SELF-EDIT/FORMATTING

Since I am consumed with my new contract and making deadlines, it is only reasonable that would be the topic of my next few posts.  There are many misconceptions about what it means to be a writer and what a writer's life is like.  Maybe this blog will give some insights.

True, I am not a writer like Stephen King or Jan Karon.  Still, I am a published writer and have been paid for my work.  --And I have never paid for my work to be in print.  I have always held to the principle that money should flow to the author, never away from the author.  It is how I have managed to wander through the minefield of publishing scammers.

Anyway, I have learned so much by working with Desert Breeze and I haven't even seen anything in print yet.  One interesting thing I was asked by the publisher was to do a search and find on my manuscript.  My first search was on the word that.  I was amazed!  It literally took hours to correct the overuse of the word that.  Then I looked for the phrase as if.  That only took about 45 minutes.  Then I was asked to search for words ending in ly--yes, those nasty adjectives.  That took another 6 hours.

What a learning experience!

THE CONTRACT ARRIVES

Did I tell you?  The contract finally arrived.  It is real.  Deadlines are real. First there was a delight, as if all my writing dreams were coming true.  Then there was fear--panic.  Would I be able to do all that was required?  

Then I took a breath.  God had not brought this far for failure.  I could do this.  I would do this.

With the editing done, all that is left is formatting--which I am very poor at, by the way.  Still, it will be done.

The next hurtle is book #2 in the series and promoting book #1.  Such is a writer's life.

A NEW CONTRACT

Those of you who follow my blog know my dream has been to be a real writer, not just one who is paid for his product, but is known for it.  This past week I have come one step closer to that dream.  I have been offered a contract by Desert Breeze for a 3 ebook deal.  I posted, a few months ago, that I would keep people appraised about what it is like for a writer who is trying to get a manuscript published.

Second Chances was first sent to a publisher in 2007.  It has been rewritten a multitude of times since then.  It has been edited (by me) twice since then.  I am editing it, once again, and reformatting the text before it goes to the Desert Breeze editors.

People amuse me when they think they can write stream of consciousness and get it published--as if their words were divinely inspired.

I know it will continue to be hard work, but it is also satisfying work.  Follow my future postings if you are curious as to what it takes to become a published writer.

PERSON OF INTEREST--When Fiction Feels Real--part 3

I began these entries as way to examine the popularity of a single TV show, that has struck a chord with its fans. Though clearly fiction, often evoking the mood of super-hero comic books, there are certain themes that make the show feel authentic.

First, we examined the paranoia that the average person feels, whether shopping in the mall, or driving under a traffic light. The second theme was that of deception--people and situations aren't as they first appeared. The final theme of Person Of Interest--and my personal favorite--is the theme of redemption.

Reese was once a soldier, then a CIA agent. When we are first introduced to him, he is homeless and living in New York. Carter arrests him after he fights off bad guys in a subway. She tries to give him some advice, one vet to another. Then a stranger, Finch, posts his bail and hires him to do a job that no one else can do. Finch knows Reese is the man for this job, because he has been watching him.

Reese is given the chance to make up for whatever he did in a former life that filled him with regret and self-loathing. He solves crimes and prevents murders in a vigilante style, though more efficient than the police. All the clues are given by Finch's creation, The Machine. In the episode, By the Numbers, Reese is critically injured and, as Finch attempts to save him, Reese thanks his partner for a chance to redeem himself.

--But Reese is not the only redemption story. In the first episode, Fusco is a dirty cop who intends to kill Reese and dump his body in a swamp. Reese forces Fusco to become his lackey instead. By the end of the first season Fusco admits that it feels good to be known as a good cop again. The feeling doesn't last long as Fusco is forced to go under-cover as a bad cop, to continue to work for the good-guys.

It is that feeling of redemption that drives this show. --But our characters are limited and sometimes make mistakes. They are sometimes manipulated by Elias and used as his pawns. Redemption is a difficult thing to attain when one is working in the human realm. --And Elias proves to be a formidable foe.

We feel Reese's struggle. We mourn over Fusco as his name continues to be soiled, and we wonder what is in Finch's past that drives him to lose one identity and constantly create new ones. Even Carter has past regrets that haunt her.

Maybe we look at our own secrets and hope it is possible to somehow redeem ourselves. Maybe we can make amends, recreate ourselves, and create a better life for those we love. Maybe that hope helps fuel the popularity of Person Of Interest.

