Gee, That’s A Lot Of Typing

I don’t talk to my friends a lot about my writing life.  When I have a new book coming out, they’ll ask what it’s about and some even read it and tell me they like the book. But in the year or so between books, the life of a mystery writer isn’t that exciting.

One of my close friends asked me about how the new book was going, not something I get asked all that often because I do a lot of other things like animal rescue and good cause volunteering and that’s more exciting to talk about.

I was prepared to rattle on about my progress on a new book set in the village where I live, but her interest was short-lived.  I told her I had about 75 pages so far.

“Gee, that’s a lot of typing.” Her comment stopped me short.

Well, yes, it is a lot of typing.  I didn’t say that I would rewrite, and revise those pages three or four times before I sent it off to my editor. Perhaps it’s even more. You don’t just type a book.

I guess the excitement of the writing life happens between your own ears. I love that moment when you type the first sentence that comes to mind just to move the plot along. Suddenly the psyche provides a twist on a familiar phrase that makes your heart sing.

However, the magic only occurs when your fingers are holding the pen or dancing on the keyboard. You can’t think a book down on paper. You have to type it.

The excitement, it seems, can’t be shared. 

What do you share about the daily business of your writing life?

 

http://www.amazon.com/ ebook/dp/B00I82BFVK/

Changing The Covers on My Books by Mar Preston

I liked the previous covers of my four books. But a smooth-talking Irishman, who presented as a social media expert at a conference I recently attended, persuaded me the covers looked amateur. I fell under his spell and found myself agreeing I needed to update them.

What do I know about covers? I read advice from the same marketing whizzes that you do probably. I know that it’s not an original idea to change a cover on a book that’s not selling well and promoting it as a new title.

I can’t claim that my earlier books are selling well. Don’t know about you.

So the Irishman connected me to a New York City cover designer and I browsed through his website. My previous cover designer is a hard-working, competent web developer and designer who has put up with me for years now and I feel a loyalty to him. However, the covers that I saw by the NYC designer dazzled me. His terms were affordable and I decided to give it a try with new covers.

On Behalf of the Family is a police procedural about an honor killing that takes place in glitzy Santa Monica. It’s long on characterization, short on car chases and explosions. My series detective is with the Santa Monica Police Department.

I am asking your opinion. Do you like the cover change?

So far the Buy Button hasn’t been clicking in huge numbers but I wouldn’t be a writer, would I,  if I weren’t hopelessly optimistic. 

What do you think?

                                      

Original Cover

                The Buy Button

             

                http://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B00I82BFVK 

 The New Cover 

                                             

Rogue Critique Sessions by Mar Preston

Here I am at the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego for the weekend. I ventured out of the hotel this evening looking for some dinner, using my GPS to drive to an unfamiliar location. Not only was it dark and scary, but then thick fog rolled in off the ocean. I crept along and finally found Souplantation when it began to rain.

I'm exaggerating only a little. People were dancing naked in the streets to welcome the rain. We're in the middle of a 500-year drought here in California, folks. It was a joyful end to the first day of the conference.

This is what is called a craft conference, the how to mechanics of writing well, publishing, and marketing your work. Janis Thomas wrote two books of women's fiction (and now they won't publish her murder mystery because it would be “brand confusion” for the reader). She was an entertaining evening speaker. There's more new writers here than old hacks like myself.

Now what happens next on the program is the “Rogue” sessions that take place far into the night. Writers distribute a few pages for critique. The secret hope is that every listener will say, “I love it. It's brilliant. I wouldn't change a word.” That doesn't happen in my experience. Some listeners will have incisive, helpful criticism. Others will say a few words about what they heard and then talk about their own work. Others will be vague and inarticulate, and maddening to listen to. We all learn something nonetheless, even if it's clearly what not to do.

 

When I was very new I distributed a sweet story that I was proud of for critique. This man screamed at me, "Where are the cocks and balls in this story?" Now what on earth do you say to that? I think I was so new that big tears came to my eyes and I blubbed like a baby.  

I'd love to include a photo of all the goings on at the conference. But I spilled coffee on my camera last week and jumped up to get the blue and red can of compressed air to blow the coffee away. Instead I grabbed the blue and yellow can of WD-40 and squirted it into the camera.

That managed to kill it pretty good and dead.
_________


You might like to see enthusiastic reviews for my new murder mystery: On Behalf of the Family

http://www.amazon.com/Behalf-Family-Detective-Mason-Mystery-ebook/product-reviews/B00I82BFVK/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1