tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.comments2020-04-03T08:00:10.683-07:00Author Paulo da Silva - Tales of Woe on the Road to Writing-GloryPaulo da Silvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-84628653885868964682017-07-16T06:05:25.704-07:002017-07-16T06:05:25.704-07:00Dear Christopher,
I must thank you once again for ...Dear Christopher,<br />I must thank you once again for your uplifting comments. Agreed on the length of time needed for Novel #1. (Did your friend at least grow an "artistically magnificent" beard? ;)) Writing this post freed me up sonewhat, and I had a fresh look at things and where I stand and what I should do. I'll keep you posted.<br />Otherwise, I am glad to hear you are doing well. Your comments certainly have put things in perspective. Keep writing.<br />All the best,<br />PauloPaulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-87816626153402698302017-07-14T14:11:50.236-07:002017-07-14T14:11:50.236-07:00I hear the fear. Finding markets feels like try/fa...I hear the fear. Finding markets feels like try/fail, try/fail, try/fail...why am I doing this? <br /><br />For me the only thing more scary than not writing the novel is being dead and the novel never gets written. In 2015, I was diagnosed at 45 with colon cancer (I'm fine, thanks, and it was a freakin' miracle). Since then I don't have a problem writing. Not because most of it doesn't belong in a privy pot, but because the other choice is be be like Neil Gaiman's poet in the Graveyard Book who buries himself with his manuscript rather than let it be criticized. <br /><br />You've given yourself too long a period. Give yourself six weeks, three weeks, whatever feels crazy for you to produce. A colleague of mine gave himself two years off to write his book, and spent most of it trying to grow a beard. I tend to give myself a month for some of my books (non-fiction self-help). And no, I don't make my deadlines, but I get to wait on my beta-readers rather than the other way around. <br /><br />For me a book should be like a painting, you work at it every day, and shift from building up to tearing down as the mood shifts. <br /><br />Every time I've ever gone to the want ads (whether for a job or a piece of work) I end up feeling hopeless with low self-esteem. All of those ads are for the person that an employer dreams of, not a real human being. <br /><br />Publishing houses are no better at this than we are, they get it wrong all the time. The most useful thing I read this week is that authors need to stop thinking like authors and need to start thinking like publishers. <br /><br />Doing my research on best selling authors, I find that over and over again they have characters that move with them from book to book. So you'd better like that character. Agatha Christie is famous for hating Hercule Poirot, but she kept writing him because people loved him. Rowling still sells, but she made a mistake not keeping Harry going. <br /><br />The thing I've realized is that you have to write the novel. Not because it's the novel, but because it's the step to get you there. Paulo Coehlo still hasn't figured out why the Alchemist sells so many copies when most of his work is autobiographical and sells much less. If Leonardo was alive, he'd be bewildered by the Mona Lisa. A.A. Milne thought he was a mystery and magazine writer. He wrote Winnie The Pooh as a laugh for a few bucks. We cannot know what our true novel is. Perhaps (gasp) it's when we bare our souls. Max Ehrmann wrote garbage poetry (based on the one book I slogged through) and yet wrote the Desiderata which is everywhere. http://mwkworks.com/desiderata.html<br /><br />It's not the biz until it sells. Until then, it's just a soul journey. I for one am glad I don't share King's penchant for chaining himself to his desk until he farts out 10,000 words. It must be great for horror. But I admit a fascination with Dickens, paid by the word, who when faced with a deadline elaborated on some of literature's most unforgettable characters. I should be so lucky to be serialized!Christopher Maloneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08479264461347128466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-79192142093266401512017-04-30T00:00:24.160-07:002017-04-30T00:00:24.160-07:00Christopher, you have no idea how much your commen...Christopher, you have no idea how much your comment has raised my spirits :)<br /><br />Heck of a thing about the agent, and it proves the point. What do they say? WRITE WRITE WRITE. I think (in my highly unprofessional opinion) that those who make it (aside from the ones blessed by blind luck) are the ones stubborn (stupid?) enough to hammer away at a keyboard despite endless failures, and who finally sell enough material before being drowned in Alcoholic or Narcotic Blues. At least this is what they tell me is the successful formula.