E-Book Rewrite Update
I am now well into the research process for my e-book. I’ve entered all the text into a plain text editor. For focus, I used CreaWriter to keep my attention on the writing with a full-screen image. If you haven’t tried this, give it a go. It really does help. CreaWriter is free, so you have nothing to lose.
The book I am working on is a travel book that we originally self-published. As I go into this phase, I have to admit being a bit intrepid. With the economy the way it is, I’m sure some of our favorites places are no more. I’m dreading finding out which ones I will have to cut from my draft.
On the plus side, it is going quick. I’m finding a lot of info. I’m also doing some fact checking, which is always a plus. I don’t anticipate this phase taking too long. I nearly had one-quarter of the book researched in one evening. The part that I’m sure will be time-consuming is the formatting end. They don’t pay people for this task for nothing. Fortunately, one of the sites I’m using, SmashWords.com, makes the process very clear with a detailed user’s guide.
I’ve also chosen to go through Amazon Kindle Publishing. Slightly redundant, but you get right to the market you want to reach and what I see as the one with the most potential.
I’m excited about the prospect of publishing again. The sense of accomplishment will taste so sweet.
Delving into E-Publishing
Since I have had the experience of self-publishing, I only thought it proper and wise to try e-publishing. Let’s face it; no matter what route you chose, you must market your own work. This is all with no guarantees of success.
I don’t want to go with an online self-publisher. Going into a volatile market in the hole is just plain foolish. The idea is to make money, not try to recoup a loss. I will work for my earnings, but not starting with a deficit. Such an ugly word.
I’ve done some research. Next time, I’ll share some preliminary leads about publishing.
Learning New Skills
In my yet-to-be-published mystery, I drew a great deal o n my own experience. The setting is a supper club. I worked in one as my first job. Now, my protagonist is working in one.
It’s been a bit of a challenge. It wasn’t just about learning the restaurant business. I had to go through the process as a new owner, having to buy bar stools and tables as well as kitchen equipment. To do so, I relied on my woman’s instincts.
As a woman, I have my own idea of what would be best whether it be swivel stools or not. I had my own idea of what the place should look like and how it would be decorated. My book is set in the recent past and in a rural area, so there isn’t the convenience of the local Sam’s Club. My protagonist was on his own.
Of course, I wanted to do my own research. I wanted to understand what my protagonist might think while learning how to equip his kitchen and kitchen stools. That’s an important aspect of writing–experiencing. That way, you can bring real experience to your work. That is key to making your work memorable–tell if from the perspective of one who knows.
Planning Our Next Camping Trip
As a diversion from the writing, I started planning our next camping trip. The trip has special significance since I’m using our destination as a setting for my next mystery. The tax write off is nice, but it’s also a place of which I’m well-acquainted. I’m going to enjoy trying to view the destination from an insider’s point-of-view.
The primary reason I love Door County is its close proximity with the outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you never hike the trails or boat on Lake Michigan. When you’re camping, the weather dictates everything. It decides if you’re going to have a campfire or go to a restaurant. You may end up hiking on a trail or shopping to avoid the rain. I enjoy being so close to Nature.
The weather then, becomes the main topic of conversation. Each year, we place friendly bets about whether it’ll be too cold, too warm, or just right. My mom typically won the bets, saying it’d be too cold. No matter. A cold, rainy day in Door County is better than a day at work anytime.
My challenge next year will be not to look like a tourist. No Door County t-shirts. No maps. No camera. A camera phone, fortunately, is easily concealed. What a treat–to try and absorb a place I truly love and enter its soul.
Writing Tip–Research Your Time
Today’s writing tip is about time. As a writer, you’re probably well aware of the importance of being accurate with your facts. Start talking about a magazine for your revolver, and you’ve lost them. Research is also important in terms of time, especially when referring to the Internet.
Today, the Internet is everywhere we want it to be in our lives from tweets to movies and music. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. If you’re going to date your work, it behooves you then to study the time period and know what was and wasn’t available. Study the fashions. Check out the slang for an era, a profession. In this sense, the Internet is your friend, but be aware that just because you found it online doesn’t guarantee its truth. Follow up.
Fact checking is an important part of the writing process. Immerse yourself in your time period, and you’re likely to find more inspiration.
Researching and Staying Informed About Health Issues
Health issues are a common theme on news website these days. Everyone wants to know how to live longer, live better, live healthier. Recognizing the growing interest in all things health, the media has provided readers with the stories they’re looking for. Unfortunately, many of these stories are taken out of context. For a writer striving to research write believable content, this can be a recipe for disaster.
The foundation of science is to experiment and test hypotheses. In order for a hypothesis to go from being just an idea to a theory, the experiment must be able to be replicated and results, observed. Take for instance some stories that have recently made the headlines. Overweight mothers are more likely to have asthmatic children. Diabetes often has an impact on women’s sex life. Of course, no one could have escaped the stories about swine flu.
Media has taken a disturbing liberty with reporting health issues. A report of one study is being touted as fact. This flies in the face of what science teaches us. One experiment does not a theory make. That is why it is imperative to stay informed. If you truly want to understand the impact of stresses on the human body, a good place to start is with an authority such as the A&P Professor. Here you can understand the why behind the what.
The human body is fascinating. Its physiology is both complex and logical, if you consider its purpose. Different aspects of human development and physiology came about as a result of stimuli from the environment. The body developed ways to better succeed in life. Even seemingly minuscule things like fingerprint ridges serve a purpose. Learning and understanding how the human body has reacted to its environment is an interesting story.
It is important to understand human physiology. Understanding your body can help you take information you read online or on the news and make better decisions about your health and help you create more realistic scenes in your writing. Besides, isn’t it time you read the owner’s manual?
Writing Tip: Removing All Evidence
Today’s writing tip deals with the bread and butter of mystery writing, evidence. Evidence sure isn’t the same thing it was in the early days of the mystery genre. Back in the day, you had blood stains, fingerprints, and maybe the great evidence from a noisy neighbor suffering from insomnia the night that the murder took place. Sure, all of that still applies, along with plenty of deduction and interrogation. A new kid on the block adds another dimension to the evidence-gathering procedure, the Internet.
The Internet is an odd phenomenon. Somehow, when someone is creating their missive about the horrible job they have or their ex-wife, they forget that it’s not as anonymous as it may seem. We associate anonymity or the lack thereof, with the absence of a face. Avatars don’t count. We feel safe behind this curtain of anonymity we think we have.
Think about it. Think about all the evidence you create in a day. There’s your website or blog if you have one or both. Your tweets show up in Google. If you’re active on the forums, guess what? It’s more Internet evidence. Instant messaging? There’s a trail. Commenting on blogs? Well, it depends on whether or not the blog owner is allowing comments to be crawled, but you get the idea. If your suspect is on the Internet, he is creating a block of evidence. What’s a suspect to do?
Certainly, Internet Explorer and Firefox are lending a hand with new “privacy mode” browsing. There is also evidence eliminator software available. Take the time to research an evidence eliminator review and you’re on your way. In any case, the Internet is like the DNA of the computer world. Evidence is created as soon as your suspect dials in. With the modern day mystery writer, the Internet offers a new, challenging twist to the process of catching your crook.
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