THE WRITER'S LIFE
Over the last four years, there are four personal philosophies which I've learned to follow for a reasonably contented life:
If you've done something wrong, you have a moral responsibility to put it right.
Being an optimist or a pessimist makes no difference to the outcome, but the optimist has a better time leading up to it.
Try to be the best that you can, at something you enjoy.
Don't put off till tomorrow that which you can do today, because if you do it today and you like it, you can do it again tomorrow.
Since my breakdown, those rules and others have served me well in life.
The first rule is one which can be applied to mankind and the damage we've done to our host planet. This and other themes are covered in my upcoming sci-fi novel, Cyrus Song. The book is still out with test readers for the next couple of weeks and I'm hoping that no news from them is good news.
I'm waiting on two more beta readers, with two having already reported back positively. There have also been a few comments from others who've read the manuscript in a “non-official” / friend capacity:
“The weirdest, most intriguing story I've ever read: I fucking love it!”
“Douglas would be proud.”
“You've written a new fucking bible!” (Well, I suppose if I add another six simple rules to my four at the top, I've written ten suggestions (I'd never command)).
“Where the fuck did you get the idea? How did you do this?”
“You are part fucking alien!”
“That, is one very funny, very deep book. It made me think, a lot. I don't know anyone else who writes like this. It's very deep, very clever and very satisfying. I cried!”
(Names and addresses supplied)
Obviously, most of these can't be printed on the cover, although they are encouraging. But the two opinions I'm waiting on are from people I'm involved with contractually, so I need to wait for those before I can do anything more with the book. I'm expecting only minor changes between now and final publication, so September is still looking good and I'm confident the book will do well. Like all writing, its success will be down to word-of-mouth. If I can move publication forward to the end of August (without detriment to the story), it would be rather poetic, as that'll be nine months after I started writing the book.
I'm assuming no news is good news from the remaining beta readers, because I don't imagine it would take anyone this long to give negative feedback (the manuscript has been with the readers for three weeks now). If I were in their position, I'd have opened the manuscript as soon as it arrived, if only to have a nose at the first page. And it's that first page which is all important when writing a book: The first line needs to hook the reader; the first paragraph, intrigue them; and the first page has to have “Turnability”: If a reader doesn't want to turn that first page, I've not got them. Based on that assumption, I would imagine the test readers are indeed reading the manuscript, as opposed to not reading it. I'm speculating, and time will tell: The next couple of weeks in fact. Apropos of nothing much, here's the first page only (from the 8 x 5” paperback):
Chapter 1: Two little things
This perfectly plausible story begins very unexpectedly, with a decimal point. As with many stories, this one involves something being out of place. In this case, that was a decimal point.
I'd left my desk to make some coffee, and as I came back into the study, I thought I saw something move on the sheet of paper in my typewriter. I was writing a little fantasy science fiction story for a magazine and I'd hit a bit of a block near the beginning, so I'd taken a break. It's funny how things work in fiction sometimes and having that little pause was what I needed to start the story properly.
Before I continued writing, I re-read the little I'd already typed: something wasn't right. I checked my research notes, wondering if I'd misinterpreted something but nothing sprang out. I looked back up at the paper in the typewriter and that's when I noticed a decimal point had moved. I looked more closely and my original decimal point was still where I'd put it, so this other one had just appeared. Then it moved again: The one which had simply materialised, walked across the page. It didn't have discernible legs but it moved nonetheless.
I picked up my magnifying glass from the side table to get a closer look at this little moving thing.
...
It's more aesthetic in layout in the printed book, with the paragraphs indented and less spaced, like you see in a book. Hopefully, that first sentence will hook; the first paragraph, intrigue; and the reader will want to turn to page 2. After that, I'm hoping the book is as enjoyable to read as it was to write.
I posted recently in a writing peer forum about suffering separation anxiety from my characters and among the coping mechanisms suggested, one was “Write a sequel.” I'm already planning it, and should start actually writing it once I've gauged the reaction to Cyrus Song itself. The sequel will most likely be called Cyrus Song II: Because I'm so radical and original, but also because I have confidence in the first title.
And while I'm waiting, I've been writing, which isn't entirely surprising.
A few weeks ago, an idea slip was posted for my Unfinished Literature Agency. It was a big brief for a short story but I've got it all into what will probably be a 6000 word fable. I've been on and off of it for the last week and now I'm buried in it, and loving writing it. It's kind of an ancient aliens / time-travelling voyage of discovery and evolution, spread over 8000 years (no, really) and with a paradoxical biblical sub-text. The Afternaut (working title) should be published on my favoured web zine in about a month, then possibly in their print quarterly later. I'm grateful to the donor of that idea, and hope they'll enjoy reading their published story.
And for anyone who's read this far, thank you. Because this is also a public thank you to all my friends and families, from all eras of my chequered life; old and new, readers and followers, who are still here and who continue to support and encourage me since I emerged from my darkness and decided I'd be a writer.
Thank you.
Postscript
I've been wearing a black headband now for over a week and it's become a part of me and the way I look: More myself. I own a headband :)
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