How a writer knows they're a writer

Ever wonder how a story is conceived? That book you’re reading wasn’t made in a day.  But you knew that already. What you may not know are the processes involved in hammering out a plot, characters, settings and the unique voice each character must sustain, their relationships with one another and growth throughout the book. None of that comes easily unless you somehow manage to tap into the Ether and allow the characters to speak for themselves and the story to work itself out. I’ve done that. It often requires a heavy hand where the editing is concerned, but it can work.

What the reader never sees are the author’s long hours spent in isolation in order to build their books. The self-doubt, the aching neck and shoulders. The carpel tunnel, the tired eyes, the eureka moments in the middle of an airport jotting down an idea on your forearm or napkin before it slips away, forever.

There is angst in the processes. There is anxiety in over-thinking your book. There are moments when you feel manic over it’s impending success and despair when you realize you’re nobody, doing nothing of worth.  An author reads and rereads their book so many times they’ll know it by heart before an editor’s eyes fall on it. Then the process begins again, fixing all the things thirty rereads couldn’t capture. It’s a love hate relationship with a book that exceeds 80,000 words. But it is the love that keeps us coming back. The dharma – our life’s purpose. Whether read by millions or just a few, writing feeds an author’s soul. It’s non-negotiable. If we didn’t write we would shrivel up and die. There would be no purpose to life and so no reason to live.

A writer knows they’re an author when they’re writing. Background noise disappears, they are focused on their present moment: fingertips punching against the keys, a mind fixated on the story, character or scene they’re writing. There is no outside world. Time is lost. They exist in the book. In the character. In the scene. I’ve lost it on people who have broken my concentration in moments like these. To be pulled from the story as you write it is akin to being birthed into a cold, wet world, having your bottom slapped and you screaming to be put back into the warm, loving womb of your story. To come out of a writing coma like that is jarring.  When writing in a stream-of-consciousness style the effect is made all the worse as that stream may never be revisited once the author is pulled like a fish on a hook from it’s current.

How’s that for a few extreme analogies? You probably didn’t want to know all that detail, did you? Just know that author’s live between worlds: That which we share with you, and that of the evolving story running through scenes in our heads. When we can capture a scene, wherever we are, we need to expel it. Whether that scene is part of an ongoing writing project or fodder for another, it is with a sense of immediacy in which we feel we must jot it down.  Own that shit.

Anyways, that’s what it’s like to write a book. From my perspective.  How about you?

You've got to show gratitude as an Indy author. Video is key.

Thanking my editors and readers in my book's acknowledgements just wasn't enough so I thanked them with a video too! Video is a powerful tool for indy authors and a great way to market yourself and your book(s). Let your audience get to know you through personalized video presentations. It's so much fun!

All of my videos for my books and book trailers can be found on my Youtube playlist, including a few radio interviews I've done in the past.

www.mikepoeltl.com

Comparisons are Necessary in Order to Build Your Audience

It’s nice to get a review which offers comparisons to your book so those reading the review can get a clearer picture of your plot. i.e. “A great read for anyone who enjoys extensively built worlds, philosophical questions, and an ol' fashioned A.I uprising. Reminiscent of I-Robot and Do Androids Dream of Sheep, I really liked the core premise of the plot and the irony of the outcomes.”

If they’d read and enjoyed one of the books being compared to yours, then they know there is a good chance they will like your story.  That isn’t always the case of course, as not all reviewers draw comparisons. Sometimes your book marketing has to plant the seed itself in order for an audience to grow. This is especially true for Indy authors.

 I don’t think it too forward as an author of a certain genre, to offer comparisons in story, pace and setting to other books which share similar themes. You’re not claiming to be their equal, or to be as captivating a writer, you’re only suggesting that the works are similar in genre and story line.

Your back book cover will offer the synopsis, which should entice the potential reader to buy your book, but I wouldn’t draw any comparisons to other books there. I think comparisons need to be separate from the physical book and strategically placed within social media and other marketing outlets.

You know your book best, and as a writer of the genre you have likely read many books which take a similar stance on a certain theme like Artificial Intelligence and sentience. Even movies can be drawn as comparisons to your book if they share a theme. A.I. Insurrection could be compared to a film like Ex Machina, because of its ground-breaking artificial intelligence and the questions of its potential sentience.

All I’m saying is don’t shy away from drawing comparisons to your book if you think they’re similar to what your intended audience wants to read. Don’t say you’re as celebrated a writer as Dan Simmons just because you write complicated sci-fi - but if your book is about time-travelling monsters in a far-future setting, then Hyperion might be worth mentioning for it’s similarities in plot.

Be aggressive but be humble. As an Indy author you have to work a lot harder to get the word out.

Do you read all of the books your favourite author puts out?

What's the best part about discovering a new author whose work you loved? Discovering the back list of books they've written that you can sink you teeth into next!

We all have our favourite popular authors whose books we devour the moment they arrive at the book store or are ready for download onto our ebook devices. But do you ever allow yourself the opportunity to discover relevant authors who have not had the luck or luxury to have been traditionally published?

