Marketing Wall Drug / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-Feb-2022

The dreaded M word: marketing.

Nearly all writers that I know HATE to self-promote their own books--yours truly included.  They want nothing more than to sit in front of their computer and plunk words down onto the page.  Going on book tours or lining up interviews makes them uncomfortable and are seemingly a complete waste of time because it doesn't seem to coincide with a sudden spike in book sales.

If you go anywhere within a few hundred (or more) miles of the Badlands in South Dakota, you will see billboards galore about a place called Wall Drug.  I have been through the Badlands and the Black Hills area a handful of times in my life, and truth be told I have never visited the store Wall Drug.

But I remember the signs.

Even still to this day.

When it comes to writers, the axiom of keep publishing, keep putting more and more stuff out there in the world, seems to be the most valuable advice when it comes to marketing.  Are there other pieces of advice to market your works?  Of course.  But the best overall is to keep writing.

The more inventory you have, the better your chances of gaining someone's attention.  When I finish reading a book and crave something different, I go through my list of ebooks to discover an author I had bought their book long ago or something in my mind reminds me to check out their books.

Remember, slow and steady wins the race.  Look at the most recent theatrical or television or streaming adaptations of books to come out in the last handful of years.  The majority are from books written a few decades ago.

With that being said, if you like serial killer thrillers, be sure to check out the first in my Central Division series: Beholder's Eye.  It is free.

Here again is the link to all ebook retailers for this book.

Lastly, on my current work-in-progress, I have finished with the third part (out of four) and my current word count is around 89,000 words.  Hoping to be done with this and move on to the next project by early summer.

How the Conjuring Universe is affirming my writing / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-June-2021

Once again, I feel like I'm late to the party on this one.  I just recently discovered the Conjuring universe.  The latest movie, The Devil Made Me Do It, just came out in the theaters.  I binged the other two before watching this one, but as they're like standalone movies anyway there is no need to watch them in order.  Yes, they are truly based on true events.

There are other movies in the Conjuring universe (7-8 movies at this point) and what struck me when I watched the first one, it did something that I started in my writing long, long ago.

One of the old writing adages is that if you introduce something at the beginning of your story, it had better be resolved by the end.  For example, if a treasure map comes into someone possession by the first few chapters, by the end it better lead to somewhere important--think Goonies for example.

My very first novel I ever wrote was a deer hunting horror story, set in a fictional town in northern Minnesota.  This one has yet to be published, and there is a LOT of work I need to do on it IF it is ever to see publication.  Anyway, there were elements in the first story that I introduced that weren't going to be resolved until book two or three.

Then, I've introduced a few elements to the Central Division thriller series, like in a few prologues and side chapters, that won't be resolved until later.  True, mine is part of a series, but with how the Conjuring does it, it affirms that I'm on to something.

Thinking Ahead / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-June-2021

I'm only on the sixth chapter of my latest novel and I'm already looking forward to what's next.

As you may (or may not) know, my latest project is a writing of a horror novel I wrote more than two decades ago, and is the second novel I ever completed.  I'm using the old book as an outline.  It's going great.

Beholder's Eye, which is my first full-length published book, was the fourth book I ever completed.  Between Beholder's Eye and my current project was another horror novel, set up in Lake of the Woods, in northern Minnesota.  This book actually got some interest from literary agents back in the day, but nothing came out of it.  Thank God.  Knowing what I know now about book contracts, royalties, and publishing rights, I'm sure I would've given as much away as possible with little to show for it.

Anyway, it's that book that I will be bringing to life.  And again, I'll be using the old book as an outline for the new one.

Tattered Robes is published / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-April-2021

Tattered Robes, the latest thriller in the Central Division Series, is out!

Synopsis: A Catholic priest with a dark past is brutally murdered in a ritualistic fashion.  But as Minneapolis PD investigators Kolin Raynes and Kelly King employ the latest advances in Forensics and DNA analysis, they soon discover solving this case leads them down an even darker path.

Here is a link to my website, which will give you the ebook option of your choice.

Enjoy!

What's new? / Happenings In The Outhouse 02-April-2021

Another short one today.

As I finalize the fifth novel in the Central Division Series, Tattered Robes, I'm contemplating what's next?

I have a story I wrote several years ago--it's actually the second novel I ever completed--and I've been on the fence about rewriting it and then publishing it.

Basically, I'm using what I had written before as an outline--gasp!  I know, I don't outline, right?

Well, I've done this before two years ago, on a fantasy novel that I started and then went another direction when personal issues became more of a focus.  It should be fun as I love the story.

Tattered Robes / Happenings In The Outhouse 19-March-2021

 Tattered Robes, the fifth novel in the Central Division Series, is completed, coming in at a little over 78,000 words.  Which equates to around 350 pages.

I'm hoping to have the editing completed and published by the end of this month.

What's it about, you may ask?

I have not written the official blurb, but it centers around the investigation behind the brutal murder of a Catholic priest.

It was an interesting, complex story to write, and at the same time it was a bit of therapy.  Next week, I'll share the official blurb as well as the cover--crossing fingers.

