Tangled up in Blue

As the polar vortex approaches Ohio, I'm doing something I never thought I'd do: listen to Bob Dylan. The Blood on The Tracks album is in full swing and so far, I'm digging it.

Groceries are bought and the furnace is working. We're ready to hunker down for a few days while the vortex passes and spring-like weather arrives, reminding me of the old adage: "If you don't like the weather here, just stick around for a few days."

So, there's the Blue. But where's the Tangle?

When someone asks me how I became a writer, I tell them I gave myself permission. Permission to fail, permission to suck. Just permission. I'm not an English major. A teacher never told me to pursue writing after finding I had rare talent, which I don't. Nope. I just wanted to.

But I got some help.

During my second attempt at sobriety (I'll be five years sober on October 15th of this year), I dove through the internet rabbit hole after watching a movie called Rounders, and landed on a Vine snippet of one of its writers, Brian Koppelman, giving everybody permission to pursue their dream. That let me to his podcast, The Moment with Brian Koppelman. On today's episode, he and Steven Pressfield have a deep conversation about "fighting resistance and finding your best self" (note: I took the quotations from the show notes, they are not my own.).

Steven Pressfield wrote many books, The Legend of Bagger Vance being his most popular, I'm sure. I haven't read it, but I have read (and own) The War of Art, where he talks about the Resistance. Or, the Tangle. Or, as Julia Cameron calls it, the Censor. Whatever that thing that keeps you from doing something creative.

I encourage anyone who wants to pursue something that seems far and away to listen to The Moment. Brain speaks with artists from across all platforms and genres. Actors, magicians, writers, directors, even chefs. I find the conversations inspiring and incredibly useful against the Tangle that attempts to sabotage my daily word count.

This blog is probably one of them.

After telling people to give themselves permission, I suggest reading the three books that helped me before I began and still do.

1. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
2. On Writing  by Stephen King
3. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

It's one thing to read The War of Art; it's a wholly different experience to listen to the author speak about it. Not about the book, but about the Resistance and how to counter it.

So give it a listen, will ya? I think you'll find you'll be glad you did.

Meanwhile, I'm going to attempt to link the podcast here on my blog and get back to my own work. And maybe put some hot cocoa on the stove. Now go, untangle yourself, and get to work on what matters to you.

Stay warm, fellow travelers.

The Right Thing

A small press published my first book. A week passed after they accepted the manuscript. Then—poof—like magic, iBooks and Amazon had it in stock, ready for print, ready for download. What an exhilarating feeling. I got past the gatekeepers. Yay me.

I now have reservations about that experience and am honestly a little ashamed it's available. In fact, I'm wholly ashamed that I self published my last two books. Because, between us, I don't think any editor would've accepted either of them.

But, art is subjective, and who's to tell me what's right and what's wrong? No one. They can speak, but I don't have to listen. Nah-nah-nah-nah-boo-boo.

Here's the thing. None of my books have been past a professional editor, meaning that no one whose primary job is to line edit and make a book better based on their education and learning had seen them. I had committed a cardinal sin.

To spite the publisher who published my first book, I went the indie route. The wrong way. Plus, I didn't know any editors. You expect me to pay $1500-$3000 to someone who claims they're an editor to review my work without knowing if said book would even sell enough to recuperate the cost?

The answer is yes. However, I've found some editors work cheaper than the above prices and do just as good a job. I'm happy to report I've found one.

Although I can't remove myself from my first book, I can definitely fix the other two or abandon them completely. The former is happening now. Based on those results, the latter may come.

There is nothing wrong with self-publishing. But it has to be done right. Like hire a freaking editor. Readers deserve it and I'm afraid I haven't put my best foot forward with them in that regard. This is not to say I'll never self-pub again. I might, but not after exhausting all agents and small presses, both of which will provide a bigger reading audience than I ever could on my own. Also, having someone back you solely on your work is powerful.

If you don't make mistakes, you'll never grow as a person. Or, in this case, as a writer. After attending a writer's workshop last year, listening to professionals who write full time, and reading up on essays by other full time writers, I've decided to take hold of the reins. To not shy away from my errors. I'm in the driver's seat, steering my career in a new direction on the right path. I'm studying query letters before I write my own, having beta readers review my material before I submit to magazines and anthologies.

I've listened.

And I'm still yet to sell a story to a publisher. I came close once, receiving a powerful personalized rejection now framed on my office wall, but the tale wasn't believable enough to buy in their eyes. And that's okay. Craft takes time.

And I'm ready to wait.

Welcome Post

Hello.

This is Nothing Safe, a blog where I will post news regarding my writing, thoughts on movies, music, and books, and share other news about writers that I think you should be reading. That said, there may be a lot of silence this year regarding news pertained to my work. Rather than jumping straight into self-publishing, I've decided to take the traditional route by querying agents and submitting my work to small presses.

Several factors went in to my decision to take the path now rarely traveled. First, I believe I will find a wider and bigger audience if an agent or small press picks my work to sell. Second, I won't have to pay out of pocket for a book cover or deal with formatting the manuscript into physical and eBook format.

With that out of the way, I may write about sports and food or whatever the hell I choose. Nothing's safe.

I hope this post finds you well. Until next time, be good to each other.