A Writer's Week #11: Down in the Valley

The purpose of this column is to chronicle my journey as I write my new book, and as I market my current one, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. For the most part, that journey has been filled with highs.

On the writing front, the new book has been a joy to write. There hasn't been any of the wrong turns and retooling that marked the excruciatingly long process of writing the first book. Although I've only had a chance to really write on the weekends, I've been able to put the time I had to good use pretty consistently.

Meanwhile, on the marketing side, book sales have been consistent (check out the book here. If you've read it, please review it.), for the most part. I've been able to have a book signing, visit some classrooms, and had a few interviews. This blog is also attracting some attention, and page views have been rising steadily (please become a follower and like the book on Facebook by clicking over to the left.).

This week, however, I've felt a little like I've stumbled into a valley. Last week, I wrote that I'd reached a point in the book where I had to step back and think through where the story was headed. I was anticipating that I wouldn't get much written this week,. Secretly, though, I hoped that I'd get things mapped out quickly and get a respectable amount of writing done, too.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I mapped out what I need to include in the story, but I'm still not that clear on how it will all be accomplished. I decided that I'd had luck following the characters' lead, so I'd let them lead me through this patch. Well, I still believe that's the right course, but I only wrote a couple hundred words before I had to stop. I felt like I was writing a bad cartoon. So, I'm going to regroup and give it another go this weekend.

The marketing end didn't go so well this week, either. It was the first week in a while that I didn't sell a single book, either in person or through Amazon. I'm also struggling for ways to get my book reviewed and out in the public eye. I think it just comes down to asking, but I don't like to be pushy. This is something that I'll just have to get over.

To be honest, I'm going to have to look at the marketing aspect of this whole deal. I can write, but publicity aint my strong point. I'm trying to do at least one thing every month. With this in mind, stay tuned for a little promotion that I'll be announcing this weekend.

Overall, though, I've been pretty lucky. I've had a lot of support from my family, my friends, coworkers, and all of you. Thank you so much. The valleys are inevitable, but it won't be long until things are moving forward once again. I'll let you know how things are going next week.