eBook Cover for my Short Story

Here is the cover for my Short Story that I plan to have as an eBook on Amazon soon. Let me know what you think....

Jarvis Mann was a Private Detective, whose business thrived on the mundane, paying the bills following cheating spouses, getting in the middle of messy divorces and working for the Fat Cat Insurance companies running down false insurance claims. But one day on his office steps a young man coaxing with the simple word “Please” convinces him to help on a Winter’s Sunday afternoon to find a missing valuable Ernie Banks Rookie Bubble Gum Card. Driving the Denver streets from door to door, friend to friend, until a clue leads to a surprising discovery, a young man’s personal pain and his friends selfish act teach Jarvis a life lesson that will shape him with new hope and resolve.

The Editing Journey

You have that first draft written and it took forever to finish. The hard part is over, or is it? Now you've got to proof read and edit, fix plot holes and inconsistencies, shape your characters and locations so they are three dimensional; getting the manuscript a little more polished and closer to where it should be. So how do you go about it and is it harder than knocking out the first draft?

Do you edit, reread your work while you write? Or do you just hammer out the first draft and then rewrite afterwards? Do you go to family or friends for guidance? What about Alpha and Beta Readers? Do you have them and how did you find them? Do you offer them some compensation? How many Alpha Beta readers do you use on one piece? And what about professional editing. Is a professional editor necessary for Indie Authors? What can you expect to pay for professional editing services?

I'm asking more questions than I have answers for because I'm still new to this. It is very hard for me to chop up, throw out and rework something I already spent a great deal of time on. I want to be as independent as possible and be able to do it all myself, but of course I can't. I have to find people to help me get on the right track if I've gone off the rails. I've learned that family isn't the way to go and I need someone outside my personal circle to give feedback. So far I haven't used Alpha readers, but have found a few Beta readers, and they have been helpful pointing to things I can't see having lived in the project for so long. It's a long trek to reach that satisfactory The End.

Comment and let me know how your editing journey typically goes...

The Social Connection for Authors

So for me the hardest part of writing is the social aspect. It's that part where I feel I'm begging people, saying look at me I'm a writer. Like a child jumping up an down and acting out to get their parents attention. Whether it's Google+, Facebook or Twitter, it's a necessary evil, or maybe I should say necessary source to build an audience, but goes against my natural instincts. Of course if no one reads what I wrote that bums me out to. :-)

How much of your time do you spend posting and monitoring in social media? Do you feel it takes precious time away from your writing? Do you find it's difficult to disconnect once connected? What are your tips for doing it efficiently? Do you have someone assist you like a family member?

Early on I'm finding this on par with the writing, work and personal balance I'm struggling with. The social interaction can be very addicting and I find I must put time limits on how long I spend on it or it can consume me. If only we didn't need sleep I could do it all....

The process of writing

Where do your ideas come from? Do they come from everyday life experiences or that active imagination you've had since you were young! Do they come from other writers, TV or movies? I must say for me it's a little of all of these and that active imagination has been their since my youth.
Once you have an idea what is your process for getting it on paper? Do you outline the story before writing, or just write it out? Once I have an idea I for one like to just write and see what comes out. I have a rough outline in my head but much of it develops as I write it, then I outline as I go. I'm curious the process of writing for others as well.

Finding time to write

One of the biggest issues when you work full-time and have a family is finding time to write. Even more challenging for me as I find it difficult to write while other people are around, either in the same room or coming in to ask me something. I really need to isolate myself to be able to concentrate properly on what I'm doing; no TV or music on, no coming in to ask me something and no dog wanting my attention. Once I get a thought process in place and that flow is interrupted it's hard to get it back. Another concern is I'm ignoring my family while writing. The largest amount of time I have open to write is on weekends, for its difficult during the work week as I'm mentally too tired. The weekend is for spending time with loved ones, doing fun things together and recharging for the next work week. So it's finding that open hour or two each day to write that can hold me back from completing the task. Where does everyone find the time, motivation and inspiration to write?