The Shark and the Podcast

It is astounding to think that I have finished the first book in a novel. I seem to be cautiously wading out into the shallows. But these are not the calm and quiet shallows of a beach. Crystal clear water, and seagull’s squarking and gliding through the air. A soft breeze moving through your hair. These shallows have sharks, and somehow you are supposed to swim across them. But there is a catch.

You have to tie a blood soaked query letter to your back leg.

That is my first impression of the writing industry, and although it may be a smidge of an embellishment, it is not completely untrue. I remember the days of old. The dreaming of getting a book published. Back then it was easy, back then it was safe.

Now, you can’t be afraid. You can’t sit back and hope that you wrote a good enough book to be noticed by agents and publishers. You have to go out there are make it happen. You have to have a following.

Enter Twitter

So, I am not old, but I am not young. I never really got into Twitter. I mean, I have always had one. I think everyone has. But I never really used it. What makes it even better is that I sat there on my author Facebook page, hoping and wishing that I would start a large following.

I began to get on Twitter more. I began to actually interact with people. Not just retweet, but actually find someone who is having a conversation and join in. A funny thing happened. I started getting followers. Now, I don’t have a ton, but you have to start somewhere. I am somewhere around 300 more than I had a few weeks ago. 

I digress. But you should follow me. But seriously, I digress.

*whispers “follow me”

I was at drill a few weeks ago. I know, I know. Then Army just keeps taking and taking. In all truth, I did sign up for it. Like literally signed a contract. So, I suppose I had it coming. Anyways, I was there and talking to one of my buddies, and he made a good point. He says that I should start a podcast. Apparently I am always carrying on a dialogue about something interesting, which actually got me to thinking about it.

A podcast. Me, talking to myself. Just the thought brings a smile to my face, and gets my chest fluttering in ways that I can’t describe without a thesaurus. No promises, but I am looking into it. I’m really excited about it. Hopefully it gives me an outlet, and saves my wife from my rants and raves.

Long story short, it is good to be back to writing. I am currently querying for the first book in my series The Pearls of Solus. It is a YA epic fantasy, and I haven’t been quite this excited about something since the Titans made it to the Super Bowl in 1999.

In other news, I am writing the second book in said series, but I am getting distracted by a budding idea. I have already written a chapter, but safe to say it is fantasy as well. It has a sort of medieval setting and is centered on a power struggle between siblings. I can neither confirm nor deny that this has anything to do with the fact that I am one of six siblings.