Book #2 Update

Tony Green is set to return in book number two!  Working on it now and have about thirty chapters completed.  Well, the first draft of thirty chapters is completed.  A lot of polishing, editing, more polishing, tweaks, etc., etc. are yet to come before a final manuscript is ready for publishing. 

It is a process to write a novel like this.  “Hunted,” took about sixteen months from start to finish.  That is a rough guess.  But it certainly does take a long time to do this.  Why?  Well, it is detail oriented and creative of course.  But also, I am very busy with our business, family, other projects, etc., etc.  So, navigating and juggling all of that and making progress on a book is the biggest challenge. 

I had previously announced that I was working on the book via a short video on social media.  Screenshot and links below.

Here is an Instagram link to that short video from our vineyard in W. Va., if you are interested:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRQCA2WCQEB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==          

Or on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1G71NzQLjU/

A Few Things I Learned When Writing Book One!

Even though the “Hunted” greatly exceeded my expectations, that doesn’t mean I knew a lot about writing a novel when I started!  Nope, for sure I didn’t and I did a lot of winging it and learning as I go. Here are a few things I picked up along the way!

1. No matter how long you think it will take, it will take longer!  Not to belabor the point, but a novel like “Hunted” is a journey, not a sprint.  My initial draft was 135,000 words!   Yep, I am a bit wordy.  But my editor (and I) cut almost 20,000 words for the final version.
2. My best ideas didn’t occur when sitting at the keyboard!  Nope, rather when lifting weights, walking, when my wife was talking and I had zoned out (ok, that last one is a joke!), etc.  I started making notes on my phone or sending an email to myself with a bullet point to make sure the idea was there for me when I got back to the keyboard!
3. Plotter or a Pantser.  A writing term that describes some authors who plot the book all out as a “Plotter” before they begin….and the “Pantser,” who flies by the seat of their pants and just starts writing.  On Hunted, I was way more of a “Pantser.”   Although I had the bones of the plot fully in my head before beginning the book.  I knew how it started, ended and a lot of the in between.  But I did not fully plot it out with an outline.
4. Pacing and tension.  My editor helped me a lot with this and I have learned a lot.   I wrote lengthy scenes that ended up being much more readable after they were split into shorter chapters with another character scene spliced in there.    
5. Don’t worry about it being perfect!  I am actually pretty good at this, but it certainly was reinforced when writing Hunted.  Move the story forward, keep progressing and worry about editing and polishing later!  Also, write when you can!  Too many life interruptions.  If you don’t show strong commitment, you will never complete a novel! 

As I am now writing my second novel, I am implementing a few changes to the process based upon what I have learned.  Or at least what I think I have learned!   I am in the middle ground between being a Plotter and a Pantser.  Once again, I knew before I started the beginning, the end and  a lot of the plot.  But I did not do an outline even though I do have notes that support future chapters.  Also, I have added a spreadsheet with a summary sentence and word count of each chapter.  I am finding that helpful (as will my editor) as I move through a complex plot with many moving parts, multiple points of view and several character narratives.  Hopefully this will end up being a compelling story!  When the dust settles, we will see!  I hope you will follow along!