Stay tuned . . .

Inches Away From Completion / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-March-2021

Just a quick update.

I surpassed 75,000 words on my current work-in-progress, the fifth novel in the Central Division thriller series.

By this weekend, it should be done.  I am nearing the climax as of yesterday morning.

Writing Is A Dish Best Done Daily / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-March-2021

Most writing advice is individualized, and is thereby crappy advice.

But there is one simple piece of advice (and this goes for most anything) is to make a habit of doing something daily.

Yes, even writing.

I'm in the middle of reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (yes, all fourteen books plus a prequel novel) and in looking at the publication dates, that man had an impressive writing output.  Another fantasy author I admire is Brandon Sanderson.  He can churn out the novel behemoths at regular intervals.  Yes, I'm still waiting on a few other fantasy novelists to finish their series . . . Martin?

What does this mean to me?  For the past month or so, I've had a few setbacks, which has eaten into my writing time.  And because of it, I find myself taking longer to get back into the story.  This could be the reason why George R. R. Martin is taking so long with finishing his monumental series, simply because he has written other things in the meantime.

I'm not comparing myself to Martin by any stretch of the means, but when you're busy with other obligations or distractions, it's harder to get back into the story.  I've had to go back to the beginning of my latest novel three or four times now to re-read the whole damn thing--I've enjoyed reading it, but for crying out loud I just want to finish it.

The same goes with exercise or any other habit.  Do something daily.  Even in little drips.  You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Next Novel Almost Done / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-Feb-2021

65,000 words and counting . . .

Looking back, the last novel I finished was in July 2018.  And the last book in this thriller series was published in September 2016.  Far too long.

Oh, sure, I've had a few other shorter things written, including two in 2020, but a full-length novel?  Nope.  Not for a while.

How long?  I'm shooting for the end of the month, but with the massively cold weather and car troubles, my mind isn't where it should be.

Be patient, my friends.  More details to come . . .

Wrapping Things Up / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-Feb-2021

Last weekend, I surpassed the 60,000 word mark on the fifth novel in the Central Division thriller series.  For the week prior, I re-read what I had written (I have already done this twice so far) in case I had missed something.

Things are coming to an end very nicely.

What is it about, you may ask?

Patience . . .

49K and counting / Happenings In The Outhouse 8-Jan-2021

I'm past the 49,000 word mark on the latest thriller.  I'm still holding off on sharing the title as well as what it's about.

To tease it a little, think the Netflix show The Keepers meets Dexter.

Sort of.

I am well past what many writers call the messy middle, where writers get stuck and stop writing.  With a thriller, there are many things going on at once, so there were times I didn't know what was up or down.  I had to go back a few times and write everything down, every lead and piece of evidence, until I could clear them up.

It's been fun.

And it's been therapeutic.

But more on that later.

For now, back to writing . . .

Using lists wisely / Happenings In The Outhouse 20-Nov-2020

I have written about lists and their importance before.  However, I saw that need come to a head about a month ago as I was struggling to write the next thriller in the Central Division Series.

The story is about a Catholic priest who was brutally murdered and the investigation to find the killer.  And, like all thrillers, there is a lot going on and I kept losing track of some key pieces.

So I made a list.  I made a list of every possible scenario and piece of evidence, and when I addressed it I crossed it off the list.  I can tell you for a fact that this has made a tremendous difference.

But the question I asked myself was why.  Why now?  I've written thrillers before and not needed such a list.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this, so here it goes.  I have a lot going on.  I know I'm not alone in this.  With losing my wife in January 2020 to the global pandemic to working from home, there are good points to this all and some that are more difficult to manage.  So my mind hasn't been all there.

The list helps.

If you find yourself getting sidetracked, see if a list will help get you back on track.  I am currently around the 27,000 word mark on the thriller, and these past few weeks I have seen great progress as I chug forward.

How far to take creative license / Happenings In The Outhouse 13-Nov-2020

I am currently writing a thriller set around the murder of a Catholic priest.  Having grown up a Lutheran, I know little about the inner workings of the Catholic Church.  So I had to do a bit of research.

Yes, I watched the Netflix series The Keepers.  And, of course, I was revolted to wonder how the types of crimes covered in the show could exist within such an organization.  But thinking that all I needed to know about the Catholic Church could be had by watch this show would be like thinking all I needed to know about the FBI could be gleaned from watching the movie Silence of the Lambs.

Absurd, I know.

I have done enough research to be competent in how the Church works for the story itself, and I have a disclaimer stating that I know I didn't get everything right.

However, how far can one take creative license?  I just finished reading a thriller, based on a town not far from where I live.  In fact, the title of the book is also the name of the town--for reasons that will soon be clear, I am not naming it here.  Why?  Because I hated it.  I know hate is such a strong word, but I felt it was one of the worst books I had ever read.  The only reason I read it to the end was because of the town.

In the end, many of the events that occurred became clear due to an unreliable narrator.  Books like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train also had unreliable narrators, and were also books I disliked and had a difficult time reading.  But this one that I recently read was so unbelievable that there was no way things like that could happen.  Ever!

