Q & A on Writing and Such

Thanks so much to CatholicFiction.net  for running an interview of me yapping away about writing and The World's Funniest Atheist.

It was interesting for me to answer their questions. Made me think about my influences, habits and such. I notice that my answers tended to be brief. Just like my novels.

They didn't ask and so I remained mum on The Role of Chocolate in an Author's Life.

Probably just as well.

Just keep writing.

Nausea and the Novel

Many thanks to Bob ("Robert P.") Lockwood for a great review of The World's Funniest Atheist in Our Sunday Visitor newspaper. It means a lot when an old -- that is, longtime -- colleague and friend says your work is good and that person is a good enough and knowledgeable enough colleague and friend not to lie about that. In print.

Bob confesses he often likes novels that begin with someone throwing up.

Fortunately for me, that was the opening scene.

It's high-class literature.

Obviously not.

It's a good story.

I hope.

And I hope that's your goal, nine-week novelist. Tell a good story!

Just keep writing.

(Hmm. I realize now Pope Bob begins with someone throwing up and O Father: A Murder Mystery has someone going winky-tink in the bushes. Fortunately, my two novels for kids open at a baseball game and in a bedroom with a young fellow just kind of hiding from his family. G-rated material.)

A Lovely Review of 'Atheist'

Thanks, Elu Oberon, for the great review of The World's Funniest Atheist on Amazon.com:

This was a fine read. The chapters were almost shockingly short to me, but I would not call this bad, just different. Possibly even better, reading on my Kindle or iPad, at work and on the go. Heavily weighted towards dialogue, but in a quick paced and vibrant way, rather than being plodding or tedious. The characters drew me in, to the point where I felt the triumphs and losses of the protagonist. I recommend this as a fun, fast read, and a good value.

The chapters are between 500 and 600 words. I wrote it that way so I could complete one chapter each day. (You know . . . daily word count.)

Dialogue, as you may have read in How to Write Your Novel in Nine Weeks, is what I love. Putting two characters together and just listening to them talk is a delight. And, often, surprising.

Try it.

Just keep writing.

Up to 650

Brisk "sales" for the free copies of The World's Funniest Atheist continue. More than 650 copies in the last three-and-a-half days.

Get your free copy now!

Offer good through Wednesday.

Five Hundred Books

I'm happy to report brisk "sales" for the free copies of The World's Funniest Atheist. More than 500 copies in the last two-and-a-half days.

Get your free copy now!

Offer good through Wednesday.

Free, Free, Free Novel

Tomorrow and for the next five days The World's Funniest Atheist will be available for free.

(And worth every penny, says Little Willie.)

I really think you should get a copy, read it, and give it a five-star review. If you're pressed for time, skip numbers one and two.

Get it here.

Practicing What I Preach

"The World's Funniest Atheist" is available on Kindle.

I think you should go buy a copy right now. Seriously. Then come back and continue reading this. I can wait. Go head. I'll be here...

...I wrote it using the "Nine Week" method but my daily word count was a little higher and I wrote for a bit more than 54 days so I ended up with a slightly bigger novel. (It's just under 50,000 words.) The first draft took about 80 days of writing at one chapter per day. Most weeks I took my one day off and there were some stretches where I couldn't get back to the manuscript for several days.

The daily word count was low enough that I knew it wouldn't seem overwhelming but, of course, I also knew I needed to quit when I finished that chapter and not keep going on some kind of "writer's high." (Endorphins!) However, as Willie and I advised, I jotted down some notes for the next chapter or wrote a couple of lines into it. That was one reason I didn't dread coming back to the manuscript each day.

I say all this so you'll buy my books... No, wait. I say all this so you'll know I practice what I preach. When it comes to novel writing anyway.

The World's Funniest Atheist

As I mention in "How to Write Your Novel in Nine Weeks," I tend to start thinking about the next book when I'm about two-thirds of the way through the one I'm currently working on. (On which I am currently working.)

That was the case for Nine Week Novel. I began to jot down some notes about a fellow who makes his living as "the world's funniest atheist" and then, much to his dismay, suddenly believes God exists.

Over the past couple days I've been getting that ready to publish on Kindle.

And, because "O Father" is selling well, I want to get the second book in that series finished, too. With that one, it's a matter of editing. I wrote it a while back. (Prehistoric Pre-Kindle days.)I think that's next on the list. I always liked those characters.

I apologize if this post seems like bragging. I've been at this book writing a long time and now technology is allowing more books to be published. I'm a kid in a candy store.