March 1, 2009
You’ve done it again! Thanks to your support, we had another record-breaking month at thefictioneer.com! In February, this website broke its records for unique monthly visitors (518) and unique daily visitors (2240)! And this is all thanks to you for stopping by for a visit. I can’t thank you enough. It’s a great feeling knowing I’m reaching an audience, and that you’re enjoying what you’re reading enough to keep coming back for more. I hope you’ll spread the word and bring more friends to the site in months to come.
This weekend was a roller coaster ride on the writing side for me. Yesterday, I missed my daily word count goal for the first time in 12 days. I also had to reevaluate the schedule for my current novel and made a tough decision. Instead of working toward an April 15 deadline, the submission deadline for the May workshop I’ll be attending, I’ve decided to send a different novel to the workshop and extend the writing period for my current book by two weeks. That gives me a better chance of finishing the book well and not driving myself insane. The pace I’ve been keeping has pushed me too far, and my work and home obligations are starting to get in the way. I had tremendous pangs of guilt when I first made this decision, but now I feel really good about it. It’s a real load off my mind. It’s one of those things a professional writer must learn: when to make adjustments to the production schedule to keep from losing your mind.
Speaking of the novel I’m taking to the workshop in May, you now have the chance to read some of it! I’ve just posted the first 10,000 words of the book, titled DICK, on the Authonomy website. You can go there now and check it out. Here’s a link: http://www.authonomy.com/ReadBook.aspx?bookid=6998#chapter
If you like the novel enough, I hope you’ll register on the website and give it a push. One you’ve registered, if you like DICK, just hit the “Back the Book” button, and DICK will be added to your bookshelf. The more people who add DICK to their bookshelves, the better the ranking. Feel free to leave comments on the forum, too. It really is a cool website, operated by HarperCollins, one of the top publishers in the industry. I hope you’ll give it a try!
Just one word of warning. DICK is a little on the “profane” side, not meant for younger readers or those who prefer not to read books with foul language in them. It is also, however, a crazy satire, and I think it’s a lot of fun. It’s in the spirit of Monty Python, Christopher Moore, South Park, and Family Guy…so if you like them, you ought to get a kick out of DICK. And if you like it enough, please recommend it to your friends.
Your help, as always, is appreciated. I couldn’t do any of this without you.
Now for today’s travel picture! This one is a shot of me at Stonehenge in England from 1992. One of the coolest places on Earth, no doubt. See you tomorrow!
Stonehenge, England, 1992
