BUSY, BUSY

I've heard it said that a true writer never has any down time. Any free moment is spent writing, editing, or promoting. I believe that is true. Let me share a few events with you and ask for your prayers.

In the free time away from my day job, my 2nd book Red, White, & True is available for download from the Desert Breeze web site (http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/brands/Toni-Lamparter-Mabry.html) and will eventually be released from Amazon, like A New Season. This is the second in the Friends of Scrapbook Etc. series.

Thursday, May 1, I'll be on the TV show, Local, Memphis Live--channel 24/30, sometime around 9:00 a.m.  I'll talk about writing and a local workshop I'm giving on Saturday morning at 10:00. The workshop will be at the Millington Library.

On May 15, one of my articles will appear in the magazine, STANDARD, a part of Word Action Publications. Yeah!

I would like to thank Ariel Dagastino for the PSA she made for Red, White, & True. You may use this link to view the video.

http://youtu.be/quR4-PBgk3Y

THEN COMES THE CRASH!

So here it is.  The book is finally available for downloading.  What is that like?

Relief is the first thing I feel.  This has been a long, long road.  My first draft was written in 2006. I received a multitude of rejection letters, trying to find the right publisher.  With each rejection came a new rewrite.  The story grew more and more interesting.    I can't recall how many times I wanted to give up, yet here I am.

Next there is a sense of satisfaction. People will meet my characters and live their lives for awhile. For a writer, it doesn't get better than that.

I must admit that there was a sense of pride.  I pull up my name on Amazon and there I am. Then there will be interviews, meet & greets, and public speaking engagements.  This book is my baby and I am a proud momma.

THEN COMES THE CRASH!

Right about the time I get to feeling really good about myself, I call a family member.

"Hey, guess what," I say. "The local news paper is running a story about me and the book release."

"Really," the person says. "I guess you're lucky that it's a slow news week."

And that, my friends, sums it all up.

A NEW SEASON--UPDATES

I know it has been a long time since I have posted here.  Sorry, again.  I am listed to work at 13 different school and the holidays kept me busy, but that is not what kept me from posting here.  It was all about the edits for A New Season.  Desert Breeze assigned me a very careful editor. 

The process of editing is painful.  It shakes the writer to the core.  The writer has created a world and the editor says, "Here is how we can make it more real."

Honestly, I didn't want to change a thing.  It was my baby.  Honestly, the process of editing the book makes it much better.

A New Season should be available in February.  I will give you more details very soon.

READING EVERYTHING

People frequently tell me that they have always wanted to be published.  They have a story to tell, but just haven't had the time to get around to writing it.

At one time, being a published writer was a very difficult task.  A person had to research a magazine and know how to slant the story for a specific publication.  To have a book published was even closer to impossible.  Many publishing companies had their stable of writers.  Others had formulas or specific kinds of books that they wished to risk their funds to publish.  A new guy--especially one without an agent--didn't have a chance.

Now things are changing.  POD companies, ebooks, and Amazon have drastically changed the market.  More independent companies and self-publishing companies have emerged.  More people are getting a chance to become a published author.  That can be both good and bad.

A writer should always strive to improve his craft.  Part of improving your skill as a writer is reading the works of others.  At one time I was an English major.  I read and studied the works of the great writers.  What I didn't realize was that I could also learn from those whose writing leave something to be desired.

You see, I have developed the hobby of downloading ebooks.  Some are very entertaining.  Others aren't so great.  Before deleting a book I really dislike, I try to analyze why the book doesn't work for me.  Then I ask myself if I tend to make the same mistake.  For example, last week I read a book where an important character was killed in chapter two.  The murder left me emotionless.  The author had not made me like--or dislike her.  She was not real to me.  Her death was no great loss.  Neither was the book when I deleted it.  I realized I must make my characters real, or my books will be deleted also.

Who knew I could learn from reading bad books.

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!

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.

A WRITER'S ROLLER COASTER

Well, I took the big step.

Yesterday, on MLK day, I sent off my manuscript to a publishing company. This is the 3rd time to send, Second Chances, to this editor. There were specific changes she wanted me to make before considering it for publication. I quickly realized the changes greatly improved the story.

Second Chances is about 5 years in the making. That is 5 years of writing, sending to publishers, rewriting, sending to other publishers, setting the story aside, then rewriting again. Most of that time I have been working at a "day job," too.

Now, I wait--and pray.