WHEN FICTION FEELS REAL/PERSON OF INTEREST, post 2

Person of Interest is a CBS TV program that is part of the Thursday night line-up. It is an action/adventure show that occasionally gives homage to movie heroes like Mad Max, Dirty Harry, and Batman.

The show has a very loyal fan base and I believe part of that comes from universal themes that strike deep emotional chords with viewers. In my last post, I discussed briefly the feeling of paranoia--the idea that we are all being watched.

Today I would like to explore the theme of deception, the idea that people or situations are not as they first appear. In each episode our heroes, Reese and Finch, are assigned by the "all-seeing" machine at least one social security number of a person who is either going to be a victim of, or is planning to commit a crime. Reese and Finch must decide how to intervene.

In one episode Reese follows a caring, talented doctor he thinks is being stalked by a serial rapists. In reality she is stalking the rapists, planning to kill him so he cannot rape again. People in this show have many layers. They can be a mixture of both good and bad.

In another show, a talented and much loved school teacher's life is saved by Reese. This man turns out to be the heartless mob leader, Elias, who kills without remorse.

On the other hand, Reese and Finch have met their share of suspicious people, who turned out to be totally different. For example, there was the apartment superintendent who liked to tell tall tales. In the end his tales turned out to be the truth.

Viewers can strongly connect to the reveal of the characters we meet each week. After all, how many of us have "made friends" with someone at work, only to have that person stab us in the back for a promotion? What about the person in our social circle who loves a good tidbit of gossip--to use against us when necessary? Let's not forget the friend who "stole" the person you wanted to date.

--And what about those people who we first wrote off as useless, who later became important in our lives. P.O.I. seems real because we can relate to the situation. People are seldom what they first appear to be. Only time reveals one's true character. P.O.I. takes the time to develop those characters.

WHEN FICTION FEELS REAL/PERSON OF INTEREST, post 1

As a writer, I often find myself analyzing pop movies, books, and TV. I inquire as to why these things have attained such popularity. Lately, I have been focusing on a single TV show, Person of Interest. This show is gaining cult status, much like LOST, Forever Night, or Star Trek.

I usually don't go for movies or TV shows based on comic books or Mad Max style action heroes. I was, however intrigued by the premise of a TV show about post-911 surveillance, organized by a super-computer.

Person of Interest is a show that causes the viewer to willingly suspend disbelief in order to enjoy clever writing. Though the story is pure fantasy, it seems real. This is partially because the show deals with themes that the viewers feel to be real.

There are 3 basic themes that reoccur in the show and they strike a chord with fans. These themes are paranoia, deception, and redemption.

Person of Interest explores our basic paranoia, the feeling that someone is watching us. The machine not only sees us, but judges us. The color of the facial recognition squares on the screen, determines the degree of our violent intent. When a man on the screen says, "I would kill for that job," the machine decides whether or not this is an actual threat. Viewers find it easy to believe that tracking a person in this way is not only possible, but probable.

Our heroes, Reese and Finch, however, manage to remain invisible--often hiding in plain sight. Their identities remain unknown and they are able to move throughout New York City in anonymity.

We live in a world where our identities are always in danger. It is nice to feel that it could be possible to "live off the grid." Instead, we are more likely to believe that we are being tracked by our cell phone's GPS or that someone has bugged our land line. I have to admit my own paranoia was piqued recently when I put my own cell phone beside my lap top and was suddenly able to overhear a total stranger's conversation.

It is our basic paranoia that draws us into the world of Person of Interest. It is the other 2 themes that keep us there. I will explore those themes in future posts.

After The Memorial Service

Yesterday I attended the memorial service of a friend. Though the focus of such things is, naturally, on the deceased and the family, I am always reminded of life's ephemeral quality.

I once wondered how I would be remembered after--well--you know. I like to think that we are all connected--like in the Hollywood movies. It is hard to keep a dry eye at the end of an It 's A Wonderful Life style movie. I would even love to write such a life-affirming tale. The truth is, I have days when I really doubt that my life has such a ripple effect on others. Have I inadvertently saved a ship load of soldiers or kept Potter from taking over the city? My ripples just aren't that wide.

So now, as I am attending more funerals of people my own age, I realize it is not so much about how I will be remembered when I die, but will my memory linger at all? It is a bitter pill to swallow, a major readjustment as I gauge my life, my decisions, my goals. How does one live this new phase of life--knowing that tomorrow is not promised, that all you have accomplished will be forgotten?

Then I turned to Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 NKJ.

9. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
10. I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
12. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives.
13. and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labor--it is the gift of God.

Why didn't I notice those verses years ago? I guess I needed them the most--today.