September

Happy September to you all. I’ve noticed two more members have signed up to my blog now, which kind of makes me feel guilty for not updating more regularly. So before I update you on a few things I would just like to say a massive welcome to my blog and thank you for joining.
I’ve just got back from sunny Lindos in Rhodes, where I was basking in 47c heat. About 30 of us went out for a friends wedding and had a fantastic time. It was also the first time we had taken my little boy away and we were a bit worried about how he would be. As usual the little guy didn’t let us down and was as good as gold, loving the pool more than I could have hoped for.
Anyway, enough about my life, I guess you are all wondering what is happening with the writing. Well first things first, do you remember that short story that got accepted many month ago? You don’t? Well shame on you. Anyway, Route 246 by yours truly is now in the current issue of Deathheadgrin. Please check it out at: www.Deathheadgrin.com
I have been following the magazine closely and there are some great stories every month. Larry the editor is doing a great job and is really starting to increase his audience. As for my story, it might not be my strongest work but it will probably be my fondest. Not that I am selling myself short, it is just that I have really noticed an improvement in my writing since then (more on that later). It is about a guy who experiences a very uncomfortable situation in a very normal scenario and the struggle with his conscience whether to intervene.
I’ve also received very positive feedback on another short story I have written called, “Desire.” I will be making few changes to that one and then looking to get it published also.
Which then leaves me with the Ritual of the Stones. Last post I talked about being in limbo with the book. Things haven’t changed too much in terms of people critiquing the novel but they have changed in terms of my attitude towards it. I have my wife to thank for that, as she has really been pushing me to start sending it off.
I mentioned a couple of months ago, how during the editing of the novel I wrote a brand new chapter to add more dimension to a character. This chapter was easily the strongest chapter I had written and really stood out compared to the earlier ones. Now it has come to the point where I might look for representation from an agent, I have really scrutinised the start of the book (after all it is the first 3 chapters that are asked for normally).
Despite good feedback, I have decided that Chapter 2 is not up to scratch. Its only purpose is to set up Chapter 4 which is a really cool scene. However, isolated these two chapters do not add anything essential to the story and contradict the strength of one of the lead characters.
So with a heavy heart I have decided to cut them from the book completely and over the next week write a brand new chapter that achieves the same result but in a lot stronger fashion. This will not only make one of the lead characters more consistent, but will also give more background to another character who in hindsight was a bit cartoonish.
I thought this would be a really depressing thing to do, but I am really positive about it all. One of the things that deterred me from writing a book for many years was the knowledge that I am terrible at editing. Not the process, but actually motivating myself to do it. Over the last year though, I am latently pleased how much I have turned my attitude around towards this. After all it is essential if I want to be a writer.
Look for more frequent updates as I make these changes within strict self-imposed deadlines.

Mood: Positive