The Great American Novel
When I was in the Army, (we’re talking 20 years ago) I started writing a novel with my room mate. His parents were book reviewers that suggested how many copies a public library should purchase for their readers. He had met quite a few authors and had a pretty good grasp of how to put things together. He also had a few connections on how to get something published which is always a step up for an aspiring writer.
Well, I got out of the Army and continued sending bits to him for review. I never received anything back and I soon stopped sending anything at all. I did continue to write and completed six chapters before I hit a road block. My main character goes someplace that I had never been and I could not visualize the event enough to write about it. That event happened in my life last year. After about 6 months of thinking about it, I started chapter 7 and just recently finished it.
I am not sure whether I am writing for myself or whether I plan to submit this to a book publisher. Either way it is something that I plan to finish. It is going much slower this time around but I have a few more distractions than I did 20 years ago. A professional writer would devote a portion of his day to doing nothing but putting words to a page. I have a full time job, full time family and a bevy of outside events that provide enough distraction that it is difficult to get into the right frame of mind for any length of time.
I figure that have about five more chapters to finish and I am done with the book. It took me about 6 months to complete the last chapter but I am slightly more motivated by the completion of that event. I could probably sit down on a Saturday and crank out another chapter and maybe by the end of this year have a finished product. The next step, if I choose to pursue it, is to find someone who would take the chance to publish it. My room mate’s parents thought that the book had potential 20 years ago. We’ll see if they were actually impressed or just blowing smoke up their sons BDU’s.
Icool
Cobb
Well, I got out of the Army and continued sending bits to him for review. I never received anything back and I soon stopped sending anything at all. I did continue to write and completed six chapters before I hit a road block. My main character goes someplace that I had never been and I could not visualize the event enough to write about it. That event happened in my life last year. After about 6 months of thinking about it, I started chapter 7 and just recently finished it.
I am not sure whether I am writing for myself or whether I plan to submit this to a book publisher. Either way it is something that I plan to finish. It is going much slower this time around but I have a few more distractions than I did 20 years ago. A professional writer would devote a portion of his day to doing nothing but putting words to a page. I have a full time job, full time family and a bevy of outside events that provide enough distraction that it is difficult to get into the right frame of mind for any length of time.
I figure that have about five more chapters to finish and I am done with the book. It took me about 6 months to complete the last chapter but I am slightly more motivated by the completion of that event. I could probably sit down on a Saturday and crank out another chapter and maybe by the end of this year have a finished product. The next step, if I choose to pursue it, is to find someone who would take the chance to publish it. My room mate’s parents thought that the book had potential 20 years ago. We’ll see if they were actually impressed or just blowing smoke up their sons BDU’s.
Icool
Cobb
posted by Cobb at
7:24 AM
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