607 pages

607 pages. That's the first two volumes of my book. I look back on this blog and remember when I first mentioned that I had begun my work. And here I am, all this time later, and there are 607 pages done in my first draft. It's bittersweet, being a writer. So much of me went into those pages... so much emotion and story to tell that I am close to the words. A bit too close, I think. Because now that I am on the edge of posting it for the Kindle and the Nook within a few weeks, I am about to be exposed as a writer, for better or for worst. What if no one reads it? What if the words fall flat and it is revealed that I cannot write? Putting my work out there for the world to see is a dangerous thing to do. But I will do it anyway. I have to. If even one person I will never meet reads my book, finds the words have meaning to them, is moved or affected... then the labor will have been worth it. I ask for just one: just one reader that understands the words. Then, and only then, will I leave this world having done something of lasting value. Here is the title page as it stands today. And tomorrow I begin the last volume. Three books for the world to see... bittersweet.

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Pushed to the Point

Over the years, I have written many things. Some professionally, others for my own need to put thought on paper. I have always labeled myself as a 'writer' more than anything, but have yet to actually take the step into becoming a novelist. It has bothered me over the years, incessantly. One of the reasons has been that even though I have written professionally (e.g. HBO Original Movies scripts), to sit down and attempt a novel is daunting at best for most people, myself included. Where to begin? What to write about? How do you even start organizing ideas? And another thing: writing a TV script and creating a 300 page novel is very different. Yet the desire to do so has eaten at me for years. This past spring, the desire became so great, I started really researching how to accomplish my life's goal of becoming a published literary author. It burned so badly inside of me, I could ignore the call no more. That is when I found an amazing website that laid out a technique call 'The Snowflake' method. It changed everything. Through this method, I have finally begun. I am currently on Step 7 of the process, and it is exhilarating. I will describe my story more in the coming months, but basically it is autobiographical. Enough verbose floundering for now. Enjoy this picture I took of Jessica. I call it 'Counting Shells'.

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