Often realized later in their careers, indie authors are responsible for some of the edgiest reading out there, and are changing the landscape of what a popular book looks like. But they are not offering up their first book as the game changer. No, chances are they have written several books before the one that finally got noticed, yet their previous works can often times be as good - if not better - than their breakout novel. It's worth a look when you discover that new author; to research their other works  and pick one up. You may be surprised!

Saturday, September 23rd - End times?

I'm borrowing this #Doomsday 'news' story  for one reason only - to shamelessly plug my Post-apocalyptic trilogy; The Judas Syndrome. 

      

I know you can appreciate that, because this blog will offer you an opportunity to read the books before this supposed end befalls us all.  All three books of the trilogy are available in kindle or paperback format and offer multiple thoughts on how to survive a devastating end with your friends, trapped in a house relatively far removed from the nuclear devastation which plunges the world into a new dark age.

Happy reading!

Trump in the Whitehouse and Indie Authors

So what's it mean to have tyrannical Trump in the Whitehouse for all of us indie authors trying to push our books north and south of the borders? Will he really follow through with his threats and break down NAFTA? Does that even matter to an indie author? Could it? What does Free Trade mean for an indie or self-published author? Let's lay it out. I'm Canadian, but I use Createspace to build out my books, print them, and it's where I order them from. Createspace is an American company. So what? How does Free Trade affect me? Am I going to pay more for shipping? No. At least I hope not! I ordered 25 books the other day and the shipping more then doubled the cost and then I had to pay the courier for the border BS. I'm rethinking the whole thing now. But what does Trump promising to stomp on NAFTA mean for me?

Is it all fear mongering? Surely that's how he won the election. But his fear mongering has divided the people of the United States. If you're going to use fear mongering; let's put everyone behind a single cause: the environment. This is something to fear. But now the self proclaimed climate change denier is going to ramp up manufacturing and fracking and drilling and just fuck the whole country up while putting a few dollars in the average American's pockets, and filling swimming pools with money for the elite. Not sure how I got onto this rant, but there it is. I hope I've answered the question. :)

www.mikepoeltl.com

Books are an adventure! Short Stories offer more!

Where will your book take you?  Novels are great, but a collection of short stories can put you in danger, insane, in love, the far future, the past, exotic locals, behind the eight ball and everywhere in between within minutes. A multi-genre collection like Waning Metaphorically does just that.

A short or flash fiction story is designed to take you out of your head and into someone else's for a brief, yet intense trip into their lives. The short story covers every genre and topic, only condensed for a trip that is perfect for your break or commute. There is little commitment necessary, as a short is usually completed in one sitting. So take it with you, on your Kindle or in paperback. The perfect accessory for virtually any situation. Waiting room at the Doctor's office? That's a short story! Bus ride from point A to B? There's a short story! Train into work? There's a short story for that! Camping? Relaxing while the baby is down? Need an hour to yourself at the pub? An afternoon while the kids are away? Short story, short story, short story... you get my meaning.

So don't say you have no time to read when your friends are telling you about another novel they can't put down. Pick up a collection of shorts. Show them your sophisticated side. Hey, short stories won the Nobel last year... look who's reading now!

Pick up your short story collection today!

Books on Your Commute Can Take You Further Than Your Stop

Every commuter has that one person they can’t stop staring at, or the reverse. Both are kind of creepy, so stop staring! Immerse yourself in a book. Even if the book is only going to act as cover for the staring. If that’s the case it might as well be an attractive book. One that might make others start noticing you, in a good way. A book immediately makes a person more interesting, you immediately have layers. Instant intellect. Perhaps in time, the object of your affection will return your looks with a renewed sense of interest and a happily ever after is suddenly possible.

Now, if you’re one being gawked at, a book is the perfect camouflage. At least, it can hide your face and thwart the efforts of the creepy guy eyeballing you from the next row. The less opportunity you give him to catch a glimpse, the more likely he’ll be to give up on you and move on to the next target.

Your commute can take you anywhere when you’re reading a book. Novels are great, but a collection of short stories are arguably the best choice for the commuter. Instant gratification. Whether you’re riding the bus or train for fifteen minutes or fifty, there is a short story for that!

Michael Poeltl has recently entered the world of the short story with his June release of Waning Metaphorically. This is a collection of fourteen stories. Some are twenty-five pages while one is just a paragraph. Hemmingway once wrote a short story in six words and claimed it was his masterpiece. “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” It takes you on an emotional ride and tells a much larger story of anticipation, loss and suffering as well as rebounding. In a short story you don’t have the space to fill in all the details, and when done well, you shouldn’t have to.

Poeltl’s new collection of multi-genre shorts was given an appealing cover design meant to resemble a sandwich board, listing each of the fourteen stories in chalkboard style fonts. Waning Metaphorically is available now in both paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.

For more on the author and the book visit http://www.mikepoeltl.com/Waning_Metaphorically.html

MichaelPoeltl has released a new collection of short stories and is the author of four novels, one children's novella, a collection of short stories and two educational children and young reader’s books.