The Mind of a Writer...

On top of my dresser in my bedroom sits a ceramic dish in the form of an upturned baseball glove.

It holds any manner of small items like keys, a couple of  plastic things (I have no idea what they're for, I think the yellow one is the firing pin safety plug for one of my guns....I think....) and other stuff.                                                    

     Occasionally I go through drawers, closets, file cabinets, and the lost world under my bed - looking to clean up(which usually means moving it somewhere else in the house) clutter and possibly locate things I forgot I had, which I almost always find. Why dear God why, do I have a 16 pound sledge hammer under my bed? Well, It must be there in case I need to pound my way out of the rubble.....ya never know.....

I didn't realize till the other night that I have 12 pairs of brand new, never worn, shoes, boots and athletic footwear in one end of my closet, as well as numerous shirts (15 - 20), and pricey sweaters which I'll probably never wear unless I strike it rich and buy a 100' sailboat. The expensive tan suede cowboy boots are a must for anyone who plans on maybe owning another horse someday.Which I do.

It could happen.........

At this point in my writing career I should be used to thinking like one, a writer that is.... It's a totally resident and highly invasive thought process for me now. 

In rummaging through the items in the ceramic glove on my dresser I found 2 or 3 old, really old keys and my reaction was - of course - that of a writer.

Now, any normal person would grab the items in said dish, on one's dresser, and ask another normal person, if available, such as a wife, or elderly relative(who knows more than she's telling) if they knew what these items might go to, what they are for or if they maybe recognize them, right?  But -  if you're a writer, an action adventure thriller mass market commerical fiction author, which I am thankyouverymuch, then the imagination goes wild with possibilities. It will ignore or in fact zoom right past a typical and or borderline rational thought process. (It's a gift.....the doctor says....)
After getting past a tidal wave of fear that I was suffering from early dimentia because I could recall no memory of what the keys opened or went to, my buzzing writers mind began to explore possible answers.

One of the keys looked a lot like the key to a safe deposit box and in fact probably is (I DON'T have a safe deposit box, so, right off the bat the plot thickens) but I imagined I did and had the clarity to structure it in a mental outline, that it did in fact belong to a safe deposit box in a bank  in another state or foreign country far away. And, that in said box were old black and white snapshots of people who looked like me, papers that a long lost relative left for me to find, and still more keys which were to an abandoned villa in the french alps that was waiting for me to arrive and discover who murdered my long lost relative, the patriarch of my bloodline and said villa, that also had a really big heated swimming pool with jacuzzi. Maybe they were my real mother or father and knew I would one day find the truth about who I really am, and my destiny as rightful heir and rebel leader of an oppressed people long held under the death grip of an evil dictator of this country. I needed to find that box, get into it, take the stacks of money, papers, maps (if any), cool Rolex diving watch, and begin a perilous journey into the unknown. I would need to locate and buy a weapon and bullets when I arrived, the cash would come in handy.

I casually wondered if there might be any good bbq joints in any of the quaint yet sinister surrounding villages.

But why an odd amount of $87,000 dollars, American? What if someone was watching for the arrival of a "deliverer"(which would be me or a mysterious interloper of dubious origin yet to be named) and had a plot in place to murder them too?

I might need a team of mercenaries which also means I would have to charter a private jet or yacht (aha! I knew the meaning of the pricey sweaters and boat shoes would make sense sooner or later!) to make a stealth entry through a friendly bordering country, one that would, for a price and through a contact named Calderone, be willing to supply us with weapons, night vision goggles and a helicopter, a fast one.

Hold on, $87,000 dollars wasn't looking like so much money all of a sudden. I needed to examine the old papers in that box to see if they held the clues to how or where I might find the funding my ancestor surely knew I would need.

Yes, BINGO, we have a winner! An account statement from this same bank, upon which I was named and had access to, held almost 3 million dollars. Ok, we're in business, I was good to go.

How stupid I was to have walked past this key sitting on my dresser all this time.

Maybe fate played a hand, not letting me come upon the truth until I was capable and had a willing heart. Interesting.....

