Arlo and Jake Book 2 is out!!!

Yep, the 'series' actually has two, count 'em, TWO books now! 'Arlo and Jake Galactic Boot Camp' has been released on Amazon! Here's a convenient link: http://amzn.to/1aqKu3I I've published on Barnes and Noble but it's still in 'processing'.

You can read my previous posts on how hard this book was to write and get out the door. Trying to get better with each book takes more time. Go figure! ;-)

I'm really pleased with book two; more characters to mess with, more bad guys to foil, more chances for Jake to put his foot in his mouth.

I hope you enjoy this installment. Now, on to book three!

The adventure continues! 'Arlo and Jake: Galactic Boot Camp'.

It's almost here.... yes!

After a bazillion rewrites, corrections, agonizing over how much to say or how much not to say in this paragraph or that sentence; it's done!

I've uploaded the manuscript and started the publishing process. All I have left is the cover and that will be done this week! Whoo Hooo!

It took months longer than I thought it would. Good grief, how could I have underestimated so badly? See if you can learn from my mistakes:
1. Enthusiasm. I really enjoyed writing this book, it made me feel like I could do anything. I can't. I can do what I can do, I'm not Superman. Nuts.
2. Rigidity. At first I stuck to the outline I created. That was OK up to a point, but it kept me from trying alternatives, new characters, new paths. Once I tossed the idea of using the outline verbatim I had fun again.
3. Professional pride. I just had to make this book better than the last one. I spent way too much time trying to be someone I'm not yet; a professional writer. This book is a step above book one. That's enough. I'll take what I learned here and the next one will be better still.
4. Life. Full time job. Family responsibilities. Friends who want to play cards. Yard work. Car repairs. A whole day on the porch just snoozing. Ahh. Life is more than writing. Sorry you had to hear that but for me, it's true. Life is for living. Writing makes life more meaningful but it's not all there is.

So. Get the cover done. Finish the publishing steps for Nook, Kindle and on Createspace for the paperback copy.

Remember to have fun. I'm going to try.

Just to be clear... NEVER GIVE UP!

I've had several conversations, over twitter, this blog and face-to-face (remember when we did everything in person? ;-) about how frustrating and hard writing can be. How the urge to just give it up grows stronger and stronger every day that you don't get a sale. Or maybe it's sitting down to face a rewrite you really don't want to do but you know you must. Arrrggghhh, why can't it just flow like water from my imagination! Why aren't people buying my book?

The biggest obstacle you must get past is the urge to quit. The wall. The dark pit of 'one more edit'. The fifth rewrite of that stupid scene that just won't gel.

You cannot stop. You cannot quit. The wall can be climbed, the pit hurdled. You know you can, because you've done it before. A couple of times or a thousand times; it doesn't matter. You've done it before and your story is much better because of your effort.

Everyone has ideas on how to push past writers' block or the urge to give up. Sure, go ahead and search for some ideas online. Talk to authors and writing groups. Lots of good ideas out there.

The simplest one is: You Cannot Quit.

It's like these concepts:
You cannot stop breathing. (Please don't try this at home ;-)
You cannot go 100 hours without sleep.
You cannot jump 100 feet into the air.
You cannot grow wings and fly. (Except in dreams, of course.)

You cannot ...well, you get the idea. There are things that you truly cannot do. But giving up on your story is not one of those things.

The personal reward for finishing a good story is worth it. You know it is. You are rewarded for a story well done. I'm rewarded if I get to read your story. The world is rewarded because an author has made his imagination available to us all.

Don't quit.