Tag: author

The Vaunted Follow-up Post

· 2 Comments ·

It’s a typical pattern after an especially popular blog post for me. I write, and then I turtle. A popular blog post is followed by a month or more of radio silence. Can you really call it a pattern, though, if it’s only a couple of posts?

I’ve tried over the past year to figure out which kind of post does the best. Is it the ones which are tongue-in-cheek? Or is it the serious ones? Ones where I talk about the craft of writing or ones where I talk about that damn khajit?

Two posts stand out above any others in terms of popularity. The first was the book launch.  People seemed to dig it! Probably because I just made fun of my sister in it the entire time.

Somehow, though, I don’t think that making fun of Lisa is the secret sauce to a more popular blog. (I could totally be wrong – feel free to sound off in the comments if you want to read more about that. I’d be more than happy to oblige).

The 2nd was my last blog post. New York: The Writer’s Conference. This is significant because – even though I don’t make fun of my sister – people still seemed to dig it.

Both of these signify pretty huge steps in my writing journey. The first was about the launch of Far from Ordinary. The second was about trying to break through into the writing industry.

After all, it’s one thing to write a book. It’s entirely another to get it published in an extremely competitive industry.

So that’s the secret sauce, then. Just keep doing epic shit – stuff that is far from ordinary, pardon the pun (available on Amazon, check it out!!)

Also easier said than done.

The posts where I have a massive update are the ones that are the most popular. That makes all the sense, doesn’t it? Therein lies my problem, as well. How the hell do you follow that up?

I mean, I could always write about a khajit. The internet seems to love cats, even if they’re complete and utter assholes. Which khajit should I write about? The one that I miss, or the one that tortures me every day? Decisions, decisions.

There’s no excuse for not writing blog posts. Not for me, anyway. Writers are supposed to write every day. No excuses. But, of course, there are. There are always excuses. I’m tired. My mantlepiece needs cleaning. Mercury is in goddamn retrograde.

Image result for the stars have no bearing on your life
Very insightful, no?

The only thing I want to do after a post which does better than average is to follow it up with another one that can do just as well. That’s almost impossible, though, unless I’m starting to be less than honest with my posts.

NEXT WEEK, I TALK ABOUT HOW I SINGLE HANDEDLY SOLVED THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WHILE SOMEHOW HAVING A FANTASTIC HAIRLINE AND GETTING THE DOCTOR-RECOMMENDED 8.5 HOURS OF SLEEP EVERY NIGHT!

No, I don’t think I’ll do that. Hashtag fake news. I don’t like clickbait, and I assume that you don’t, either.

Here I am, then, taking that integral first step. Do me a favor and like the post, mmkay? It will help my desperately fragile writer’s ego.

SO

What did we learn this week (month)?

  1. It’s no fun being a non-practicing writer. Let’s fix that, yes?
  2. I’ve been sitting on a couple of story ideas for my next novel. The first? Far from Ordinary 2: Electric Boogaloo. The 2nd? UNTITLED HORROR STORY PROJECT.
  3. I’m still working on the title for the second one. I’ve wanted to do a horror story for a long time now. There’s something about a good spooky story. A freezer book. A journey into the macabre, so to speak.[insert friends freezer book
  4. You’ve got to start again sometime. Here’s to the blank page
  5. Next week I’m going to talk about results! Specifically what I’ve gotten from the writer’s conference so far

Later days,

M

The Calm Before the Storm

· Leave a comment ·

Hey all!

I wanted to log in and drop you all a quick note. I haven’t forgotten about you, don’t worry. Far from it, in fact. I’ve got a TON of awesome posts planned, most of them revolving around this writer’s conference I’m hitting up.

I leave on Tuesday for it. The thought literally blows my mind. Just two terrifying plane rides, and I’ll be in the greatest city in the world.

Oh yeah. I don’t fly well. I get it, I’ve read the statistics like you have. Planes ARE still the safest way to travel. It’s just unnatural, is all. If humans were meant to fly, they would have wings.

But I’m not going to let that stop me! NEW YORK, BAYBAY!

It’s New York that’s been keeping me from posting lately. Getting ready for this conference has been taxing my time and my attention. I’ve been getting home from eight hours of work, just to pull out the laptop and work another three or four.

It’s all in service of making my book even stronger, but all work and no play makes Mikey something something

Image result for go crazy simpsons gif
Don’t mind if I do!

 

I put the finishing touches on Fade to Black, then I combed over it with a fine-toothed comb. Now it’s out to my primary beta-readers. I’m way too close to it to say subjectively, but I’m pretty sure it’s a good one.

The other things I needed to do for the conference were:

  1. Research potential agents
  2. Craft my pitch

Now, out of the fifty-odd agents who are going to attend the conference, there are twenty-two who are looking for the NEXT GREAT THRILLER

Image result for Thriller dance gif
Hee Hee

It’s a matter of doing a bit more research, and coming up with a short-list of the five MUST VISIT agents, so I have a bit of direction when I get to the Pitch Slam session.

The other thing is the pitch. I’d like to share it with you all now – I welcome your feedback! Feel free to sound off in the comments. What did you like about it? What would you change if you were me? Is this a sellable story to you?

Without further adieu, here it is:

Hello, my name is Michael, and I write under the name M. James Murray. I published my first novel in 2018 and I also wrote an article in Sports Life Magazine.

I’m here today to pitch FADE TO BLACK, a speculative thriller which is complete at 76 500 words.

What happens in a love story once the love is gone?

A place does not need to be haunted to have ghosts. John Roque works for the Chicago Police Department as a consultant. His secret Talent allows him to do things considered impossible by the regular person – he can influence your actions, hear your thoughts and move objects using nothing more than the power of his mind.

When he is called to a crime scene where he finds his ex wife brutally murdered, John is devastated. He is desperate to forget her memory, and yet he would do anything to get her back. He sees the threads that no-one else can see – the killer has Talent, too. John needs to avenge her, but his Talent – something as natural to him as breathing – has disappeared.

Honestly, folks, I am so excited. Looking forward to seeing Manhattan and eating at a whole bunch of super tasty restaurants. And the Empire State Building!

Image result for empire state building how I met your mother gif

The plan is to see a Broadway show on Tuesday, a Mets game on Wednesday and a whole bunch of attractions in between.

I can’t WAIT to share all the stories with you.

What did we learn this week?

  1. I’m 25% more charismatic when I communicate solely in GIFs. I won’t look too deep into THAT
  2. I’m pretty effin’ excited for this trip
  3. You can always find that next level when you’re working towards something that you’re truly passionate about
  4. Softball playoffs are this weekend. I’m pretty sure the Inglorious Batters are going to win the “C” division crown.
  5. When you’re thirty, you probably shouldn’t wait until the sole of your shoe is exposed before you decide to buy another pair.

Later days,

M