Month: July 2018

Editing My Manuscript

I’ve established a rhythm of editing my second manuscript: do one chapter a day. That may seem like a minor goal, but it really does work. Three chapters are already done. One more will be done today. As the work continues, I may be able to edit two chapters in one day. That would be good as I still have to develop the history of my new world and create a religion. A writer’s work is never done.

Are you following me on Twitter? My Twitter account is @alanlampeauthor in case you need it. I have two promotions going on right now. Many people are liking and retweeting the promotional tweets, helping me grow my tribe. Recently, I started tweeting daily Louisiana history facts. I’m still not a marketing expert, but I have a better understanding of how Twitter works. The results are pretty good. Hopefully, between the promotions, retweets, and my own work, my hashtag #rompintheswamp will actually become a trend.

It’s been a while since I used the phrase history doesn’t write itself. It gets analyzed to death by all sides, but it doesn’t write itself. Everyone has their own version of history. And we all believe our own version of history is the only truth. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this will change anytime soon.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading book eleven of the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, An Excellent Mystery.

Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is available on Amazon, as an eBook, and in physical formats. It is also available on the Barnes and Noble website.

Seize the Idea

When a great idea comes, you have to seize it and write about it right then. On the morning of July Fourth, I wrote the “From Inspiration to Publication” talk I’m giving this Tuesday at the Village Writing School meeting at the Pizza Hut in Eureka Springs. As I wrote that, Peggy, you remember her from Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure, cried out to me saying, “My story needs to be told.” After lunch, I wrote the first chapter of a new story I hadn’t planned on writing. As I wrote the beginning of Peggy’s story, a lot of her adventures popped into my mind. As well as a lot of questions.

Peggy traveled with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for several months, before and after the Hartford Circus Fire in 1944. (Incidentally, the 74th anniversary was Friday, July 6.) To accurately write her story, I’ll need to find out the circus’ schedule and everybody who worked at the circus. No telling who Peggy may bump into and I want to make sure whoever she meets, was actually there. This also involves The Great Wallendas, as she mentioned she was training with them. It’s also been historically established they were performing when the fire started. Lots of research to do on this story. However, her life before the circus should be pretty easy to develop.

Another project on my plate is the editing of my second manuscript. I finished the story at the end of June. It only has fifty-five thousand words, and by comparison, Bill’s Cajun House printed over 89,000 words. I have work to do to make the manuscript long enough for a book. I also have plans to write another story in the same medieval fantasy world that my second manuscript is set in. The world is large enough to tell all sorts of stories and I intend to be in this world for some time.

Going back to Bayou Cove can be fun, too. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make progress on each front throughout this month.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. Currently, I’m reading book ten of the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, The Pilgrim of Hate.

Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is available on Amazon, as an eBook, and in physical formats. It is also available on the Barnes and Noble website.

Spontaneous Summer Plans

Another week has flown by and spontaneity has hit. During lunch with my parents, my sister asked us to go see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It was an on the spot decision and off to the theater we went. The movie has its flaws. After all, this is the fifth time the world has let dinosaurs run amok, twice in America, and it looks like there will be one more in the series. When will we learn that dinosaurs and humans just don’t mix well together? Still, it was great to spend time with my sister, nephew, and parents.

Open up your calendars, you have two chances to see me in the next ten days. First, I’ll be at the West Fork Treasure Trove, 36 Main Street, West Fork, Arkansas from 2-3:15 this Saturday, July 7. Then on Tuesday, July 10, I’ll be giving a talk from idea conception to publishing (and everything in between) at the Village Writing School’s meeting at the Pizza Hut in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, from 12-2. Also, on Friday, check out Two Ends of the Pen blog and learn more about me and Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. At the end of the month is my publisher’s retreat in the Ozark hills.

On August 18, come get your pleasure at the Mississippi Book Festival at the Capitol Building. I’m looking forward to being around so many other authors and fans of books. It’ll be a romp in the swamp. On September 9, come see me at the Fayetteville (AR) Public Library Second Sunday author talk from 12-2. It’s also the start of the NFL season, but books are more fun anyway.

I’m working on setting up other events for the summer and fall. Hope to meet you at one of them. I’ll gladly autograph your copy of Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. And in case you missed my post from this week, I finished the first draft of my second manuscript. Going to do some editing on it before sending it to my publisher. Hopefully, my second book will be printed before the end of 2019.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book is open on my Kindle. I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read a variety of authors and topics. I finished reading book nine of the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series, Dead Man’s Ransom. My review is on Goodreads and Amazon. Tomorrow, I start book ten, The Pilgrim of Hate.

Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is available on Amazon, as an eBook, and in physical formats. It is also available on the Barnes and Noble website.