Fate Stepped In...

I'm working hard to publish my book FROM DARKNESS in one volume rather than three with at least five additional chapters and additional changes that include the original previously unpublished opening that I hope my readers will enjoy. The big juicy difference is this is the right brain version. That is, it came straight out of our/my most creative part of the brain. Inspired & Unleashed!

Not plotted and planned, but inspired, the idea for the book shooting out of the blue while I was in MA not far from Salem, but more to the point spending the weekend with some poets, and having fun. When I got back to NYC I sat down at my antique roll top desk (had to sell it eventually) and wrote the first 15 or so pages by hand with a quill pen by candlelight. I was so in it, that there is someone's footsteps in the story's  opening that I swear I heard as I wrote that opening chapter!

So while I edited those chapters and much else out for the 3 volume edition they haunted me because it seemed, what can I say, kind of sacred. I mean that's where inspiration comes from,  from some deeper part of ourselves, or from a power greater than ourselves. Have to respect that. Or else they just keep haunting you!

I know , I know, all the creative writing books say cut, cut, cut. The agents to told me to cut it to one third its size without ever having read it....And I understand why. It is far harder to sell a larger book to a publisher as it will cost more to produce and they don't know if the new writer's book will sell.So I got busy for quite some time busy editing my book - to death. Plain and simple. And not having any fun! I had cut it down to the right size and just felt like I had cut its heart out.

I finally decided as those of you who follow my blog know that I began working on reinstating the fresh first version of the book but I was still kind of teetering there. Not sure I was doing the right thing but I did know that I wasn't getting to my next book that I already had one hundred pages on and was dying to get to it...but first I had to finally decide what I was going to do about FROM DARKNESS.

So, lucky me,  fate stepped in and while searching for some info I  was led to the web site of Dean Wesley Smith a writer who has written over 200 books. His secret, or one of them, that just blasted a door open for me - and yes I saw the light! Ha! Because Dean's generous free videos on his Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing finally freed me! He's got a lot of great info for writers there and you can see and order many of his books, but what I needed most to hear was in regard to his process of writing and how he gets to publishing.

And it made so much sense I was an instant convert! In a nutshell: We write or do anything creative from the right side of our brain and do jobs like our taxes with the other left side. When we edit we are using that left side. And that side while very helpful for loads of tasks is not the right one to apply to our manuscript.

I read about 30 books re creative writing. All after I'd written my book! But they convinced me that I must rewrite. And above all else cut, cut, cut. Now there is some truth in that. The way Dean handles it is he goes back every few paragraphs as he writes and fixes what he sees needs fixing, then and there, while he is deep in creative mode! When he reaches the end of his story he's done so he shows it to his  trusted reader who is also a professional writer. Who may notice something that needs fixing and that he takes care of. Then there is spell check and then off it goes! To a Publisher or to upload as an Indie Published book.

And then he moves on to the next book!

Given my recent conversion to trusting my right brain and seeing the light, you just may be seeing my books coming out all over this year.

And when they come out  I can offer them Free for a certain limited time and I will let you know when so stay tuned!  If you look at the side bar to your right you will see that you can Preorder and get the digital version for $2.99 until it is published. It'll be about 550 pages or so.

And do yourself a favor if your a reader or writer and visit Dean's site!  visit www.deanwesleysmith.com.

He writes western, sci-fi, time travel etc and oh yeah, he writes a magazine a month with a new novel in everyone of them! I'm reading one of his, THUNDER MOUNTAIN and I would say its a western sci-fi romance time travel novel! loving it! And it's a series!

And please Like  & Tweet if you enjoyed my share and would like to pass it on. Thanks!