<br /><br />I'm going to try your tip. It rings true. (Write when I feel like it; don't when I don't.) I push myself too hard, and always have. I don't think it makes me write any better. It certainly raised my stress levels.<br /><br />It's never pleasing to hear of other writers suffering.<br />But it's always somewhat "pleasing" to know one does not suffer alone... :)<br /><br />PS I can't believe someone actually read this post! Oh well, now it won't ever be deleted... :)Paulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-29999634296195233112017-04-29T12:35:00.499-07:002017-04-29T12:35:00.499-07:00I think you've hit on something, several somet...I think you've hit on something, several somethings that ring true to all writers. In my life, I've learned to write when I feel the urge, do other things when I don't. Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you get good stuff, and sometimes you get crazy drivel that might not be worth the ones and zeros that form it on the screen. <br /><br />Having gone the literary agent route, I found myself trapped into a two year contract with someone who I think must have had some kind of personal crisis because he didn't get back to me for months. So I had to fire him, which felt insane. The plan had been 1) get literary agent, 2) get published not 1) get literary agent, get ignored for a year, fire literary agent and start from scratch. <br /><br />I think there are so many authors who get bogged down somewhere in the process of getting the book to the market that the market is full of those people who don't care about the work and just know how to market. I'm amazed at the drivel that's being farmed out to us, so don't give up on the bright idea!<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts!Christopher Maloneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08479264461347128466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-66610554077495554972016-11-02T10:47:42.115-07:002016-11-02T10:47:42.115-07:00Muito obrigado, Pedro! ;)Muito obrigado, Pedro! ;)Paulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-22746703028260657772016-11-02T10:18:37.138-07:002016-11-02T10:18:37.138-07:00Hi Paulo. Queria dar-lhe os parabéns pela sua mara...Hi Paulo. Queria dar-lhe os parabéns pela sua maravilhosa história. Continue o bom trabalho. :)Pedro Santoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01992505968018428166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-57946194204044608812016-10-28T15:48:36.752-07:002016-10-28T15:48:36.752-07:00Congratulations on both your sale and your story. ...Congratulations on both your sale and your story. Very entertaining. Well done! ;-)<br />Lenora Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03306895784336545124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-10666961379645372582016-10-28T12:42:07.729-07:002016-10-28T12:42:07.729-07:00Just read this and I really enjoyed it. Just the s...Just read this and I really enjoyed it. Just the sort of story I like.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10713279209550481290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-10458665882404333642016-10-28T10:20:02.961-07:002016-10-28T10:20:02.961-07:00Thanks so much :)Thanks so much :)Paulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-42934490344159166702016-10-28T09:40:33.682-07:002016-10-28T09:40:33.682-07:00Wonderful story Paulo! There's so much backsto...Wonderful story Paulo! There's so much backstory so deftly brought in. Thank you!Christopher Maloneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08479264461347128466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-843336774142926912016-10-28T08:31:03.564-07:002016-10-28T08:31:03.564-07:00Thanks ;)Thanks ;)Paulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-56045990583353525792016-10-28T08:30:54.161-07:002016-10-28T08:30:54.161-07:00Thanks, Arthur ;)Thanks, Arthur ;)Paulo da Silvahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802603446763328442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-46189225817211106472016-10-28T00:13:41.086-07:002016-10-28T00:13:41.086-07:00Great Halloween story. Sad, poor, and love. What ...Great Halloween story. Sad, poor, and love. What a good mixture,<br />Oldguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502401823838030158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7744831044348788074.post-4483954240453328922016-10-27T22:57:00.739-07:002016-10-27T22:57:00.739-07:00Just read it - loved it. Just read it - loved it. Arthurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00727248655972126827noreply@blogger.com