Perhaps this was why I had unknowingly bought and stored clothes I would need for this perilous journey. The sledge hammer made sense now too.....sort of..

It all seemed to fit together somehow.

But who could I now trust? The answer - NO ONE!  Not even my dog, who seems to be eyeing me suspiciously lately.

As soon as "Wheel of Fortune" was over I would probe Granny for information on family history since any and all she could tell me might, just might, keep me and my team alive. 

It might require her potty chair, duct tape and an overhead hot lamp.We'll see if she cracks.

Trust no one, tell no one. Check. Passport. Check. Box of Twinkies. Check.

My thoughts are interrupted by stealthy, slow footsteps echoing down the long, cold tile hallway. An assasin? Maybe. Or, it could be my sexy seductress wife wondering if I was ready to go out for BBQ. I deftly slip the key into my pocket, or maybe I should place it back in the glove so no one would know I now knew, and of my pending mission.
I decide the key stays with me from now on, let the chips fall where they may. I imagine I hear the "Mission Impossible" theme song playing......                                                                                                                                                                                                  
     I think after dinner I'll take my significant other, who could be a planted agent, to the "SpyShop" to see if it rattles her calm exterior, and to get some cool stuff.

In the meantime I must collect my thoughts and potential best-seller ideas and commit them to paper, or a program in my computer. I pledge to myself to continue to monitor my surroundings at all times for good story ideas and at all costs to develop them.

The mind of a writer.

Some would say that were it not for the minds of  writers humanity might still be chasing food with clubs. I personally think we'd all be dead if it wasn't for Ian Fleming. 

Still - others might say - Thank God for patient editors, agents, artist communities, booze and pro-zac(as opposed to amateur-zac....).

Whatever your thoughts may be, I, for one, am blessed and pleased to have the mind of a writer.

Keep writing writers! 

...you know where to find me....

                                           LUVU

Self Publishing?

