JD and Me: Bad Ideas and Poor Judgment

Writing is hard. It’s like digging a splinter out of your soul. Me, Boo and the Goob was a great success when I released it several years ago. It took a long time to write because three chapters from the end, I encountered writers block. I was stuck for about three years. Finally a friend, read my draft, and asked me a simple question that broke my block. He said, “So, asshole, how does it end?” I don’t know why, but in that instant, I knew how it ended. Those of you who have read it need to know that the ‘story’ of the last chapter came to me over the course of about 30 seconds right after my friend asked me that question. Crazy, no?

So, here we are. I’m three months into a good run at the sequel. Actually, I finished the initial draft today. It is currently twelve chapters, but may grow by one, or diminish by one. The working title has changed because the story took off in a direction I had not anticipated. The working title for now is JD and Me: Bad Ideas and Poor Judgement. All of your favorite characters (Boo, the Goob, Sweet Pea) make return appearances and a lot of new ones show up. The boys are in high school. For those of you who attended Jonesboro High from 1973-1975, you may know the basis some of the stories.

So now the real work begins. Rewrites are where books are born. Anyone can write a book, but it takes a stubborn SOB to do the rewrites. In the first book, there were 36 major versions, each with up to 8 minor versions. You write, rewrite, throw it out, drink a half a bottle of bourbon, take a nap, write some more. It’s a tortured process, but it’s the only way to find the book that you are trying to write.

There is a special place in heaven for beta readers and editors. When you have written something, when you go back to read it, you read what you were thinking when you wrote it as opposed to reading what you wrote when you thought it. I know what you are thinking. Don’t say it. I know that Mrs. Aston and Mrs. Seaton both would have my ass if I turned in a sentence like that in high school. Without them and other teachers like them, we would have no writers. I can’t send my work to Mrs. Aston and Mrs. Seaton anymore, but I do have beta readers who I deeply appreciate. I dearly need a good editor.

I’m going to explore using a traditional publisher this time. I don’t know how that will go, but your chances for success are greatly enhanced by using a real publishing house. If I end up doing it myself again, I’m not offering the book for free for a week on Amazon like I did last time. A ‘reputable’ guide suggested I give it away for a week. I had 2500 downloads in the first week.

I am thinking about doing an audio of a piece of the first chapter. It’s a really strong chapter and I think a partial reading will be enough for folks to tell if they want to read the book. So, what do you think? Is that a good idea or not?

Before I go, I want to thank everyone who reads my blogs, comments on them or sends me email. I value your comments and I just want to add, for those of you who have made one particularly hurtful suggestion, that I do not actually have a ‘day job’.