Growing Up As An Author

DwayneA · Aug 29, 2007

With my third book recently published and released, I'm currently working on my next two books. When I compare my most recent in-production works with my newest released book, I can see how much I have grown as a writer. My writing and storytelling improves as does the dialogue. What people point out to me what I don't do right will help me as well.

This applies to all authors.

Here's a quote from a future book that I'm in the process of proofreading and editing.

"The only battle worth fighting is one that leaves all creation in peace. Nothing short of that is worth a single loss of life."

The more you work at a book, the better it becomes.

johnzakour · Aug 29, 2007

Writing is no different than any other aspect of life, the more we do something the better we get at it.

Congrats on the three books. What are their titles and who is the publisher?

DwayneA · Aug 29, 2007

Alien Conflict - Publish America
Hellfire Apocalypse - Protea Publishing
Partially Human - Infinity Publishing

Gillhoughly · Aug 29, 2007

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limitedtimeauthor · Aug 29, 2007

Gillhoughly said:
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I don't know. I think we've seen this one before.

amber_grosjean · Aug 29, 2007

Dwayne--

Congrats on the 3 books! I'm a PA author as well for my first book.

It is true, the more we write, the better we become. No matter how great our books are, our next must always be even better. We should never strive for anything less. I push myself to keep going because this is a dream and I'm living it. I knew it would happen some day but I never imagined how it would feel. There are no words that can capture that! With our first books, we may find a small fan group but as we continue to write, each book will pick up more fans and carry along the ones we already have to a higher place. Pretty soon, we can all be as great as King and all those other great authors but we have to believe in ourselves and keep trying, learning and growing as we go.

Again, congrats!

Amber

gp101 · Aug 30, 2007

amber_grosjean said:
Pretty soon, we can all be as great as King and all those other great authors but we have to believe in ourselves and keep trying, learning and growing as we go.

Amber

Then why aren't there already thousands of "Kings"?

I, too, believe in myself, keep trying, and grow... for 20 years now. I haven't given up, but I'm no "King".

Goals are great. I live by them. But being realistic should also fall into the mix, as in, be happy with some success even if it falls short of being Kingsian. And please don't proclaim we can all be "Kings". Perserverence will get us all far. But King has a certain talent that is rare. Like Michael Jordan. Every baller can aspire to be the next MJ, many will come close, many more will be successful but not come close. And thousands will barely scrape by. Oh, and millions will fail. I hope to be somewhere in the first three categories, but am not afraid of failing. Still, I realize no matter how hard I try, unless I have that certain God-given talent that King has, I ain't no King. And people who might have that certain talent but don't apply themselves, or give up too easily... that's a bigger tragedy.

gp101 · Aug 30, 2007

DwayneA said:
With my third book recently published and released, I'm currently working on my next two books. When I compare my most recent in-production works with my newest released book, I can see how much I have grown as a writer. My writing and storytelling improves as does the dialogue. What people point out to me what I don't do right will help me as well.

This applies to all authors.

Here's a quote from a future book that I'm in the process of proofreading and editing.

"The only battle worth fighting is one that leaves all creation in peace. Nothing short of that is worth a single loss of life."

The more you work at a book, the better it becomes.

Still not sure of the point of your post.

And personally, I think a battle is worth fighting if it means I die if I don't battle. ALL creation has never been at peace, ever... so who am I to think that I will pick the proper battle to make this so?

Garpy · Aug 30, 2007

Gillhoughly, I nearly wet myself when I saw that smilie. Perfect response.

nb: how the hell do people do the supercool smilies....all I seem to have is a bunch of very normal ones to choose from.

cletus · Aug 30, 2007

Garpy,

Right at the bottom of the Smilies list there is an option to "Show all Smilies" :e2tomato:

It opens a pop-up window with a load more of interesting smilies.

:TheWave:

johnzakour · Aug 30, 2007

Backtracking a bit, I do have to say that even though I'm technically a better writer now than I was when my first book (The Plutonium Blonde) was released (2001), it's still probably my favorite of my books.

There's something about the magic of seeing the first book on book shelves that can't be repeated. I still smile when I see it in stores.

maestrowork · Aug 30, 2007

I'm with John. I write better than I did in 2001 when I started writing my first novel. But The Pacific Between will always be special to me.

The whole process, and seeing it on the shelves for the first time... I think it's like real life -- you keep getting better (hopefully) but everything is still part of you, part of who you were/are at that point in your life. It's great, actually, to read an author and see the growth -- it's kind of like a time capsule in a way. JK Rowling, for example. She's grown so much as a storyteller in the last 20 years since she started writing her series.

johnzakour · Aug 30, 2007

Yeah, it's kind of freaky between, editing, writing and editing some more then just reading it for fun I've read Plutonium Blonde at least 10 times and it still make me smile.

(There are still parts I would rewrite every time though. Whenever there is a new printing I ask if I can edit it and they keep telling me, "ah no." )

maestrowork · Aug 30, 2007

I can probably rewrite The Pacific Between a hundred different ways and make it so much better, but yeah... why? It is a good book as is. It'll be fun to hear: "I really like it, but your second book is so much better!"

Jamesaritchie · Aug 30, 2007

First

johnzakour said:
Backtracking a bit, I do have to say that even though I'm technically a better writer now than I was when my first book (The Plutonium Blonde) was released (2001), it's still probably my favorite of my books.

There's something about the magic of seeing the first book on book shelves that can't be repeated. I still smile when I see it in stores.

I love looking at the first novel I had published, and it is special for that reason, but I can't bear to read the thing now. I get a chapter in, and I want to go hide in a closet.

Red Robin · Aug 30, 2007

Gillhoughly said:
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Rep point for that one

veinglory · Aug 30, 2007

After four novels of which I am increasingly proud, I am thinking of finally trying this agent NY Press thing for the next one

David I · Aug 30, 2007

My sole contribution to this discussion is to endorse Hemingway's dictum: Write a million words. That'll mature ya.

I think the problem is that people want to publish the first 90,000 words they hammer out.

Shady Lane · Aug 30, 2007

I wrote The Sublime when I was barely fifteen. I didn't know any of the rules. Technically, it's a mess. But I love it, and it's all my betas favorite one of my books.

johnzakour · Aug 30, 2007

David I said:
My sole contribution to this discussion is to endorse Hemingway's dictum: Write a million words. That'll mature ya.

Actually, I'm probably pushing a million words now (8 novels at around 120K words each) and I'm still learning.

megan_d · Aug 31, 2007

...

Did you just post a quote from your own book to show us all what great writers we can become? Not so much with the modesty then, I see.

Growing Up As An Author

DwayneA

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

DwayneA

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

limitedtimeauthor

Super duper user

amber_grosjean

AW Addict

gp101

gp101

Garpy

keyboard monkey

cletus

I'm a king bee

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Jamesaritchie

Red Robin

Veni Vidi Scripsi

veinglory

volitare nequeo

David I

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

megan_d

Falling in the milk