Storytellersunplugged

Storytellers Unplugged

Well, it’s damned near the end of the year again. Weird how much faster the days blur by when you’re staying busy, isn’t it? In the last year, I’ve lost a job I had for over eight years, gone on unemployment for the first time in my life and gotten another new job after a couple of months of filling out applications and pounding a lot of pavement. I’ve dealt with a few medical crises with my family members, and managed to keep most of my mind intact.

In other words, I’ve lived. Same as everyone else, right?

I had some serious goals for myself this time around. I wanted to write four novels by the end of the year, and sell all four. (We won’t discuss the whole “lose weight” and “quit smoking” resolutions, the results of which were embarrasing.) Instead, I wrote two novels, scrapped a novel at 30,000 words, and wrote three short stories, started two more novels (both are works in progress and one is a collaboration) and edited an anthology. I had one novella, one short story and one novel come out in print. I sold two novels, three short stories, and two more novellas.

Currently, I have a short story collection, three short stories, one new novel and one reprint novel all slated for publication next year. I also have two more novels being considered by various publishers and another novella to boot. Weird thing about that. I never thought of myself as a novella writer.

So, what are my goals for next year? Well, I want to sell four novels, and write four novels. I don’t know if I’ll reach that goal, but it’s worth a shot.

Here’s the thing: I almost never actually reach my goals. I set them higher than I should, because I like having the pressure of a few deadlines (self imposed or not) to keep me going for those times when looking at the computer is almost painful.

I didn’t put the statistics above down for bragging rights, though I am rather pleased with myself, truth be told. I put them down to make a point. I can’t sell a novel until it’s written, at least as a proper proposal, and I know myself well enough to know that if I don’t come up with a few serious goals and deadlines for myself, I won’t even manage the damned proposals.

I love writing. Don’t misunderstand me on that part. Again, I’d write every day even if I never sold another story. It soothes me. It gives me pleasure.

It also frustrates the hell out of me, because I tend to want to work on a dozen different stories at once, and I can’t allow myself that luxury. If I did, I’d never finish Novel A, because Novel B would keep distracting me. I would surely never get around to that short story I was thinking about, because the novella would be calling to me to write it.

That’s part of setting my goals, you see. I can’t allow myself to work on the second novel until I’ve finished the first draft of the first book. I can’t get to that short story until I have a good breaking point from the bigger projects.

And then, of course, there are the edits and rewrites. We’ve already discussed those, so I won’t bore you with the details, except to say I could spend years looking over each book to make sure it was just so and through the course of those years, I would find a thousand niggling little changes that I wanted to make.

I sincerely doubt I’m alone in that belief. I think most writers suffer from that dilemma to one extent or another.

It drives me crazy sometimes, but that’s the way I work.

And yes, it’s work. As much as I love to write, there are plenty of days where the idea of sitting down and telling tales seems less appealing than a good night’s sleep or even curling up with a good book and a new pack of cigarettes. Relaxing does not get the job done. No matter what else my day brings, I still set aside at least a few hours a day for the sole purpose of writing and handling the business of writing. Some times that business part means signing 1,000 signature sheets and sometimes it means composing and sending a dozen letters. As often as not, correspondence is the key to getting anything at all done. Sometimes I get to look over a contract from a publisher, and other times I get to balance the check book to see if I can justify hitting a convention or two. Once a month, I get to write an article for Storyteller’s Unplugged, and I get to hope that a) it will be noticed and b) it will prove useful to a few writers or would be writers who are looking for an occasional pearl of wisdom.

So, what’s the moral of this little rant?

Simply this: After sixteen or seventeen years of writing, I still write every day. It’s how you get published. I can’t afford to let the bad run at the day job, the hunt for a day job or the desire to watch a few movies in my DVD collection get in the way of the writing. It’s an every day thing, and it has to be an every day thing, just like opening a restaurant requires extra time, or taking acting classes if you’re an actor.

So, I’m trying it again: Four novels written and four novels sold by the end of 2007. That’s my New Year’s resolution this time around. I don’t know if I’ll make that goal, but I know I’m going to be trying very hard to get it right this time around.

A little less sleep. A little less free time. In the long run, I figure it balances out pretty well.

Have wonderful holidays, folks! Enjoy time with your family and loved ones. Drink a cup of cheer on New Year’s eve, and set your resolutions for the coming year.

You’ve heard mine. I wish you the very best luck at achieving yours.

All the best,
James A. Moore