Friday, August 31, 2007

Treading Water

I have been teaching now for three weeks and let me tell you that it is not easy. I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off most of the time. I have two different subjects to teach (world history and economics), and 6 classes of about 40 kids each. It has been tough. I have not drowned yet however, nor have I had a nervous breakdown. I have gotten irritated regularly, but I started drinking to compensate. (Just kidding). Still it has been fun. I have joked around a bit when I get tired, and that helps. The frustration comes from not being totally prepared. I want to have dynamic lessons and to have kids excited about the subject, but to be honest it has not always worked. Sometimes the lessons are boring and kids could not care less about say the Enlightenment. Can I blame them? A bunch of dead frogs and brits who had a bunch of ideas, albeit good ones. Kids like blood and guts, (and poop but I have not found a way to incorporate that one yet). So it has been boring this week. Oh well. Next week I look forward to hitting them with everything I have and I hope that they will respond.

On another note, I keep reading a little of the Sureshot 2 here and there, and I am looking forward to getting to my test readers. I will let you know how that goes.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

First Week

I finished my first week of teaching. It was really fun. Of course we didn't have to do much but get to know each other and go over some rules which they are already testing, but it was fun nonetheless. When we start doing work next week no doubt their opinions will change, but for now they love me. I have experienced the same thing that I have run into since writing the Sureshot, and that is that everyone is very impressed that I wrote a book, and no one wants to buy it. Oh well, I guess that is how it goes. I am looking forward to the day when my own family does not even read my books. I am sure it will happen. Sometimes I think that they are just appeasing me anyways by reading the first one. I had one student ask me, "did you sell like a million copies on the first day?" I promptly responded with a little logic, "had I sold a million copies in one day, would I be teaching?" I couldn't help myself. The truth is that I may very well teach if I enjoy it as much as I do now, but the day I sell a million copies is probably far off and so I will just keep teaching for now. I set a goal to write full time (and pay the bills) ten years after completing my first book. That was one year ago, and so I have nine to go. Anyways I will keep everyone updated on how the school year is progressing and when there is news about my writing.

Monday, August 13, 2007

I Actually Like It!!!

I have read more than half of my book and I actually like it. I mean, I knew I was going to like it, but I really like it. I am surprised by how good it is, for a first draft anyways. It starts slow, and I need to rewrite the beginning, but I knew that. I also need to add some detail, but other than that, and some other things, but it is good. Ok it is not good yet, but I can see the potential and I am excited about it. I am dismayed, but beginning to except how much work there still is to do once I finish a draft. It is not ready for acquisition staff to read yet, but it will be. Once I and my wife have read over it, I am going to have three people, who have read the first book read this one and give me advice. There are a few things that I find are difficult for me to see in my own book.

The first thing that is difficult is describing scenes that I can see clearly in my mind. I forget sometimes that I have an image of what things look like and do not always explain a scene effectively. My wife is good at pointing out what these scenes are. She marks what it is she wants to know more about and I gladly elaborate because I already know, I just didn't write it.

The second thing that I have difficulty noticing when I write is when I do not give enough detail about the characters. I know in my mind what they are thinking, feeling, etc. but do not always make that clear to the reader, and since the reader is the most important person, it is good to have someone read it over and tell me where they thought it was lacking.

But overall I think that this will be a good book. The people who enjoyed the first will most likely enjoy the second and that is good enough for me. I will continue writing, and have many, many, many projects to work on. I only hope that I find time to do it before next summer. Wish me luck.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Finished

I finally finished The Sureshot 2 (I am still not saying what I call it). It was tough. Friday I was furiously punching away on my computer as my children ran around fighting with each other, the phone kept ringing and... ok I can't think of another distraction, but I was distracted. Well I got diner ready and then sat down to write the last paragraph. It feels great. This one is longer and I think better. Besides that I have now written two books. Maybe I can be a writer. I must admit that there was doubt. On some days writing seemed so tedious that I wanted to delete the whole thing and give up. I was worried that I wouldn't finish before school started when finishing was going to be even more difficult, but I did. Ah, I feel good. Anyways, I still have a lot of work to do revising it and editing it, but the worst is over. I can't wait to see it in print.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Performance Enhancing Drugs

I have been smoking lately. Not cigarettes, I mean that I have been writing a lot in the last couple of days. I have to admit however that it is not all me. I have been aided by performance enhancing drugs. Coffee and Pepsi. I did not want to do it you see, but there was so much pressure to perform that it felt like I had to in order to live up to expectations. It is sad really and I am ashamed of myself, but it is true, I have been doping.

It all started when I was trying to write this book you see. Writing is difficult. It takes a lot of time, concentration, creativity, and patience. I used to be able to do it easier when I was young, but I am getting older and my body does not bounce back as easily as it once did. Besides that I have two young children now and they distract me from my writing. I did not know what to do. There were a lot of people expecting me to finish this book before summer was over and with the deadline closing in; I chose to take coffee and Pepsi.

I know it is wrong, and I know that it is bad for my body, but I decided that the benefits outweighed the risks. What is worse is that I am high right now. I have had three cups of coffee this morning. It is an amazing drug. I have written 5,000 words in only an hour or so. I have blocked out all the whining and fighting of my children in order to do this, and this is all after getting little sleep last night. I could not have done this without the aid of coffee, so I have to say that I have no regrets.

I did what I did because I want to perform for my fans. I want to do whatever I can for them, and if sacrificing my body will accomplish that, then so be it. As I down the last bit of my coffee I ask that you do not judge me, but instead that you understand how hard it is to be me, and understand that what I did, I did for you. Not me or my ego or for fame and fortune, but for my fans. That's right; I am not a selfish self-centered egotistical superstar, but rather a humble servant, slave to pleasing those who love me.