Looking over a few posts this morning from indie success stories like Joe Konrath and a few others - I have some thoughts. When Penguin came out with a self pub option on their critique site "Book Country" the other day the entire publishing world sat up and took notice. A major, one of the "Big Six", offering self publishing? You heard me right. Controversy immediately erupted as scrutiny of what you get for the $500+ fee proved it to be not-so-good-of-a-deal - according to some. I however have found that $549 isn't that high at all but you still need to do your own editing and cover and formatting too I think. (AND that's a grind and pain I think some techie needs to address and standardize). Also, many might think they're chances of getting noticed by the people behind this, from Penguin, might be a possibility since they own the site and you gotta think they're looking for talent, right?. After all they have the top echelon editors and publishing heavy hitters over there. Or maybe they're, Penguin, just jumping on the cash flow bandwagon and if they are maybe more major houses will do the same and elevate the self pub industry for us all. As for me, I don't see how their influence can hurt, in that, it's a very competitive marketplace, self publishing is and it was bound to go mainstream because of the success of some authors doing it. I can't say for sure but I can say this: Many authors who have been passed over and others who might have been accepted by a major house, that is to say - their books, both types are taking the indie route. I've heard of a few bestselling authors going indie (Barry Eisler) and of course as I mentioned, vice versa. There are success stories on either side of the fence and I know this for a fact since I have have several major author friends in both worlds and ALL agree on one thing: Good writing will find it's way to the readers out there. Period.
I do reviews of books too, mostly on Goodreads, although I've tapered my activity lately since I working full bore on my own novel, but, along with many other reviewers I was seeing many indie efforts, some good, some not-so-good. Many fear, including myself, that the indie revolution will have a lot of writers thinking they are authors ready for the big stage, when they're not, and this includes me as well. It's easy to think just because you can push a book out there that that makes one an author. But it doesn't.
Listen, I never tell anyone NOT to try, I haven't yet, but let's face it many of us have a ways to go before our work and sales will make headlines, and, clever marketing will only get you so far. Though, again, I've seen mediocre writers with pro level marketing skills sell lots of books too, so.....AND, I can totally see Joe and Amanda's perspective. They have opted for the marketing power of a major house and honestly: I would too. Both, good writers with superior marketing knowledge, at the least, and what they know preceded many in the industry of indie authors AND, with a decent back-list, well, we see what can happen..
It's inspiring and at the same time confusing, at least at first glance. Amanda made a good point back when she signed her pub deal, a major deal, last year. And though many were put off by her "defection" from the self pub ranks, me, I was cheering her on, knowing that underneath this breakthrough was hope for ALL indie authors both to remain indie or sign a deal. In either case both her and Joe broke new ground.
From a traditional publisher point of view I can understand their concern with the whole indie thing however as I reflect of the situation I'm thinking that maybe they wouldn't accept any more authors into their ranks then they ever did, indie stampede or not. The ones they did, and will, well, I'm pretty sure it was a matter of sales not so much a matter of love for their work.
The real revolution in my view isn't indie authors but eBooks and the publishers are jumping all over it, though, I think they were very slow on the draw. This was something that surprised me, how few major's saw the eBook thing coming and moreover, how slow they were to pick up on it. The fact of the matter boys and girls is that eBooks will be the biggest sales portion of the market in terms of books, soon. Now, does that mean a year or two or three? I don't know but the trend is there and all it really means to you as a author is that you damn well better make sure your book is formatted for the eReaders out there and you better learn the ropes of uploading it to the big sales sites in internet land.
Print? Yes, sure, why not. Just do your homework on that one, there's a lot of predatory companies out there. I say go with Create Space from Amazon and bag ALL the vanity presses.
As in any expanding wild west frontier, I'm seeing new companies spring up by the dozen, every day. From formatting, editing, and book promotion to just about everything, including some who will do the writing for you....and, like anything else you need to do your homework, read the latest in indie news AND major publishing news. Yes, BOTH. And, plug into the better writer blogs and book reviewers  and keep your critical consumer nose into the wind. Stash a little money for a book promo co. that has a lot going on and look for a great graphic artist for your cover. Stuff like that.
If you plan to self publish then you better learn how to network, study trends, discern BS from the real deal, plan on being VERY active in social media and integrate ALL of this stuff into your program, EVERY DAY.
Oh yeah....and write too....and find a good editor.....and a beta and critique group....or marry someone highly placed in the publishing world. I'm just saying, the indie thing is a lot to bite off and don't ever forget to become the best possible writer first, then become a marketer and social media guru second, or third, or whatever.....
Don't be confused by it all, and don't be overwhelmed by ANY of it. At the end of the day it's about getting a good story, YOUR story, into the hands of someone who will love it enough and tell others and buy your next few books too. The brave new world of publishing is simply a world of more opportunites.
My guess is that once the public adjusts to the market shifts, they will be just as discerning with their dollars and their time as they are in other areas of purchase.
Also, it looks like there's a lot more going on out there than there actually is. Technology is moving quickly and even with tech stuff it's ALWAYS about the money. People will still spend on entertainment (and that's what it is darling....) even in a bad economy. Less, yes. Maybe. I also believe that was and is a big help to the eBook market, since eBooks are generally cheaper. Hard cover sales would have dropped even without eBooks. No one wants to spend $30 on a book, in a tight economy, when it will come out in PPBK (80% of the market) soon and even though the publishers are all crying they are also grateful for the eBook thing too, it's saving their asses. And it's offering unknown writers out there a chance to get their work in front of people that would never have had the opportunity.
Me? I'm working very hard on mastering the art and craft of writing. I live it, eat it, drink it, sleep it and think about it every waking second of the day. I know a little about life in the online fast-lane and hopefully it will help me get my work in front of the right people both on the industry side and the reader side - those who I hope will love my characters. When I'm ready, that is.
The better I become as a writer the better my voice as an author is. Fact.
The rest of it? Man, I have no idea but like I said: Get yourself in the mix and keep your nose in the wind. Don't say NO to anything until you figure out if you need, or will need, to know it and use it.


