forcefully.  So I like to think that she allows me to be rational and to explore my creativity as she also loved to draw and paint.  There are so many others I have known in my life who have passed on and so they remain at the back of my mind, pieces that were lost from the puzzle of life.  For some their time was long; for others, they barely got to make their way in life before they were lost to us forever.  I connect to them with my memories; photos and scraps of things that remind me of them.  Mementos and souvenirs—well, it all sounds like something out of a song. 

Currently listening to:  “Like a Rock” by Bob Seger

Rejuvenation

I don't often think of myself as a problem solver, but perhaps that's exactly what I am.  I look at things; focus on them, study them until I come up with a solution, a way to make them better.  Usually these things are mundane and involve storage and household tasks; however, they leave me feeling rejuvenated once they are complete.  In some ways it's about appreciating the minutiae of life, the small moments that add up to create one day.   When I narrow down the items on my to-do list, I start to feel as though I have been freed or something.   When there is less on my plate, I feel infinitely more creative.  When I see products that are loaded down with caffeine (I love soda as much as the next person, but I digress), I start to realize that, as a society, we don’t need more energy—rather, we need less stress.  I need to prioritize and decide what is important to me, what is necessary to make me the best person I can possibly be. 

There is definitely a reason behind the phrase, “take time to stop and smell the roses.”  Flowers are a fleeting thing, like so much of life—they come into our lives, then leave, and we are left to hope they will return again someday.  Flowers, if tended, usually come back year after year.  Friendships and relationships must also be tended if they are to grow and thrive.  I have never been great at maintaining friendships—I am an introvert and life and its circumstances always seem to get in the way.  But I’m trying. 

Currently listening to:  Rumour Has It by Adele

Procrastination

Throughout my life I have been a pretty horrible procrastinator.  In school I would complete assignments, but not before putting them off to the last possible minute.  I didn’t even mind sitting up half the night before I always felt like I was doing great work under pressure.  I also tend to get my second wind around midnight, which makes no sense.  That’s when most people are asleep and resting for the next day.  Procrastination continued throughout graduate school but lessened; when you are only enrolled in three classes a semester you have less of an excuse for it.  Now I find it creeps into my writing as I do things to delay finishing chapters and even sentences.   I think the expression, “familiarity breeds contempt”, applies here.   The longer we spend with our own work, the more our interest in it dims.  We have spent hours, days, even weeks and months perfecting until we are sick of it.  We need to take the time to step outside of ourselves, our work, in order to appreciate it.  When you’ve immersed yourself to the point that you inhabit your own work, no matter how large or small, stepping back can be very difficult.  Life is a series of transitions and obstacles that we traverse and overcome.   Procrastination can be a good thing, but waiting is never easy.

Completion

I have completed my first novel, Windswept.  While I consider myself a perfectionist and will need to give it yet another read through, it is done.  It's amazing to think that this journey began barely two months ago when I was cold, bored, and tired of not having anything to do.  The scariest part of all of this is that, eventually, I will have to put this product out to have it potentially dissected by perfect strangers.  Then again, that's also my goal--to have others enjoy my work.  I have already gone through and formatted it properly so hopefully when I submit the draft all goes well.  I can't give enough thanks to all of those who provided encouragement to my writing--I am forever in debted to you.  I also have to
thank in advance anyone who is willing to take the chance to follow my work, either in book form or on this blog.  I appreciate your time as well as your eyes.  Everyone's words and advice was so beneficial that I am now deeply into writing my second novel.  Not sure how long it will take as the story, thus far, has a little more depth than I expected.  It will be interesting as I try to push my own boundaries and look outside myself throughout the writing process.  I also hope that both books will be worth the wait!


Currently listening to:  "All By Myself" by Celine Dion

Day One

After more than a year of unemployment, self-pity, and a variety of other emotions, I began to realize that I wasn't fully exploiting my gifts and talents, or at least not fully exploring them.  To that end, and with encouragement from numerous friends, I began to write a novel.  Throughout the course of college I was blessed with never having to write anything longer than a final exam.  Therefore, the idea of full-length writing is still somewhat foreign to me.  I do things in a stream of consciousness, free association manner.  I brainstorm and type up various ideas before I begin to compose the actual work.  Here, I did that.  Taking my inspiration from a few different places I began to write a romance novel.  After less than a month of writing I have nearly completed the story.  Of course I will have to go through some intense editing but I hope, ideally, to have the story published before my next birthday.