A New Book?

Am I ready to write a new book?

No...I'm not. That's it...that's the post. Actually, it's not, but I kind of wish it was. I also wish writing a book was as neat and hip as the picture represents...it's definitely not like that at all. My desk looks like a toddler lives on it.

Anyway, I thought it was time to blow the dust off this blog like Gandalf does to the old book in the middle of the orc infested mine of Moria in the first Lord of the Rings... Well...it only took me 263 characters before my first Lord of the Rings reference...not bad, and I apologize if you're not familiar...but if you're not...really?? Anyway, if you've strained your eyes long enough to keep reading this, you probably want me to get to the damn point. Why dust this forgotten blog off now? Good question invisible reader, the answer is...well...as a writer, I need to keep myself accountable. You see, I've started a new novel, and even though I've started and published a few in the past year, those were different. Those were written under a different name for a different writer who hired me. I'm not saying I'm not proud of those or anything like that...it's quite the opposite. I put as much sweat, anxiety, and gnashing of teeth into those projects as if they were my own books. But, it still felt different...something was off. It wasn't mine. Such a human thing to say, isn't it? Or maybe it's just a cliche...you know...my book, my painting, and my ice cream. Mine...mine...mine... yet we all like to share our "mys" whatever they are to the world, hold our breath, and hope we aren't killed on the spot for our opinions. Anyway, my hiatus from my personal writing is a longer story than this post calls for, but maybe I'll get into that in later posts. As I said, I mainly want to use this thing to keep track of my progress on this new project that I'm pretty excited about (no details for you yet). Plus, I figure if anyone is wanting to write their own book and is interested in the whole process, then maybe this dusty ole blog can give them some value too. If not, I will continue to talk to myself like most writers are used to doing anyway. I guess that brings me to my first point...if you're writing a book or when you're trying to do anything, you need deadlines. When you suddenly don't have an editor or boss breathing down your neck, like I did, then you definitely need deadlines, or else you won't write a damn thing or get anything done. So to help me with that, I have enlisted my wife to yell at me, and I've started a weekly planner dedicated to keeping track of some dates I've set for myself. For example, and for accountability purposes, I need to have my outline done by next Friday. Shit...I just committed...I'm already getting the shakes. But I guess that can lead to a current update on this new project of mine...it's been in the outline phase since yesterday. In fact, I think that's what I'll write about next once I finish it (by next Friday). But I'll touch on it a bit here. As dull as outlining can be, it's the first debate a writer has when creating a novel. To outline or not to outline? In all reality, outlining is hit or miss...but we do have two interesting categories for outliners. We have the "pantsers" who like to fly by the seat of their pants and avoid an outline at all costs, and we have what I like to call the "stage five clingers." The clingers stick to the outline as if it were an IV attached to their veins, and if they detached, their arms would fall off. So two very dramatic camps to choose from...before I was a ghostwriter, I was mainly a pantser, but then I shifted into the clinger category, but now, I'm in the middle where we all belong... it's nice and cozy...I promise. Back to the focus on this first post. Am I ready for this new project and all the trials it will most surely bring my way? I'm gonna stick with my answer way at the top. No, I'm not. But I'm excited to write this thing brewing in my head, and I'm also pumped to share this process too.

I hope you come along and ask any questions you may have on the way.