This might be a longer than usual post today, so please be patient.

I also recently read a thriller about a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco area.  The killings spanned across a few decades, with a quiet period in between.  The detective, new to the position, took on this killer's case as it became personal, for her father was the one who investigated the crimes years before.  Now, where the creative license comes into play is at the end.  The detective is immediately recruited into the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.  Sorry, anyone who knows anything about the FBI knows that this would NEVER happen.  That is not how they get recruits for the BAU.  The author could've mentioned this, how unusual the recruitment was, but failed to do so.

And with that, it fell short.

This other one, about the town close to where I live, just had one event after the other that just would NEVER happen.  One or two things, I can overlook it.  But every single chapter had event after event that was completely unbelievable.  The narrator, an author herself, actually used her father-in-law's name as a villain in a book, portraying him as this cardboard 2-dimensional evil bad guy--sorry, if that happened, she would've been sued big time.  Also, apparently, a big name actress loved her book so much that she called the author personally to say she wants to make it into a movie.  Sorry, this doesn't happen either.

It's okay to take creative license.  And if you feel something it out of the norm, take a moment and mention that.  There is so much more I could say, but I may speak about it again on a later post, one dealing with the notion of an unreliable narrator.

Beholder's Eye is (finally) free in the Amazon Kindle store!

Yes, you heard it right!  I was finally able to get Beholder's Eye, the first novel in the Central Division thriller series free in the Amazon Kindle store.

Here is a link to the store: Beholder's Eye.

Here's the full link from my website.

How much is too much? / Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Oct-2020

Too much research?

Too much thinking?

Too much planning?

These may lead to . . . not enough doing.

If you're putting something off because not "all of your ducks are in a row" or if you wonder if planning a bit more will make it better, chances are it won't.  Start now.  Whatever it is that you're putting off, don't put it off any longer.

Start today.

Right where you're at.

If something needs to be fixed, you can fix it later.

On a side note, I have surpassed the 20,000 word mark on the new thriller novel.  I seemed to have hit a stride the last few weeks, logging in 30-45 minutes of writing each morning before work.  By the end of the year, it would be nice to hit PUBLISH on it.

A Brief Pause / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Sept-2020

I am currently around the 15,000 word mark on the fifth book in the Central Division thriller series.

But I am going to pause.  Briefly.

I have a contest to enter.

The Writers of the Future contest is a quarterly contest, and the deadline for the next submission is next Wednesday.  As of this writing, I am around 2,000 words into a new short story that I'll be submitting.

But be assured, once it's complete, I'm diving back into the thriller novel.  At first, when I realized the deadline for the next contest was coming up, I contemplated not entering.

Needless to say, I changed my mind.

Wish me luck!

Beholder's Eye is free / Happenings In The Outhouse 14-Aug-2020

Beholder's Eye, the first novel in the Central Division thriller series, is free.  Permafree, to be exact.  Click on this link to my website, to view your favorite ebook retailer--please note, as of this writing, it is not free on Amazon but if you click on the link of the Amazon page to advise them of the lower price (and where) it won't take them long to make it free.

I will expand more on this in the upcoming weeks on the strategy behind this move.

It's all in the details / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-July-2020

A funny thing happened earlier this week.  I'm about 8,400 words into the next thriller in the Central Division Series and it dawned on me that I may not have one of the details right.

The detail in question was the day of the week.  The story involved the murder of a religious figure, which occurred right after an evening service.

Now, around here, most religious services occur on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and of course Sundays.  In other areas, it's just Sundays.  For some, services are a daily occurrence.  Even a many-time-a-day thing.

But this was one detail, albeit minor, that could have had greater implications down the road if I didn't get it right.

When I look back at other stories I've enjoyed, it's the small details that make or break it.  I'm knowledgeable about firearms--no, I am not a firearms guru who can rattle off stats and give intricate details about this model of weapon--and it irks me to no end when I see a line that goes something like this: "He cocked back the hammer on his Glock . . ."  Sorry, but Glocks do not have an external hammer to cock back.

Look for the small details in your story.  If the day of the week is important, be specific about it.

Getting back into the swing of it / Happenings In The Outhouse 07-Feb-2020

Keeping this one short this week.  I'm slowly getting back into the swing of writing.

My current work-in-progress is the fifth novel in the Central Division Series.  However, since I haven't written in that world, with those characters, for almost two years, I'm skimming the last novel just to get my mind back into it.

Hoping to have more next week.

Back in the saddle again / Happenings In The Outhouse 13-Dec-2019

With all that's going on in my life, it's a wonder that I even have the energy to start a new book.

But that is life.  Life goes on.  It has changed dramatically since May, and what may come of it I don't know.  One thing I do know is that I can't just sit and worry about something I have no control over.  The only thing I can do is work on something I love.

And I love writing.

I am currently writing the first words to a new thriller--the 5th novel in the Central Division Series.  In the weeks to come, I'll pass along some year's end wisdom and future planning.  For now, I'm keeping this short.