OUTLINING, A NECESSARY EVIL

 

     I have been re-working my book outline for days and days. Books are a lot of work, and it's not all writing the book. One of the important, but very repetitive and time consuming (ie boring). 

     I have a non-stylized and informal outline I do to start the book, then, for the agents and publishers, a very stylized and boring version. That is what has been consuming my time. 

     Normally, I can sit for hours writing - completely lose track of time, but outline writing, not so much. 

     The reason I spend so much time on something I find so boring is professionalism. Many people write, but exert no professionalism in the book presentation or editing. Attention to small details is the attribute that can make anyone successful. Now, when you write the actual fiction book, let your imagination go. You will re-edit till you dream and live the book every night and every day. The characters will appear in your mind as if you run into them in everyday life - every day. They'll become your best friends. You'll cry when you kill them off. You'll laugh when they say something funny. You'll scold them for their bad actions. Writing, you must love it not for the money, but for the joy it gives you inside.

    

The Writing Process Continues...

 

 

 

      Following lengthy travels to New Orleans and Maryland., I have resumed work on my newest book. Re-editing is a large part of the life of a writer. I have completed chapter seven, re-edited every chapter up that point, and am giving out the first seven chapters to a select age group to read for interest and holding interest factors - very important. My oldest son and his wife are with an intelligence operation. He gave me a hard look before reading the chapters. But he had lumped it into the everyday secret org and spy novel. This book is out of that ho-hum category. He is a "just the facts" person, outwardly. Once he reads the preview chapters, he will change his view. Normally, my best writing is done from mid-morning to around 7 or 8pm. When I write, my wife has to remind me to take breaks, or I would go on forever, it seems. I love to write. I began writing as soon as I learned the basics around eight years of age. Before that time, I sat under the streetlight during calm summer nights telling stories that I made up. The other neighborhood kids seem to enjoy them. Back to work. Until next time, God bless you all. I heard someone in church say, "We really need God's blessings during this difficult time." I thought, "Brother, we need God's blessings at all times."

 

 

 

 

 

New Book: SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE

 

I have been researching and writing my next book, SHORT IN HEIGHT, TALL IN COURAGE, for several months. It is a story told by the leader of a special Christian quasi-military team operating out of Yei, South Sudan. The Team, as it comes to be known by, was created by a very devout and powerful group of men from around the world due to the growing persecutions of Christians and Jews. The board of directors and the organization operate under a cloak of secrecy. Publicly, the group performs its tasks of protecting Christian mission groups and Jews under an organization named WCPN, World Christian Peace Network, out of Yei, South Sudan. The main characters are a very short and spiritually gifted American and The TEAM. The Team is made up of 17 South Sudanese Dinka Tribesmen and their commander and his executive officer, both are retired U.S. Special Forces. The Team's commander tells the story from his and the men's perspective. All the Dinkas came with tragedy in their backgrounds. Their commander tells us about the courage they displayed, devotion to our Lord and His purpose, and the sacrifices these men made while serving on this very unusual upstart group that became so famous. The short little American is accepted onto a team of athletic and life-toughened men as their little brother and they all come to love one another deeply as our lord asks. Lives ar lost, lives are at risk, and lives are saved and redeemed. If you have turned your nose up when opportunities to read African stories come upon you, I think you will find the northern African situation very intriguing and interesting as I have come to know it. I will be posting on my journey to publication and the difficult road to gaining a top-notch literary agent. My first book, WHAT DOES FAITH LOOK LIKE, currently out of print due to the political situation in Nigeria, shockingly became an award winning and best selling book of Christian short stories. Few writers are published other than self published and few writers ever make a living from writing, around three percent. I deeply appreciate your following me on this journey. I have loved writing stories since I learned to write around age eight. I write for love, not for money. I tried secular writing for years, but was bored and unsuccessful. Finally, I realized that nothing could be more exciting than writing for and about my God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God Bless you all. Let us all pray for one another in these difficult days ahead. I try to keep in the forefront of my focus that we are not here to make this crazy world a perfect place, we are here to gather disciples for our Lord. I wrote this book with the hope that it might encourage some of our younger ones to realize just how exciting being a Christian really can be. Our Lord assures us that we will face trials and tribulations through following Him, and not a life of material wealth and lavish, safe lives. When God tells you to do something, there are no closed doors - from experience.