I grew up an avid reader, mostly thriller, high action stuff and I am still a huge fan of this genre. I'm also a writer in this genre. My love for the classics, what I grew up reading too, sustained me when life was bleakest, in my darkest days. Great writers were the deepest and most intense source of wisdom and inspiration for me in those days and now as a writer I understand what they must have gone through to become the caliber of author they were and it humbles me to my knees. To ever be counted among them is a dream that lives beyond a thousand hills, but a journey to a home I've never been to is one I have undertaken nonetheless.
For me, to me, eBooks, indie this, traditional that, whatever, all of it, is just tinsel on a great and mighty tree I hope to one day be.
Love, passion, depth and integrity of character, fearless sincerity,clarity and pure motive are my aspirations and my inspiration. They will always rule and reign in my heart first and foremost and motivate my struggle to learn how to translate these profound elements of life to the written word.
How about you?

....you know where to find me...


                 LUVU

On a more positive note....

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm working behind the scenes on my book, "To Hunt The Hunter" an action thriller with a techno twist. If you're a writer then you know how engrossing writing a book can be. I hang out on Twitter and FB occasionally, though even there my time has been less than what it normally is. I check in on my accounts in both places and the links to follow me are in the sidebar to the right of this post. I'll be blogging further about Victoria Mixon's book on writing, (the blog review is below this post). Victoria is, among other things, a thirty year veteran of the publishing industry and a highly respected editor. And, I will also be commenting on my progress as I complete the 1st draft of my book and begin the revision and editing process. Self publishing? I have a lot to say about that too so stay tuned because I'm not sure which route I will take yet, a lot depends on the reviews. See you soon, D

Victoria Mixon : editor, author.

The Art & Craft of Story: 2nd Practitioner's Manual by Victoria Mixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a great day Goodreads fans!
Why? Because I just got a copy of The Art & Craft of Story: 2nd Practitioner's Manual by Editor, writer and publishing industry Blogger - Victoria Mixon.
It is my view, maybe you agree, that writers never really stop learning and growing and should read credible books on the craft by credible authors. Victoria, and this just isn't my opinion(read the reviews on this book), more than qualifies in the "all-of-the-above" category.
Plus, I highly recommend following VM's truly awesome site and check out the top notch interviews and guest blogs by notable authors and others in the publishing industry. I've been following her for some time and I hope you will too. From what I've seen in my flip through the book so far, this isn't just another book on writing, it's a legitimate handbook for the author, the SERIOUS author.
That's why, here, I'm posting this even though I've read numerous "how-to" writing books and never done a review, until now.
Stay tuned writers and writing fans, more on this book soon!


View all my reviews

Update from my little world...

Hi ALL,
 Just wanted to let you know what I'm up to lately, it's been awhile since my last post. I'm 76K or so into my novel and approaching the climax scenes and tying in all the subplots to it. Scene work is intensive when it's life and death action involving characters, both good and bad as the author tries to keep it from being a "dud" type conclusion and having NOT forgotten any of the aspects that readers will want to know "So, what happened to?"
And, not that I'm looking past my work here but I'm VERY mindful of the fact that I need a line-editor as the next step, then a good editor with exp. in thriller novels for structure and all the good stuff. Editing for writers is a major step, and for me a step that looks like Mount Everest at the moment. Why? Because it's expensive to get a good editor, both kinds and I'm a little short on cash right now. I know, also, that the majority of writers are too. This is one issue I hope to solve in the next few weeks.
I'm working on the tracks to a song I hope to release soon today. Several versions with different effects and vocal lines are needing to be distilled down to one track we can launch. I think you'll like this tune no matter wha type music you prefer because it's a universal dance tune with a theme and beat the whole world knows. In case you're wondering: Yes. I do have music biz exp. and have had a few tunes make it to country radio in the past. This song is not country but mainstream pop/dance and I believe the world will love it.
 Anyway, that's it for today, I hope to see you on Twitter or FB soon!

...you know where to find me....


LUVU