Love it. Another amazing cover from Orca.
With Up North finished, and Shark out for edits, I am getting back to a book I have been working at on and off for about three years. Maybe four. It's been awhile. The book is tentatively called Superheroes and is not about anyone who can fly or shoot things from their wrists. I haven't been able to finish this book for a number of reasons. Time has been a factor. Other novels. I've been developing courses at Algonquin College. Life. The actual contents of the book which keeps on ripping my heart out. But with the amount of this book which is already done, I feel like I'm a step away from having something good to get in and re-write and edit.
So that will be next. Although there are ideas brewing for a goalie novel in the Orca sports series. My youngest is a goalie and they need love too. I know there are a lot of hockey books out there (at least in Canada), but few of these have a protagonist who's a goalie. One goalie for every 10 players in the NHL so, therefore, there should be one goalie novel for every ten hockey books.
It's time to even out the numbers.
September 30th,
I was just watching John Green's video about following up The Fault in Our Stars.
This struck some nerves.
He names at least 3 books he has started and abandoned. He goes into discussing all the other things he is doing and how much he enjoys all these things. The idea that he will never publish another book is kind of ridiculous, HOWEVER, I know where he's coming from. Whatever level of success you find in writing feels like you've won a Nobel. Because it is such a hard dream. All these people are making up stories, putting them on paper; what makes yours better? I've begun and abandoned a half dozen novels in the past couple of years. I now try and decide against actually working on an idea before I start writing. I have enough ideas that I actually try to see, from a publisher's point of view, how this book could be marketed, where it would sell, what kind of audience it might find....
My Anticosti novel, Henry & the German, which I feel is one of the best books I have written, has not found a home. I haven't really sent it out a lot, but so far it was rejected (nicely) by my publisher Orca (for very good reasons, luckily not based on the quality of the book). Then it was rejected again by another publisher (again, not based on the quality of the book, but rather the ability of anyone to sell it). Somehow this book about a kid abandoned on Anticosti Island in the middle of WWII cannot find a home. I'm not entirely certain what I'm going to do with it now. Luckily I believe it is a good book (I usually don't when these things happen), but I had no idea that it would be so difficult to sell an historical middle grade novel. I guess this might have something to do with researching the market before getting into writing a book. But Henry's story grabbed me and I had to write it which is what I have done for every one of my books. I have another idea that I would love to dig into, but am uncertain if it would work or not. It is historical, and it's about a few things that I'd have to do some serious research, and I just don't know if it'll be worth it. Luckily I have a lot of story ideas that I am dying to work on.... so.
I am stuck again with my present novel Superheroes. I think I can write my way out of it, but the central idea is elusive at the moment. I keep going one way and then another. Is it a love story? maybe. And if it is.... how do i pace it, &c. It's actually really annoying as I had a clear idea when I started the thing and now it seems to be all over the place. [On a side note, I am writing this book very differently. I have a much longer commute than I've ever had before, so I am dictating the book as I drive. It is very freeing as when I sit down to type out what I have said, it's like a second write. I can really get going as well, but the order seems to, sometimes, be all over the place and organization has never been my strong suit]. I really want this book completed. Which means I simply have to put my head down and write, get a first draft done, and see where I stand.
On the 'Hey, that's better news' front, High Note is out there and I love that that's a thing. THAT book turned out exactly how I wanted it to. Next up, in October, is A Dark Truth which, as well, turned out exactly as I wanted it to. My 2017 release is running along as well as I wait for edit to come back (This is the sequel to Coming Clean called Up North). Which gives me a bit of freedom in making certain Superheroes continues to be what I want it to be.
That's your end of the month update. Here's to hoping that the end of October will bring a 'HEY SUPERHEROES IS FINISHED' post...
That's it for now. Stay tuned for further updates!
August 24th,
Oh no, I've become one of those guys. The last time I posted here we were under three feet of snow. I've been noticing more hits on the website (because even though I don't update even close to often enough, I still want to know if anyone is visiting. It's kind of like a restaurant never throwing out a different menu and expecting new customers to arrive). So I feel all the things every blog abuser feels. Guilt, regret, procrastination...&c.
There are so many things I want to talk about, but I'll keep it brief.
1. High Note comes out September 13th. I really love this book. It does a whole lot of things I wanted it to do. The writing is where I wanted it to be. And I believe the messages in it are useful but don't over-ride the flow of the book. Plus, the cover. Man, that cover.
2. A Dark Truth comes out in October and I am equally happy with it as well. It's exactly the book I wanted to write.
3. I'm working on a number of projects although I took more of the summer off than expected. Sometimes life takes over and that's a good thing. I find when I am forced to take a few weeks off skateboarding I come back and manage to land things I couldn't before. It's about re-setting your mind. About letting your muscles forget what they have been doing and re-programming them. It's about letting go and letting yourself learn. I think the same might happen with writing. On that account -THINGS I'D LIKE TO FORGET ABOUT WRITING: Believing it's not going to work. Believing it sucks and will always suck. Believing I've dug too deep a hole and will never find my way out. Believing it's a story not worth telling.
4. When will Markus Zusack release The Bridge of Clay. I know this is a ridiculous question, and one he is not answering, but I think about what it is he's doing with that book constantly. I get distracted by new ideas every eight seconds or so, and Markus has been on this book for over 10 years. What is happening there? Is it perfectionism? I don't know. These are the kinds of things that keep writers up at night, though.
5. Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. That means I've spent 15 years married to my best friend. The woman who I dedicate all of my books to because without the security, love, and encouragement she's given me over the years, I doubt I'd be up to 10 novels now. And my life would be so much less than it is. If I have any advice for writers it's marry well if you're going to marry at all. Find someone who believes in you and hold onto them. Don't try their patience by bouncing ideas off them. Don't drive them insane with your 'what-if's' and don't expect them to care about the imaginary people in your head until they can read the final finished copy of your novel. But know they want you to succeed and love what you're doing. They also want you to bathe, not talk to the cats too much, and put on pants now and then.
6. I have a passion project (again? finally?) and it's taking all the time it needs to get done. It feels important so I don't want to rush it. Or rush it just enough.
7. I will write in here more often. (yeah, right)