By Mark W. Danielson
Remember the commercial where the kids keep asking if the
soup is done? The answer is never clear,
but at some point their mom announces, “It’s soup!” In writing, the same principle applies. People keep asking when your next book
will be out and then one day you announce it’s done. Of course, how cooks, authors and publishers
determine “when” will forever remain a mystery.
My latest novel was just released a week ago, so by chef’s
standards, Spectral Gallows must be
done. I’m proud of the story. It's a perfect blend of reality and fiction with a little help from the netherworld. Of course, each reader will have to decide if the recipe suits their taste.
But let’s put Spectral Gallows aside for a moment and return to the writing process. For most authors, it takes at least a year to
write, edit, submit, review, edit, review, correct, and then resubmit a story. By the time their book is released, the author
has read so many times they are blind. And
it seems that no matter how many times proof readers have gone through the
manuscript, someone always seems to find another typo. Holding that thought, let’s compare this to picking
mushrooms from a lasagna serving. (Okay,
I admit it. I hate mushrooms.) A person can spend an entire meal trying to
pick those little suckers out, but inevitably one will end up in their
mouth. At that point you have two
choices – swallow it or make a scene. In
writing, you either swallow your pride and accept a potential error or risk
your career by ignoring your deadlines. It
isn’t until your reviews come in that you realize most people accept typos, so
long as the story is good. That’s why positive
reviews validate your writing and warm the heart.
Recently, I learned that several people were talking my book
up and as a result I have a pending radio interview so I must be doing
something right. If you enjoy murder
mysteries involving the paranormal and quantum theory, give Spectral Gallows a look, then settle
into a nice bowl of soup. Both are
pretty cozy on a cool fall night.
